ITINERARIES

3 days & 2 nights

Find Your Kanazawa
Because of Kanazawa’s compact size and the convenient transportation, anovernight trip to the city is easy and enjoyable. However, why not extend yourstay for one more day and have adventures in your own unique way? You will
get in touch with the heart and soul of the town.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS−

Decorate your own souvenirs with Kanazawa’s
famous gold leaf.

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Enjoy green tea and wagashi (Japaneseconfectionary) while looking at a beautiful Japanesegarden in Kenrokuen.

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Try your hand at cooking healthy local foodKanazawa

ITINERARYDay

Activities

StayDay 1Kanazawa
Visit Omicho Market, Higashi Chaya District and Gold Leaf Experience.

Kanazawa

Day 2Kanazawa
Visit Namagachi Samurai District, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art,
Kanazawa
Kanazawa, D.T. Suzuki Museum, Kenrokuen Garden (Tea CeremonyExperience) and Kanazawa Castle Park.

Day 3

Kanazawa
Visit Oyama Jinja Shrine and Cooking Experience.

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Day 1
11:00 Arrive at Kanazawa Station and drop off luggage at hotel.
15 minutes

1

12:00 Omicho Market ［近江町市場］
Omi-cho Market has been the largest fresh food market in Kanazawa since theEdo period. Its busy network of covered streets holds over 180 stall andrestaurants that sell fresh seafood, vegetables, fruit, and many other local products.

(Lunch: Omicho Market)

10 minutes

2

14:00 Higashi Chaya District ［ひがし茶屋街］
The district’s traditional buildings and lattice-work windows retain the atmosphereof their 200-year history. Today, many of these buildings function as cafes,restaurants, sweet shops and craft shops, but some are still geisha teahouses.
Two traditional teahouses, ‘Shima’ and ‘Kaikaro’, are open to public.

3 minutes

3

15:10 Gold Leaf Experience［金箔貼り体験］
One of the symbols of Ishikawa is gold leaf, extremely thin leaves of gold useddecoratively on handicrafts or ornaments. Several shops around Kanazawa letvisitors see the gold leaf process and decorate their own items, including
chopsticks, small plates, and mirrors.

Stay in Kanazawa

More to Explore

5 minutes

Kazuemachi Chaya District ［主計町茶屋街］
Across Asanogawa river from famous Higashi Chaya District, there is anothergeisha district with labyrinthine streets and traditional buildings. Kazuemachi isfilled with traditional buildings on narrow streets. The majority of businesses
here are geiko teahouses, accepting clients by referral, but the path along theriverbank has a few restaurants and cafes that are open to the public.

Day 24

10:00 Nagamachi Samurai District ［長町武家屋敷］
Nagamachi is a well-preserved neighborhood of samurai houses. The cobblestone
streets and tiled earthen walls are characteristic of wealthier samurai districts inKanazawa. One highlight is the Nomura Residence. Enjoy its inner garden withtranquil streams and a miniature waterfall.

10 minutes

5

11:00 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art,
Kanazawa ［金沢21世紀美術館］
This progressive museum situated in the center of Kanazawa is quite popularamong the locals and tourists alike with the unique exhibits and installations. The
outdoor exhibits and surrounding lawns make the museum grounds feel akin to a
family park.

(Lunch: The downtown area)
10 minutes

6

13:10 D.T. Suzuki Museum ［鈴木大拙館］
This museum is dedicated to the life and ideas of Daisetz Suzuki, a prominent
Buddhist philosopher who was born in Kanazawa and popularized Zen in the West.
Take time for thoughtful meditation in the three idyllic landscaped gardens, which
include a glassy pond for self-reflection.

15 minutes

7

14:00 Kenrokuen Garden［兼六園］
Kenrokuen was constructed by feudal lords of Kaga clan as the outer garden ofKanazawa Castle. The garden’s appearance changes dramatically every season,with cherry blossoms in spring and Yukizuri (a set of ropes to protect trees from theregion’s heavy snowfall) in winter.

8

15:00 Tea Ceremony Experience ［茶道体験］
The Maeda family, who encouraged the art to flourish, invited top tea masters
to Kanazawa to further the practice and development of the tea ceremony.
Experience Japanese philosophy in action by enjoying green tea and wagashi(Japanese confectionary) while looking at a beautiful Japanese garden.

5 minutes

9

16:00 Kanazawa Castle Park ［金沢城公園］
Kanazawa Castle was home to the Maeda family during their rule of the Kagadomain. Some buildings including Kahoku-mon Gate and Gyokusen’inmaru
Garden have been faithfully renovated.

Stay in Kanazawa

Column

The hidden nightlife of Kanazawa – local’s favorite drinking quarter
Kanazawa’s elegant and sophisticated cultures fascinate travelers around the world. Foodies enjoy premium
culinary delights it offers - multi-course Kaiseki dinner at a century-old Ryotei (Japanese traditional fine dining)and best sushi carefully prepared by a legendary master chef. Well, this is just the stage face of the city -Just like other cities in Japan – Golden Gai in Tokyo and Hozenji Yokocho in Osaka – Kanazawa has its
own back-alley drinking quarters which have been favored by the locals for decades. In the back of Katamachi, the commercial center of the city, there are a couple of streets lined with Izakaya pubs and barswith ‘Showa’ (the period between 1926 and 1989, referred to ‘Golden Age’ when Japan experienced thedramatic economic growth) nostalgia still alive.
Shintenchi, literally meaning ‘New World’, started to flourish
some seventy years ago with 65 small businesses - small
restaurants, sushi bars and coffee shops. Still today, local office
workers and students are flocking to this district to party atkaraoke bars and shop at a record shop and a vintage clothing
store.
In the end of the Shintenchi street, you will come across an even more retro lane just like a movie set. In
Chuo-Mishokugai, literally meaning ‘central gourmet street’, merely two-meter-tall hall-in-the-wallestablishments, which once used be mobile stalls, are standing side by side.
All the taverns and bars in these areas are rustic
and reasonably priced, yet serve the best quality
local dishes of the season. More than anything,most of them have less than 10 counter seats,
which enables you to enjoy casual chats withregular customers.
Do not be afraid and take an adventure even if
you do not know a lot of Japanese. Warm andfriendly drinkers will welcome you and help makethe best memory in Japan!

Day 3
10:00 Oyama Jinja Shrine ［尾山神社］
10A Shinto shrine dedicated to Maeda Toshiie, the founder of the Kaga domain(present-day Ishikawa and around), and his wife. The shrine’s three-storied
shinmon gate was designed to blend Japanese and Chinese architectural styles
with Wester touches such as stained glass.

10 minutes

11

11:00 Cooking Studio Kanazawa Salon (Japanesehome cooking) ［金澤さろん］
Cooking Studio Kanazawa Salon offers cooking lessons in exquisite Japanesecuisine in English. While you learn the basics of Japanese cooking, you can also
gain the knowledge of koji and its products (miso, soy sauce, sake, etc.) whichhave been supporting the health of Japanese over a thousand years.

ITINERARY

10 days & 9 nights

DayActivities

StayDay 1

Tokyo
Arrive at Tokyo Airport

TokyoDay 2

Tokyo
Visit Asakusa Kannon Temple, Tokyo National Museum, the Imperial East Tokyo
Garden and Meiji Shrine

Day 3

Full day excursion to Fuji-Hankone-Izu National ParkDay 4Kanazawa
Depart by shinkansen (bullet train) to Kanazawa. Visit Omicho Market, Higashi Kanazawa
Chaya District and Gold Leaf Experience.

Day 5Kanazawa
Visit Namagachi Samurai District, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art,
Kanazawa
Kanazawa, D.T. Suzuki Museum, Kenrokuen Garden (Tea CeremonyExperience) and Kanazawa Castle Park,.

Day 6Kanazawa
Visit Oyama Jinja Shrine and Cooking Experience.
Travel by express train to Kyoto. Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine.

Day 7-8TokyoKyoto

Kyoto
Visit Nijo Castle, Nishiki Market, Kiyomizu Temple, Kinkakuji Temple (GoldenPavillion) and Ryoanji Temple.

Day 9

Full day excursion to Hiroshima

Day 10Transfer to Osaka Airport and board a flight back home

Kyoto