Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [226]
The city’s main sights can be seen in a leisurely two days, and side trips to Noto-hantō are highly recommended.
History
Kanazawa means ‘golden marsh’, which is appropriate given its history. During the 15th century, Kanazawa was under the control of an autonomous Buddhist government, which was ousted in 1583 by Maeda Toshiie, head of the powerful Maeda clan of retainers to the shōgun.
Then the fun started.
Three centuries of bountiful rice production made the Kaga region Japan’s wealthiest; it was known as Kaga-Hyaku-Man-Goku for the million koku (about five million bushels) of rice produced annually. Wealth allowed the Maeda to patronise cultural and artistic pursuits (see the boxed text), and today Kanazawa is one of Japan’s key cultural centres. During WWII, the absence of military targets spared Kanazawa from destruction, preserving its historical and cultural sites, although it is an undeniably modern city with its share of functional (and some fanciful) contemporary architecture.
Orientation
Kanazawa’s labyrinthine layout befits its castle-town past, but bus service makes it easy to get from the train station to the main sightseeing districts, which can then be covered on foot.
The site of the former Kanazawa-jō (Kanazawa Castle) and its gardens, including Kenroku-en, occupy the centre of town. The Katamachi district, just south, is Kanazawa’s commercial and business hub, around the Kōrinbō 109 department store; its busiest intersection is known as the Scramble. The Nagamachi samurai district is a short walk west from Kōrinbō 109. Northeast of the castle, across the Asano-gawa, is the picturesque Higashi Chaya-gai (east geisha district); the hills of Higashiyama to its east offer walks and city views. Just south of Katamachi, across the Sai-gawa, is the Teramachi temple district.
Information
There are post offices in Katamachi and in Kanazawa Station, and several coin-operated laundries, including in Higashi Chaya-gai and Katamachi. For information on the city, visit www.city.kanazawa.ishikawa.jp.
Ishikawa Prefectural International Exchange Center (262-5931; 1-5-3 Honmachi; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat & Sun) Offers information, a library, satellite-TV news and free internet access. It’s on the 3rd floor of the Rifare building, a few minutes’ walk southeast of the train station.
Kanazawa Goodwill Guide Network (KGGN; 232-3933; 10am-6pm) Inside the tourist information office at Kanazawa Station, it provides helpful English-language information and can help book hotels. Two weeks’ notice is requested for free guiding in English.
Kanazawa tourist information office (232-6200; 1 Hiro-oka-machi; 9am-7pm) Friendly office inside Kanazawa Station. Pick up the bilingual map Kanazawa Japan (with details of sights, crafts and local specialities) and the English-language Eye On Kanazawa, which focuses on restaurants.
Libro Books (232-6202; 1-5-3 Honmachi; 10am-8pm) Located downstairs from Ishikawa Prefectural International Exchange Center, Libro sells English-language books and magazines.
Sights & Activities
The following information is arranged in geographical order, and can be used as a walking tour. If time is limited, must-sees are Kenroku-en, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, the Nagamachi and Higashi Chaya-gai districts and Ōmichō Market.
NAGAMACHI DISTRICT
Once inhabited by samurai, this attractive, well-preserved district (Nagamachi Buke Yashiki) framed by two canals features winding streets lined with tile-roofed mud walls. Nomura Samurai House (221-3553; 1-3-32 Nagamachi; adult/child/student ¥500/250/400; 8.30am-5.30pm Apr-Sep, to 4.30pm Oct-Mar), though partly transplanted from outside Kanazawa, is worth a visit for its decorative garden.
Towards Sai-gawa, Shinise Kinenkan (220-2524; 2-2-45 Nagamachi; adult/child ¥100/free; 9.30am-5pm) offers a peek at a former pharmacy and, upstairs, a moderate assortment of local traditional products. If the flowering tree made entirely of candy