Ishikawa Prefecture · Japan
Where to stay in Kanazawa
Kanazawa is a city in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, home to about 462,000 people. This guide covers 2 hotels in Kanazawa.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 2
- Nearest airport
- KMQ29 km · Komatsu Airport / JASDF Komatsu Air Base
- Currency
- JPYyen
- Time zone
- Asia/Tokyo
- Language
- Japanese
About
About Kanazawa
Kanazawa is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan. 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.
Kanazawa is one of the long overlooked jewels of Japanese tourism — although not by the Japanese, who visit in droves. Its relatively remote location, on the "wrong" side of the island from the usual Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka tourist trail, has perhaps unfairly contributed to it attracting so few foreign tourists. Kyoto's offerings of temples and shrines are all very well, but Japanese history and culture is not just about them. The samurai, the merchants, the geisha, and the lords have all left their mark on Kanazawa in a compact, easily navigable central area.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Kanazawa
See
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.
- Kenroku-en Garden
- Kanazawa Castle
- Nagamachi Samurai District
- Kazuemachi
- Higashi-Chayagai
- Nishi-Chayagai
- Kanazawa Shinise Memorial Hall (Old Merchant House)
- Ninja Temple
- Oyama Shrine
- Tentoku-in
- Daijōji Temple
- Shinmeiguu Shrine
Do
- Asanogawa Riverside Garden Party
- Hyakuman-goku Festival
- Fireworks displays
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in Kanazawa
2 places to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
| Place to stay |
|---|
| Toyoko Inn Kanazawa Kenrokuen Korimbo hotel |
| Toyoko Inn Kanazawa-eki Higashi-guchi hotel |
Where to stay
Which part of Kanazawa to stay in
The largest concentration of hotels is around the station area including all the usual suspects: ANA, APA, Nikko etc. Toyoko Hotel and Route Inn hotel are two of the newest. For cheaper options, the Kanawaza Ryokan and Hotel Society runs a Yadotime booking engine, also available in English.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Kanazawa
Kanazawa has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; December is the wettest, with about 327 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Kanazawa: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Komatsu Airport / JASDF Komatsu Air Base (KMQ), about 29 km from the city centre in a straight line; Toyama Kitokito Airport (TOY, 48 km) and Noto Satoyama Airport (NTQ, 86 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
The nearest airport serving Kanazawa is in the city of Komatsu (KMQ). 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. From Komatsu airport, buses run directly to Kanazawa (40 min to JR Kanazawa Station, ¥1300; Feb 2023). Frequencies vary depending on the flight timetables; buses usually leave soon after the arrival of every domestic flight.
Getting around
Kanazawa has a decent bus system to help you get where you need to go. There are three types of buses: city buses, a tourist bus, and community buses (Furatto-Bus). The tourist bus makes a loop around the main sights in 15 minutes and costs ¥200 per trip or ¥500 daily. There are four community bus routes which make 15-minute loops around different districts of the city and cost ¥100. Buses are wheelchair accessible. Bicycles can be hired from Kanazawa Station, and due to the winding streets and plethora of traffic lights and one way systems are often the fastest way to travel around town.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
KMQ · Komatsu Airport / JASDF Komatsu Air Base
TOY · Toyama Kitokito Airport
NTQ · Noto Satoyama Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Kanazawa
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. Crab is another local favourite served up during the winter months, common types include the hairless male crab (zuwaigani) or smaller female crabs with eggs still attached. Served cold with a light vinegar or in nabe style hot pots. Sushi made with fish from the neighboring sea is also popular, the sweet shrimps (amaebi) are especially good in this region.
Drink
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 ¥500-1000 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.
Stay safe
As with most if not all cities in Japan, Kanazawa is a very safe place to visit. The central crossing in Kanazawa's Katamachi area (known locally as the Scramble) can get a bit rowdy on the weekends. The worse that is likely to happen is a snide comment or two. The usual common sense rules apply and single female travelers would be wise to keep their wits about them at night-time.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Kanazawa: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Kanazawa?
Kanazawa has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; December is the wettest, with about 327 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Kanazawa?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Komatsu Airport / JASDF Komatsu Air Base (KMQ), about 29 km from the city centre in a straight line; Toyama Kitokito Airport (TOY, 48 km) and Noto Satoyama Airport (NTQ, 86 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Kanazawa?
yen (JPY).
Nearby
Destinations near Kanazawa
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.