Kanazawa Ishikawa Japan History City

Kanazawa (金沢市 Kanazawa-shi) is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan. Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. Its total area is 467.77 km². Kanazawa, located northwest of Tokyo along the Sea of Japan, rose in prominence during the 15th century, when the powerful and militant Ikko sect established new headquarters there after being chased out of Kyoto by the monks of Mount Hiei.

Kanazawa is one of the overlooked jewels of Japanese tourism, its offer really japanese history and culture such as the samurai, the merchants, the geisha, and the lords have all left their mark on Kanazawa in a compact, easily navigable central area.


Kanazawa attractions :
1. Kenrokuen : Japan's most celebrated landscape garden. The Garden of Six Attributes is considered one of Japan's Top 3 gardens.
2. Chaya Districts : District of teahouse where geisha perform.
3. Seisonkaku Villa : Beautiful Japanese villa in Kenrokuen.
4. Nagamachi : Kanazawa's former samurai district.
5. Ninjadera : Temple equipped with secret doors and traps.
6. 21st Century Museum : Spectacular contemporary art museum.
7. Omicho Market : Busy market near Kanazawa Station.
8. Oyama Shrine : Shrine dedicated to the former local lord.
9. Kanazawa Castle : Slowly being reconstructed.


Kanazawa Temples and shrines :
1. Ninja Temple (妙立寺 Myōryu-ji) : The tour guides insist there is no connection between the 'Ninja Temple' and actual ninja assassins.
2. Oyama Shrine (尾山神社) : on the other side of the castle. Built in the early Meiji period to honour the founding father of the Kaga Domain, Maeda Toshiie
3. Tentoku-in (天徳院) : the largest temple in Kanazawa during the Edo period, it stood at the eastern end of the city.
4. Daijōji Temple : is an old and active Zen Buddhist Temple set away from traffic on a hillside. The temple in its current location dates from 1697.
5. Shinmeiguu Shrine 神明宮 : this shrine is famous for the 900 year old plus Zelkova tree (keyaki) in its grounds.


Kanazawa nightlife

While in Kanazawa, don't miss the opportunity to sample tea ceremony tea (抹茶 matcha), served with either an incredibly dry and tasteless sweet (干菓子 higashi) or a rather more appetizing fresh one (生菓子 namagashi). Figure on ¥5000-1000 depending on where you try it; the Higashi-Chaya geisha district probably offers the nicest teahouses.

The Katamachi area in central Kanazawa is wall to wall with bars of all shapes and sizes. Some buildings such as the Elle Building are almost exclusively full of hostess bars (often referred to as lounge bars) which may not always be foreigner friendly. Many bars will hit you for a cover charge anywhere upwards of ¥500 per person stretching into thousands.

Best of Kanazawa nighlife bars and drinking beers place are listed here :

1. Apre : A mix of locals and gaijin fill this large two-storey bar near Kōrinbo 109. There's free internet, a pool table, plenty of food and beer selections and a lively crowd (at least on weekends).

2. Baby Rick : This classy little shot bar has a billiard table, jazz and whisky (the good kind), and you can get dishes like spaghetti carbonara and homemade pizzas. It's in the basement level beneath Shidax karaoke. If you enter after 22:00 there's a cover charge.

3. I no Ichiban : This slender izakaya serves plenty of cocktails and has ambience in spades - so much so that it's almost unrecognisable from the street; look for the wood-panel screen and tiny stand of bamboo

4. Ishikawa Prefectural Nō Theatre : Nō theatre is alive and well in Kanazawa, and performances are held once a week during summer at Ishikawa Prefectural Nō Theatre.
5. Pilsen : Two blocks from the Katamachi Scramble, this German-style place serves lots of beers and a fascinating hybrid menu: where else can you get a sausage plate and warm tofu-mushroom salad at the same meal?

6. Polé Polé : In the same building (and sharing the same owners) as Legian restaurant, this dark, grungy and friendly bar is an institution for decades of gaijin and locals - look for the signatures of foreign exchange students. The narrow floor is littered with peanut shells (proceeds from peanut sales go to charity), and the music (reggae) is loud.

7. Nyumba, JR Station area, 2-19-4 Hon-machi, 076-233-7405 open 11:30am - Midnight, closed on Sundays. A stylish, modern family run cafe/bar near Kanazawa station. They do lunch specials for around ¥900 (11:30 - 14:00). Draft beer goes for ¥500 and they have a range of teas and coffees from ¥300. Cocktails are in the ¥600 range.

8. Machrihanish, Katamachi Area, Kigura-machi, 076-233-0072 open 18:30 - 02:00, closed on Sundays. The best selection of Single Malts in Kanazawa bar none. The English speaking owner spent several years working at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and has visited every distillery in Scotland! If whisky is your thing this is the place to visit. Draft Kilkenny is ¥900 a pint, cocktails start at ¥750 and the vast whisky selection kicks off at ¥700. The fish and chips is recommended. It is on the 2nd floor next to a bar called Cadeau look for the large white sign.

9. Ozi, Tatemachi shopping street, open 11:00 - 23:00, closed on Mondays. A great place to sit and people watch while sipping a drink. Draft beer is ¥500 and soft drinks are ¥250. Kebabs, tortilla rolls and pizzas are on the menu and the friendly owner, who hails from Istanbul, speaks English, Persian and German. A popular spot with resident foreigners.


Kanazawa Photos :


Teahouses in Higashi-Chayamachi



Kanazawa Train Station in Kanazawa, Japan



Kanazawa Kenrokuen



Chayakanazawa, Higashi Geisha District



Kanazawa Castle, Ishikawa Gate (National Important Cultural Properties)


Watch Kanazawa Castle Video here



From 1583 to the end of the Edo Period, Kanazawa Castle was the seat of the powerful Maeda Clan, lords of Kaga, a feudal domain ranking second only to the Tokugawa possessions in terms of size and rice production.

The castle burnt down a few times throughout its history, and the most recent fires of 1881 were survived only by the castle's Ishikawa-mon Gate. The gate, which dates from 1788, is the main entrance to the park and faces Kenrokuen.

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