Stand at the top of the Kodatsuno Ridge and the city opens below you: the black-tiled roofs of the Higashiyama Temple District tumbling down the hillside, the Sai River cutting through the plain, and beyond it the long spine of the mountains. Kanazawa rewards the traveller who walks it slowly, on foot, from garden to castle to canal-side teahouse lane.
The city suits anyone interested in Edo-period town planning, garden design, craft and geisha-house architecture, and it is compact enough to cover much of it on foot in a couple of days. It is less suited to travellers looking for nightlife or a beach holiday.
This guide covers the main sights, the temple and shrine districts, and the historic teahouse and samurai quarters, with notes on how to combine them and when to go.
Top things to do in Kanazawa
1. Kenroku-en Garden
The most famous sight in Kanazawa and one of Japan's Top 3 gardens, Kenroku-en was once the outer pleasure garden of the Maeda lords and gradually expanded to take over the entire block. It represents one of the peaks of Japanese strolling garden design, and the way water is piped from many kilometres upstream to fill its streams and ponds before going on to fill the castle moats is one of the great engineering feats of the Edo period.
Entry is ¥320, free on Culture Day (November 3rd), and ¥100 for children aged 6 to 17. A ¥500 combination ticket covers entry here plus one of several nearby museums. Opening hours are 07:00 to 18:00 in summer and 08:00 to 17:00 in winter, from mid-October to the end of February. During cherry blossom season entry is free and the park stays open and lit up until 21:00.
2. Kanazawa Castle
At the centre of Kanazawa is the former site of Kanazawa Castle, now public space for the first time in its more than 400 years of history. The imposing Ishikawa Gate, so named as it faced the Ishikawa district, was once a side entrance to the castle grounds, but after several fires and man-made destruction it is one of the few original buildings left on the site, along with the Sanjikken Nagaya storehouse near the top. The long Gojikken Nagaya that once guarded the castle palace has been rebuilt according to traditional methods and is open to the public.
Entry is ¥320. Pair it with Kenroku-en, which sits directly alongside, and with Oyama Shrine on the other side of the castle.
3. Higashi-Chayagai
Across the Asano River, this is Kanazawa's most famous geisha district. Many of the tall narrow houses are still used as high-class entertainment, but the Shima House (¥400) is open for all to see and is well worth the entry fee for a chance to experience its refined and elegant atmosphere. Quite a few of the buildings have been converted into speciality shops and teahouses of the non-geisha variety, so poke around freely and don't miss a cup of tea and a Japanese sweet (¥500–1000).
Behind this area is a temple district, and the roads between the main road and the mountain form a twisting labyrinth of narrow lanes perfect for exploring on foot.
4. Nagamachi Samurai District
Towards the coast from Oyama Shrine, this is an area of a few streets where considerable effort has been expended to recreate the feel of the samurai housing areas. Almost none of the actual samurai houses remain, but it is a pleasant area to stroll and one of the best of the remaining samurai districts in Japan. The Nomura House is open to the public (¥500) and boasts a small but exquisite garden.
A short walk from there, the city has relocated and restored two ashigaru houses — the lowest rank of samurai — which are open for free and provide a lovely place to rest and enjoy the peace of a traditional Japanese house. Towards the Asano River to the north there are a couple more samurai houses, not preserved as museum pieces but actually lived in, and not open to the public.
5. Ninja Temple (Myōryu-ji)
The tour guides insist there is no connection between the "Ninja Temple" and actual ninja assassins, but with 23 rooms and 29 staircases, an impressive array of trapdoors and hidden rooms, and a seppuku chamber, it is easy to see why people make that assumption. Local lore holds that an underground tunnel ran from the castle to the temple to give the Maeda lords an escape route in case of attack, though no documentary proof has been found.
Visitors cannot enter except through the tours, so call ahead to book. The tour is conducted in Japanese, but travellers are given a folder with English translations. Entry is ¥1,200 for adults and ¥700 for primary school pupils, and you are supposed to reserve in advance, although staff can usually squeeze you in if there is space and you don't mind waiting. The hour-long tour is well worth the price. The temple sits a short distance from Nishi-Chayagai.
6. Oyama Shrine
Built in the early Meiji period to honour the founding father of the Kaga Domain, Maeda Toshiie, Oyama Shrine is notable for a unique gate with stained-glass windows that fuses Japanese and Western architecture. The back gate to the shrine is also one of the few remaining parts of the original castle: a gate from the palace compound that escaped destruction when it was moved to the shrine.
It sits on the other side of the castle from Kenroku-en, making it an easy addition to a castle-and-garden circuit, and it is the landmark from which the Nagamachi Samurai District is reached.
7. Nishi-Chayagai
The "west" to Higashi's "east", this is another district of restored geisha houses, a short distance from Myoryu-ji. It is considerably smaller and quieter than Higashi, with effectively just a single street, and aside from the free information centre it is not possible to formally visit any of the houses. You can, however, enter the several shops that dot the street and appreciate the inside of these beautiful houses.
Combine it with the Ninja Temple, which is nearby, and treat it as a calm counterpoint to the busier Higashi-Chayagai.
8. Kazuemachi
A small but very nice area of geisha houses along the riverbank, directly across from Higashiyama. It is a short, quiet walk rather than a destination in itself, and works best folded into a route that already takes in Higashi-Chayagai and the Asano River.
9. Kanazawa Shinise Memorial Hall (Old Merchant House)
The Old Merchant House was Kanazawa's leading Chinese medicine shop in Minami-machi during the 18th century. The shop was established in 1759 and provided medicine for the feudal leaders, and its family was given high status by the elders of the town. The shop was instrumental in maintaining the elegance of the tea ceremony, flower arrangement and haiku during the time period in which it was open.
The shop has a bridal exhibit on the second floor with examples of bridal gifts and a large flower arrangement made entirely out of sugar. It is a good indoor stop if you are already exploring the central merchant streets.
10. Tentoku-in
The largest temple in Kanazawa during the Edo period, Tentoku-in stood at the eastern end of the city. It was built to house the spirit of Tama-hime, the wife of Maeda Toshitsune, the third Maeda lord. She was born in 1599 as the granddaughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the daughter of the second Shogun, Hidetada; it was a political marriage, arranged because the Tokugawa worried about a possible attack from the powerful Maeda. Her arrival in Kanazawa is commemorated each year in the Kaga Hyakumangoku Parade.
It sits on the Kodatsuno ridge, which also has a small temple area dominated by Tentoku-in.
11. Daijōji Temple
Daijōji Temple is an old and active Zen Buddhist temple set away from traffic on a hillside, in its current location since 1697. Old trees shade dense moss, and there is a large bell hanging under the gate along the path which visitors may ring — strikingly loud at first, the sound fades to accentuate the tranquillity. The whole place is extremely wabi-sabi and spiritually mellow.
There are free early-early-morning pray-with-the-Zen-monks sessions for those so inclined; be prepared to join in with sweeping and cleaning afterwards.
12. Teramachi Temple District
On the far bank of the Sai River to the south lies the main temple district of Teramachi, one of the more impressive in Japan: both sides of the road are lined with imposing walls and looming black-tiled roofs. Its eastern counterpart is the Higashiyama Temple District, where, in contrast to Teramachi's straight road, the temples are dotted around the hillside in a maze of narrow streets.
Walk it on foot rather than by vehicle, and pair the eastern district with Higashi-Chayagai, which sits just below it.
13. Seisonkaku Villa
In part of the Kenroku-en grounds, with a steep separate ¥700 entrance fee, is the Seisonkaku Villa, built by a Maeda lord for his mother. Only part of it remains, but it is a rare example of surviving daimyo palace architecture. The upper floor, with its bright blues and reds, is in distinct contrast to the muted earth tones of Kyoto style.
Because the fee is separate from garden entry, decide before you arrive whether you want both; the villa is the natural add-on for anyone already spending a long morning in Kenroku-en.
14. Shinmeiguu Shrine
Shinmeiguu Shrine sits a few metres up from the Saigawa ōhashi bridge on the right-hand side. It is a small, easy stop rather than a long visit, and fits naturally into a walk along the Sai River or a route between the central sights and the southern temple district.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Kenroku-en Garden when it opens, and add the Seisonkaku Villa if you want to see the daimyo palace architecture inside the grounds. Walk straight from the garden into Kanazawa Castle, where the Ishikawa Gate, the Sanjikken Nagaya storehouse and the rebuilt Gojikken Nagaya are the things to see. Cross to Oyama Shrine on the other side of the castle and look at the stained-glass gate.
Afternoon. Continue on foot into the Nagamachi Samurai District, visiting the Nomura House and the two restored ashigaru houses. Head north towards the Asano River and spend the middle of the afternoon in Higashi-Chayagai: see the Shima House, then take tea and a Japanese sweet in one of the converted teahouses. Cross the river for a short look at Kazuemachi.
Evening. If you have booked ahead, take the hour-long tour of the Ninja Temple (Myōryu-ji), then finish with a quiet walk through Nishi-Chayagai, which is a short distance from the temple and far calmer than Higashi.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Kenroku-en Garden?
Hours run 07:00 to 18:00 in summer and 08:00 to 17:00 in winter, from mid-October to the end of February. During cherry blossom season entry is free and the garden stays open and lit up until 21:00.
Do I need to book the Ninja Temple in advance?
Yes. Visitors cannot enter except through the tours, so call ahead to book. Staff can usually squeeze you in if there is space and you don't mind waiting for your tour to begin. The tour is in Japanese, with an English translation folder provided.
Can I visit the geisha houses in Higashi-Chayagai and Nishi-Chayagai?
In Higashi-Chayagai the Shima House (¥400) is open to all. In Nishi-Chayagai it is not possible to formally visit any of the houses aside from the free information centre, though you can enter the several shops along the street.
Is there a combined ticket for the main sights?
Kenroku-en costs ¥320, free on Culture Day (November 3rd), and ¥100 for children aged 6 to 17; a ¥500 ticket combines it with one of several nearby museums. Kanazawa Castle is ¥320, and the Seisonkaku Villa inside the garden grounds charges a separate ¥700.
Decide how many days you can give the city, pick the districts that match your interests, and start mapping your route along the Sai and Asano rivers.