The Beauty of Foodand Sake in Hokuriku

ONETWOITI N ERA RY M A P

ITINERARY OVERVIEW

THREE

FOUR

INTRODUCTIONTO ATTRACTIONSDINING AND
AC C O M M O DAT I O NONEITINERARYMAP

Kanazawa
Fukui
Ishikawa

JAPAN·HOKUROKU

ITINERARY OVERVIEWTokyo

Kanazawa

Fukui

Tokyo

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ITINERARYOVERVIEWINTRODUCTIONTO ATTRACTIONSK A N A Z AWA-金 泽-Kanazawa City, located in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, is the largest
city in the Hokuriku region (excluding Niigata). In Japanese,"Kanazawa" consists of two characters, with "金" meaning goldand "泽" referring to marshes or mountain streams. The city
is often associated with wealth and gold and it is renowned for
its rich cultural heritage, cuisine, history and arts.

K a n a z a w a i s o ft e n r e f e r r e d t o a s
the "City of Gold" in Japan          芋掘り藤五郎“ One day, while digging yams, he discovered some gold
particles clinging to the yams. Not knowing the true valueof gold, Imohori Togorou decided to wash the yams by theriverside. This river was later named "Kanazawa River"(金洗いの沢), which translates to "Gold-Washing River"in reference to the event”參INTRODUCTIONTO ATTRACTIONS

tra d i ti onm od e r nK A N A Z AWA
the fourth-largest cityduring the Edo period

Kanazawa has a rich and illustrious history. During
the Edo period, it was the fourth-largest city in Japan,
following only Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. The city
boasts numerous historic buildings, old streets,
and a rich cultural heritage.
Notably, it escaped bombing during World War II,preserving many of its historical treasures. Kanazawa
has also seen a strong tradition of inheriting andpromoting its cultural heritage.

參INTRODUCTIONTO ATTRACTIONSE S H I KOTO
KOKURYU Sake Brewery

With 2 19 year s of histor y,
the y ha ve d edicated thems el ves to creating
an a we-inspiring top - tier s ake cellar

A private andexclusive experience參INTRODUCTIONTO ATTRACTIONST h e own e r of
KO KU RY U S ake Bre we r yeshikoto

ON E HISTORYThe Evolutionary -MIZUNO Family
Compared to French wines and Chinese Baijiu, Japanesesake is generally more affordable. However, domestic
sake consumption in Japan has been declining due to a
combination of sluggish price increases and reduced sales
volume. In a 2021 survey, over 50% of sake producers inJapan reported losses, and the number of sake breweriescontinues to decrease.

According to a 2021 survey by the National Tax Agency of Japan, 99.5%of sake producers are small and medium-sized enterprises, which lackstrong negotiating power, contributing to these challenges. Within theindustry, the Mizuno family has been a pioneering revolutionary
presence, continuously challenging the traditional concepts of Japanesesake. They have successfully introduced high-priced brands like "石田屋"and "無二" to the market, garnering signiﬁcant attention. While othersake producers struggle to survive, Kurofune Sake Brewery's ability toinnovate and adapt has played a crucial role in their success, making
our visit to meet President Mizuno an important reason for their resilience.

TWO

THE PROTECTOR.
M I ZU NO Famil yeshikoto

KO KU RY U S ake B re we r y i s l o ca ted i n
E iheiji- ch o, Fukui P ref ecture
Where the local populationis only around 17,000 people
and is expected to continue decreasing
In the vicinity of the ESHIKOTO sake brewery,
there are only 35 households remaining.
The new sake brewery,situated on a slope facing the Kuzuryu River,rigorously measured the building's heightfrom the initial design stage.
The rice ﬁelds originally locatedat the sake brewery site were replanted on
the roof to ensure that residents can still
enjoy the same view from their homes as before

Entering the restaurant and shop within the sakebrewery, you'll notice that the staff are all very young
and stylish. After multiple visits and conversations,
it's surprising to discover that almost all the employees
here have returned to their hometown of Fukui fromlarger cities. The construction materials used for the
new sake brewery, such as old stones and wooden doors,
are sourced locally from Fukui Prefecture.
The Mizuno family is not just in business; they arealso guardians of their hometown.

參INTRODUCTIONTO ATTRACTIONSSPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS

01

Japanese artist and sake sommelier
RITSUKO SHIMADA
Providing explanations on sake tasting02

Accompanied by the sake brewery owner
during the tour

03

A private lunchin the sake cellar

04

Tasting five different varieties of sake producedby KOKURYU Sake Breweryかなざわじょう

KANAZAWA CASTLE
             During the Edo period, it served as thecastle of the Maeda, who were thelords of the Kaga Domain.
The ruins of the castle keep have been
designated as an important culturalproperty of Japan.

KINOKO
KANAZAWACLUB CONCIERGEINTRODUCTIONTO ATTRACTIONS參Built in 1583
Kanazawa Castle was the residence of Maeda Toshiie,
the ﬁrst retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Due to historical reasons,the original castle was not entirely preserved,
but the reconstructed Tatsumi Yagura, Gojikken Nagaya,
Hashizumemon Tsuzumi Yagura,and other structures recreate the wooden castle's appearance
from a century ago, showcasing its elegant beauty.

During its heydayKanazawa Castle was a traditional hirayama-style castle,featuring the main enclosure (honmaru),
secondary enclosure (nijomaru), and tertiary enclosure (sanjumaru),
surrounded by outer walls, following a multi-turreted structure.
However, several natural disasters caused extensive ﬁres that nearly
destroyed most of the castle.
Subsequently, the secondary enclosure became the central focus,
but it too was burnt down in 1881.

Today
Kanazawa Castle retains the Ishikawa Gate,
which was reconstructed in 1788,
and features restored structures such as the Tatsumi Yagura,
Gojikken Nagaya, and Hashizumemon Tsuzumi Yagura,reconstructed in 2001,
which recreate the historical landscape of the castle during that period.

かなざわじょう

KANAZAWACASTLEHISTORYKANAZAWAKENROKUEN Garden
けん

ろくえん

t o g e t h e r w i t h K a i ra k u e n i n I b a ra k i P r e f e c t u r ea n d K o ra k u e n i n O k a y a m a P r e f e c t u r e,
are collectivel y known as the" T h r e e G r ea t G a rd e n s o f J a p a n"

These gardens are designated as special places ofscenic beauty by the Japanese government.
Kenrokuen, was constructed in 1676 and was not
fully completed and opened to the public until
1871. It is located in the heart of Kanazawa Cityin Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.

參

INTRODUCTIONTO ATTRACTIONSThe D.T. Suzuki Museum
D.T. Suzuki (1870-1966) was a world-renowned authority in Zen
Buddhism, a prominent Japanese Zen scholar, and philosopher.
He held positions such as lecturer at Tokyo Imperial University,
professor at Otani University, and visiting professor at Columbia
University in the United States.
Born in Kanazawa, Suzuki was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prizein 1963 and is considered one of the foremost Eastern philosophers.
He played a signiﬁcant role in bringing Eastern Zen Buddhism tothe Western world and promoting its understanding and practice.
While he was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, his work is widely
recognized as a signiﬁcant contribution to the ﬁeld of Zen Buddhism
and Eastern philosophy.

GYOKUSEN-IN MARU TEIEN
also known asGyokusenGarden
is a garden located within the residence"Gyokusen-in Maru" of Maeda Toshitsugu, thelord of the Kaga Domain, during the Edo period.
Although it was abolished along with Kanazawa
Castle during the Meiji era, it was reopened tothe public in 2015.
The garden offers panoramic views from the tea
house "Gyokusen-an" and features a landscapewith varying elevations, a pond, small bridges, andpine trees from Ishikawa Prefecture, creating
stunning scenery. In the winter, you can also enjoy
the beautiful sight of snow-covered cedar trees.

金泽城公园内的旧大名庭园江户时代各藩大名修建的庭园參INTRODUCTIONTO ATTRACTIONSDINING AND
ACCOMMODATIONBOU YOU ROU
One of the hotels you must stay at in your lifetime
We are not pursuing luxury or extravagance; instead, we arededicated to maintaining the style that BOU YOU ROU has always
upheld. In our over a century of history, no two days have been
the same.
Today and tomorrow, we hope to provide you with the best
service possible.

B OU YOU ROU offers s evenuni que gue st rooms,
each with its own distinct design.
We use materials like stone and paper sourced
from Fukui Prefecture for interior decoration tailoredto the characteristics of each room, ensuring thatguests can experience a one-of-a-kind stay.
You can relax and feel the harmony between natureand your inner self in the bathtub located by thehorizon of the Japan Sea.

BOU YOU ROU

Every year during crab season, many guests
come to BOU YOU ROU
to savor our Echizen crab.

かにとEchizen crab, often referred to as the king ofcrabs, is known for its exceptional quality.
At BOU YOU ROU, we takepride in offering you the highest quality Echizen crab. We
have dedicated crab assessors
who carefully examine thecolor and shape of the crab
shells to determine the fullness of the meat and the condition of the crab roe, selecting
the ﬁnest crabs.

Furthermore, throughout
the process of handlingthe crabs, from removing
them from the water tankto the preparation andserving, we conduct thoroughchecks to ensure that only
the best crabs make it toyour dining table.

SEAFOOD
MARKET
marketIt s er ves as a m elt ing p ot f or d el i ci o u s off e r i ng sfrom the H okuriku regio n ,fresh s eaf o o d f ro m th e n ea r b y wa te r s,and lo call y grow n vegeta bl e s.
If you're plan n ing to en j o y s eaf o o d r i c e b owl s a nd s u shi,b e prep a red f o r lo ng lin e s a t ma n y p o p u l a r shops
where p eo ple eagerl y wait to s a vo r the s e d el i ca ci e s.

KANAZAWAThe Omicho Seafood Market has beena cornerstone of this city's culinary culture
for nearly three centuries
since its establishment in the mid-18th century