Slow Tourism
in Ishikawa Prefecture

Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)

NOTO’sSatoyama & Satoumi
Enjoy the Old-Fashioned Landscapes of Rural Japan withThis Three-Day, Two-Night Visit to the Noto Peninsula

By C

ar

Here

�B
�A
�G

01

�E

The Landscapes of
Noto’s Satoyama & Satoumi
Noto Peninsula's terrain is notable for its low
mountains and hills. Because it is surrounded by
the sea on three sides, the shoreline is rich indiversity, with shallow sandy beaches or rocky
shores called Sotoura, and rias in coastal inlets
with prominent ridges called Uchiura.
The climate in the area is typical of the Sea ofJapan coast: it snows in the winter, but due to theoffshore Tsushima Current, it is relatively warmcompared to other regions in the same latitude.

�C
�F
�D

�Shiroyone Senmai�a Rice �erraces
This group of 1,004 small rice paddies on a hill along the coast isa symbol of Noto’s Satoyama landscapes.

�A

�B

�C

02

�D

�E

Nanao BayThe water within this intricately shaped bay is placid allyear round. Notojima Island, inside the bay, is connectedby two bridges to the mainland.

�F
B Rokkosaki Lighthouse
Designed by a British architect and built in 1883, thislighthouse still stands today at the tip of the Noto Peninsula.

C Bora Watchtowers
Fishers keep watch from these traditional fishing watchtowers,
built just offshore, waiting for schools of fish to come by, sothey can haul in the net to catch them.

D Ouchi Lagoon (Swan-Watching Spot)
Many migratory birds and birds of prey come to thislagoon. The lagoon is also known for the many swans that
migrate here from late October through mid March.

E Hatago Rocks
According to legend, these were once weaving tools thatturned into rocks after being thrown here by the gods. This
area is known for its particularly beautiful sunsets.

�G

G Kuroshima
Once the prosperous home to owners of the Kitamaebune
trading ships, which were active from the mid 18th century
through the start of the 20th century, this area still boasts acharming old-fashioned atmosphere.

03The Delicious Foods of Noto
The rich natural environment of Noto makes it averitable treasure trove of incredible foods.
Outstanding fresh seafood is available throughout
the year, and the area grows lots of great rice andvegetables. These ingredients are used to maketraditional dishes used for festivals and religious
services, as well as unique, brand new dishes.

Winter Yellowtail

Noto Oysters

Caught through fixed-net fishing near the shoreof the Noto Peninsula, these fish can be as large
as 10 kg, with deliciously fatty meat.

Nanao Bay is known for oyster farming. Theseflavorful, nutritious oysters come into seasonfrom winter through spring.

Noto Temari
Shiitake Mushrooms

Wild Blowfish

Only wood-grown shiitake
mushrooms from Noto thatmeet strict standards — atleast 8 cm across, and at
least 3 cm thick — earn theright to be called Noto
Temari mushrooms.

Ishikawa boasts Japan’s largest
catches of wild blowfish, and local
cuisine takes advantage of the manyvarieties available here.

Noto Beef
A premium brand of beeffrom Ishikawa, known for
its tenderness andexceptional marbling.

Korogaki Dried
Persimmons
Dried persimmons with adistinctively rich golden browncolor and an elegant sweetness,making them a popular gift item.

04

02

03
The Traditional Culture of Noto
The Noto Peninsula, surrounded by the sea,
is home to a rich, distinctive traditional
culture and unique traditional crafts, allhanded down from generation to generation.
Back when the sea served as the mainmeans of trade, Wajima Lacquerware, someof Japan’s most iconic lacquerware, as wellas Suzu Ware, ceramics with centuries ofhistory, and other local crafts were soldnationwide. The people of Noto place greatvalue on the blessings of nature, as well: asa result, the area is home to many uniquefestivals and religious rites.

Noto Jofu FabricThis thin, premium fabric is woven by hand fromhemp thread. It is known for its lightness andbreathability.

Suzu Ware

Wajima Lacquerware

These ceramics wereoriginally produced from themid 12th century through theend of the 15th century. In
recent decades, Suzu Wareproduction was revived.

Some 120 separate processes
are involved in producing thisdurable yet beautiful premiumlacquerware.

Amamehagi
In this traditional event, people dressed up as
goblins go from house to house, warning children
not to be lazy. The event has been designatedby UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

Aenokoto
The deities of the rice fields are invited into people’s homes asguests as a show of thanks for the year’s harvest in thisreligious ritual, designated by UNESCO as intangible cultural
heritage. Visitors can see this ritual themselves at Gourokuan,in Noto Town (reservations required).

Kiriko Festivals
The Noto Peninsula is home to many festivals heldfrom summer through autumn, collectively known as
Kiriko festivals for the large lantern floats, or Kiriko,that are carried around during these festivals.

05

Three Days and
Two Nights
in NotoBy Car

D

H

E

F G

Day 2 J
C

Day 1
B

I
A

Noto Satoyama
AirportK

M
L
N

Day 3 O Q
P

R

S

Day 1
Schedule

11:00

10:00

Noto Satoyama Airport

11:00

Wine Tourism (Lunch)

15:00

Tsukumo Bay

16:30

Shunran no Sato (Dinner & Overnight Stay)

Wine Tourism A

he
ith t
e w Noto!
n
i
f
W
oir o
Terr

06

A great chance!
to meet the locals

This sightseeing plan is organized by farmers whogrow grapes used to make wine in Noto. Take inthe beautiful scenery of the hilly vineyards, andenjoy on-site wine tastings and a winery tour.
Lunch is at the café Ryu-Cru, located near thewinery: traditional dishes from Georgia, thebirthplace of wine, prepared with local ingredientsfrom Noto. Non-alcoholic drinks are also available.

15:00 Tsukumo Bay

B

Tsukumo Bay’s name literally means“ninety-nine,” for the many inlets that line
its winding saw-toothed coastline. The
bay’s placid waters make it a great place
to enjoy a pleasure cruise, and the bay ishome to over 70 species of marine plants,
as well as fish, urchins, coral, and more.

Shunran no Sato
16:30 Farm House Inns C

Meals served in
Wajima Lacquerware
dishes handed
down by eachfamily for generations

eciallyh Are Esp
River Fis Grilled overs
DeliciouHearth!
an Irori

This charming village of old folk houses is located ina mountain valley, where the old-fashioned sceneryof rural Japan lives on to this day. Shunran no Sato ishome to over 40 farm house inns, where visitors canexperience harvesting, fishing, cooking, and otherparts of traditional farm life, firsthand. Every house in
the village features an irori open hearth, which makes
a great place to enjoy talking with the owners of the
farm houses. Dinner is made from local ingredients,and served in dishes on a raised tray, all made of
Wajima Lacquerware.

Lots of hands-on
experiences
available, exclusive
to each season!

Other Local Highlights
Suzu Enden-Mura
Roadside Station

D

Agehama-style salt production
has been practiced in Noto for
centuries: sea water is thrownonto the beach, dried, andcooked down to make salt.
Visitors can watch this process,or even try it themselves.

Mitsukejima IslandE

One of the iconic sights ofNoto. This small island islocated about 200 meters
offshore, and is nicknamed“Battleship Island” due to its
shape.

07

Day 2
Schedule

9:00

9:00

Wajima Morning Market

10:00

Wajima Craftsman Studios

12:00

Kayabuki-an (Lunch)

14:00

Ganmon Rock & Old Fukuura Lighthouse

16:00

Ipponsugi Street

18:00

Notojima Island (Dinner & Overnight Stay)

Wajima Morning Market F
Come buy somehand-madedried seafood!

This iconic Japanese morning market
boasts over 1,000 years of history: some
200 stalls line the street for 360 meters,
selling fresh seafood and vegetables,
prepared foods, folk crafts, and more. It’s
also fun to haggle with the sellers!

Other Local Highlights

10:00 Wajima Craftsman Studios
Visitors to these studios can try chinkin andmaki-e, two of the iconic gold decoration
techniques used for Wajima Lacquerware. The
facility also features artisan work spaces and a
shop.

H

G

Wajima Kiriko Art Museum
Giant Kiriko lantern floats are amust at the festivals of Noto! This
museum features about 30 ofthem, for a festive feel all year
round.

I
Sojiji Soin Temple

Try Chink
Gold In in
lay!

08

This historic old Soto Buddhist
temple was built in 1321, and anumber of important culturalproperties can be found on thetemple grounds. Visitors can try
zazen seated meditation here.

Made with
Lots of S
easonalLocal Ing
redients!

Washi Paper-Making
Hands-On Experience

12:00 Lunch at Kayabuki-an

Length: About 1 hour
Ve n u e : Noto Nigyo Washi Paper Workshop
Details: Make your own one-of-a-kind piece ofwashi paper, with seasonal wild
flowers gathered during a walk.
Enjoy an experience made possibleby the lush natural environment ofNoto’s Satoyama.

This restaurant is built into a 150-year-old folk
house with an impressive thatched roof,
surrounded by the peaceful countryside andmountains. A great place to enjoy a meal madewith plenty of local ingredients.

J

14:00 Ganmon Rock &Old Fukuura Lighthouse
The coastline of Noto features a variety ofspectacular sights. Ganmon is a large rock thatsticks out into the sea, with a hole slowly carved
through it by the erosion of the waves. Nearby,
you’ll find Japan’s oldest wooden lighthouse,
the Old Fukuura Lighthouse.

K

16:00 Ipponsugi Street L
Located in Nanao, the Noto Peninsula’s largest
city, this shopping street boasts over 600 yearsof history, and is home to long-establishedshops selling soy sauce, kombu kelp, candles,
and more. At the Hanayome Noren Museum,visitors can learn about the Noto wedding-day
tradition of beautiful bridal curtains, and evendress up in full bridal costume and try passing
through one of these curtains themselves.

18:00 Notojima Island M
Located in Nanao Bay, this island is 72
kilometers around, and is connected to themainland by two bridges, making it readily
accessible by car. The island is dotted withminshuku inns, where guests can enjoy
delicious seafood dishes.
09Day 3
Schedule

8:00

8:00

Slow Tourism on Notojima Island (Lunch)

14:00

Noto Satoyama Satoumi Museum

15:30

Myojoji Temple

17:00

Chirihama Beach Driveway

19:00

Kanazawa

Ride aBike Along
the Coastline!

Slow Tourism M
on Notojima Island

On Notojima Island, you’ll still findold-fashioned lifestyles, lived close
to nature. There are plenty ofseasonal hands-on experiences
available, whether harvesting foods
and cooking with them, going
cycling, or having fun in the sea.
Visitors can also enjoy great café
meals and drinks made with local
ingredients, while looking out over a
beautiful view of the sea.

Stand-Up Paddleboard
Experience
Length: About 1 hourDetails: Instructional lecture provided forbeginners. Enjoy the peaceful,crystal-clear waters from above,for a great view of the fish
swimming around.

14:00 Noto Satoyama

Satoumi Museum N

Experience therich culture of Noto10

Learn about the rich natural environments of Noto’s
Satoyama and Satoumi, as well as the area’s long
history and the old culture and folk traditions
handed down for many generations. This museum
offers a great look at the many unique delights of
the Noto region, with hands-on exhibits to provide afirsthand feel.

Other Local Highlights
The five-tiered
pagoda is
400 years old!

Q
Orihime no Sato
Nakanoto Roadside Station
This roadside rest stop offers local
farm products, seafood, crafts, andmore. It’s also a great place to pick up
Noto Jofu fabric items and doburoku(an unfiltered variant of sake), which
are local specialties of Nakanoto
Town, as well as sweets made withdoburoku.

15:30 Myojoji Temple O
The head temple for Nichiren Buddhism in the
Hokuriku region. Ten buildings that wereconstructed here around the 17th century, byorder of the feudal lord of the Kaga Domain,
have been nationally designated as important
cultural properties. The temple’s magnificent
garden is worth the trip, as well.

R
Noto Chirihama
Roadside Station

17:00

Chirihama
Beach Driveway
P

Conveniently located near the
Chirihama Beach Driveway, making
it a great place to visit before orafterwards. Enjoy a selection of
prepared foods made with local
boar meat, rice grown without farmchemicals, sake, exclusive snacks
and sweets, and more.
A great alternative fordays
when the Chirihama BeachDriveway is closed

Ride aCa
Motorc r oron the ycle
Beach
!

S
KitakeThe beach’s unusually fine grainsof sand, packed down solid by thewater, make this eight-kilometer
stretch of the Noto coast the only
place in Japan where cars candrive on the shoreline. It’s also agreat place to enjoy the sunset.
(Beach Driveway closes forinclement weather.)Photo courtesy of
Hodatsushimizu Town

This residence, now open to the public,
once belonged to a wealthy farmer
who served as a feudal government
official for the Kaga Domain. The
residence’s four entrances were eachmeant for use by visitors of different
ranks within society at the time, such as
the feudal lord or the samurai.

19:00 Kanazawa
From the Chirihama Beach Driveway, it’s
only a 40-minute drive to Kanazawa Station
via the Noto Satoyama Kaido expressway.
11

Noto’s Satoyama & Satoumi
Sea of Japan

Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi are nurtured by the
harmonious blend between nature; the agriculture, forestry,
and fisheries industries; and the people of the Noto
Peninsula, which stretches out into the Japan Sea.

Pacific Ocean
Suzu
WajimaTokyo
Kyoto

This was designated as Japan’s first Globally Important
Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) by the Food andAgriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in
June 2011.

Anamizu

Nagoya

Osaka

Shika
Nanao
Hakui

Noto
Peninsula

What is GIAHS ?
GIAHS was established in 2002 by the FAO. The aim of thisis to promote regions with outstanding achievements intraditional farming systems and agricultural practices,
observing biodiversity in land use, and to help pass on
globally important regions that conserve rural culture andlandscapes for the benefit of generations to come.

Noto

Nakanoto

Hodatsushimizu

ToyamaIshikawa Prefecture
KANAZAWA

Gifu
Fukui

How to Get to Noto
By Train

By Car●Nanao-Kanazawa-Tokyo●Nanao-Kanazawa-Kyoto-Osaka●Nanao-Kanazawa-Kyoto●Nanao-Kanazawa-Maibara-Nagoya

3 hrs 29 mins
3 hrs 35 mins
3 hrs 6 mins
3 hrs 31 mins

Rental cars are a convenient way to
get around the Noto Peninsula.
Japan Noto Rent a Car

SearchMIYAGI

WAJIMA
NANAO

By AirNOTO

TOYAMA

KANAZAWA

MAIBARA

Komatsu Airport●Narita Flights●Sapporo Flights●Seoul Flights●Fukuoka Flights●Shanghai Flights●Sendai Flights●Hong Kong Flights●Naha Flights●Taipei Flights

SendaiToyamaNAGANO
Hokuriku
Shinkansen

TAKAYAMA

KYOTO●Tokyo (Haneda) Flights

ma Li

2 round-trip flights per day

Hokuriku Line

●Tokyo (Haneda) Flights

ne

Komatsu

TakayaNoto Airport

NAGAOKA

NAGOYA

Narita

TOKYO

OSAKA
KansaiHanedaTokaido Shinkansen

Centrair（Central Japan International Airport）

Registration Officec/o Satoyama Promotion Office, Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries Department, Ishikawa Prefectural Government

Inquiries

Address
1-1 Kuratsuki, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8580 Japan
http://www.pref.ishikawa.jp/satoyama/noto-giahs/f-lang/english/index.html

Mail: satoyama@pref.ishikawa.lg.jp