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Kanazawa
City in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan

Kanazawa

Kanazawa is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan.

Plan a trip to Kanazawa→From Osaka

As of 1 January 2018, the city had an estimated population of 466,029 in 203,271 households, and a population density of 990 persons per km2. The total area of the city was 468.64 square kilometres (180.94 sq mi).

Get in

Getting to Kanazawa

The nearest airport serving Kanazawa is in the city of Komatsu (KMQ IATA). JAL offers flights into Komatsu Airport from Tokyo Haneda Airport and Okinawa, while ANA flies from Tokyo Haneda and Sapporo. IBEX flies regional jets to Komatsu from Narita Airport, Sendai and Fukuoka. There are also international flights from Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei.

  1. 01
    Kanazawa Station
See

Worth seeing

Many of the links below are only available in Japanese. However almost all major tourist sites in Japan have English pamphlets, and Kanazawa is no exception.

  1. 01
    Kenroku-en Garden

    The most famous sight in Kanazawa, the Garden of Six Attributes is considered one of Japan's Top 3 gardens.

  2. 02
    Kanazawa Castle

    At the center of Kanazawa is the former site of Kanazawa Castle.

  3. 03
    Nagamachi Samurai District

    Towards the coast from Oyama Shrine, this is an area of a few streets where considerable effort has been expended in order to recreate the feel of the samurai housing areas.

  4. 04
    Kazuemachi

    A small but very nice area of geisha houses along the riverbank across from Higashiyama.

  5. 05
    Higashi-Chayagai

    Across the Asano River, Kanazawa's most famous geisha district.

  6. 06
    Nishi-Chayagai
Do

Things to do

Asanogawa Riverside Garden Party (Along the Asano River banks. 7 minutes by Hokutetsu bus for Nishiki-Machi from Kanazawa Station's west exit. Get off at Hashiba-Cho bus stop and follow the crowd.). 2nd Sat and Sun of April. A delightful place for a stroll among the blossoming cherry trees. This event always draws a large crowd who come to watch traditional displays on an elevated stage built over the river.

Eat

Where to eat

Kanazawa cuisine is famous throughout Japan, particularly its seafood since it lies in the sweet spot of the hot south and cold north currents. The quality of food is so high, that essentially you'll eat good food whatever the price. A famous local dish is jibuni (治部煮), made from boiled and seasoned duck and various vegetables.

  1. 01
    Ōmichō
  2. 02
    Choi Nomi Dining Taka
  3. 03
    Coil
  4. 04
    Kinjohro
How locals move

Getting around Kanazawa the local way

  • Go nextThere is a boarding area for the gondola that will take you up to the mountain top.

From Wikivoyage: Kanazawa, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.