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walk from the river. Completed in 1643, it was designed as a hideout in case of attack, and contains hidden stairways, escape routes, secret chambers, concealed tunnels and trick doors. The popular name refers to the temple’s connection with ninja. Admission is by tour only – it’s in Japanese but visual enough. Take Minami Ō-dōri across the river, take a left at the first major intersection, then the first right.

Nearby, Kutani Kosen Gama Kiln (241-0902; 5-3-3 Nomachi; admission free; 9am-5pm) is a must for pottery lovers. Short tours give a glimpse of the process and history of this fine craft. Try decorating porcelain yourself from ¥1050.

ŌMICHŌ MARKET

A warren of several hundred shops and restaurants, many of which specialise in seafood, this market (35 Ōmichō; 9am-5pm) bustles all day and is a great place for a break from sightseeing and to watch everyday people in action. Ōmichō functions like the outer market of Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market, but thanks to a recent makeover it’s a lot more orderly and polished. It’s between Katamachi district and Kanazawa Station. The nearest bus stop is Musashi-ga-tsuji.

Festivals & Events

Kagatobi Dezomeshiki In early January, scantily clad firemen brave the cold, imbibe sake and demonstrate ancient fire-fighting skills on ladders.

Asano-gawa Enyūkai Performances of traditional Japanese dance and music are held on the banks of the Asano-gawa during the second weekend of April.

Hyakumangoku Matsuri In early June, Kanazawa’s main annual festival commemorates the first time the region’s rice production hit 1 million koku (around 150,000 tonnes). There’s a parade of townsfolk in 16th-century costumes, takigi nō (torch-lit performances of nō drama), tōrō nagashi (lanterns floated down the river at dusk) and a special chanoyu; at Kenroku-en.

Sleeping

All Western-style hotels provide LAN cable access.

BUDGET

Kanazawa Youth Hostel (252-3414; fax 252-8590; www.jyh.or.jp; 37 Suehiro-machi; dm ¥3150; closed early Feb) Commanding a superb position in the hills to the east of the city, this strict, 80-bed hostel has Japanese- and Western-style rooms, with some private rooms available (extra charge). Unfortunately, bus services are infrequent. From the station, take bus 90 for Utatsuyama (not Senjūkaku) and get off after about 25 minutes at Yūsu-Hosteru-mae.

Yamadaya (/fax 261-0065; 2-3-28 Nagamachi; r per person ¥4000; ) This friendly place offers decent tatami rooms in a former samurai house in Nagamachi. No English is spoken. It’s on a side street just west of the Nomura Samurai House.

Murataya Ryokan (263-0455; fax 263-0456; murataya@spacelan.ne.jp; 1-5-2 Katamachi; s/tw ¥4700/9000; ) Eleven well-kept rooms with friendly hosts await at this travellers’ favourite in Katamachi, convenient to restaurants and nightlife; there’s an English-language map of local establishments.

MIDRANGE

APA Hotel Kanazawa Chūō (235-2111; www.apahotel.com; 1-5-24 Katamachi; s/d/tw from ¥8000/11,000/15,000; ) Towering above Katamachi, this 500-plus-room business hotel offers nicely appointed if cramped rooms. Guests have use of indoor and outdoor onsen baths on the 14th floor. Pick up an origami crane.

Hotel Dormy Inn Kanazawa (263-9888; fax 263-9312; www.hotespa.net, in Japanese; 2-25 Horikawa-shinmachi; s/d/tw ¥8500/12,000/15,000; ) This brand-new hotel steps from the station is filled with futuristic art. Most of its 304 rooms are singles and have an inner door to keep out extraneous noise. There’s a naturium- and calcium-rich onsen rotemburo on the top floor, and a coin laundry.

Kanazawa New Grand Hotel Annex (233-7000; fax 265-6655; www.new-grand.co.jp, in Japanese; 1-50 Takaoka-machi; s/d & tw from ¥9817/18,480; ) Near both Nagamachi and Katamachi, this business hotel has nice-sized, up-to-date rooms. It’s next door to the New Grand main building; you can reserve at either, but the Annex is newer and more polished.

TOP END

Kanazawa Hakuchōrō Hotel (222-1212; www.hakuchoro.com; 6-3 Marunouchi; s/tw with breakfast from ¥14,000/22,000; ) East meets West with room design (and dimensions) that