Kanazawa (Hokuriku Area)

From the sheer cliffs and diversified rocks along the picturesque coastline seen from Wakasa Bay, Echizen-misaki Point, Tojinbo and Noto-hanto Peninsula, to the mountainous scenery including the World Cultural Heritage Shirakawa-go Village and Kurobe Gorge, the Hokuriku region offers some of the most spectacular scenery in Japan. The Samurai culture of the Edo Period (1603-1867) flourished in Kanazawa which became a "Little Kyoto".  You can walk these same streets just as the Samurai and Geisha did at the Higahsichayagai.

It is a home to artistic craft products that rival those of Kyoto for their beauty and refinement, and is also known for some of Japan's most famous Zen temples.

Kanazawa also is home to one of the three most beautiful Japanese Gardens (Kenrokuen) in Japan, and the most easily accessed. A garden that really narrates the seasons.

The Kutani brand of ceramic brands is one of the most known through Japan, especially as it only uses the 7 primary colors. It is very easy to have a factory tour of an operating Kiln if you are an artist, collector or a traveler. Kanazawa also boasts the highest production of Gold Flake leaves.

Being on the Sea Of Japan Coast, seafood in this area, especially Crab is very popular with Japanese tourists, so when in Hokuriku area, please do as the Japanese do. A visit to the Oumicho Markets is a must while in Kanazawa.

Only some 40 km (25 minutes by train), Kanazawa is the home to the Kaga-Onsen or Hot Springs village. Not as well known to Overseas Visitors, this area may offer you the relaxation that you are searching for.  Kanazawa offers a lot more than meets the eye, and that is usually mentioned in guide books.