I wanted to venture to a few new places during our trip to Japan, and I found Kanazawa along the bullet train line on the west coast. Technically we had to take a regular train from Kyoto part of the way, but it didn’t add much time to our trip.
I should note here that train stations in Japan aren’t just places to pass through–they are destinations in themselves. I highly recommend giving yourself plenty of time to roam around the stations after you get tickets to enjoy the food, stores, and people. Here’s part of Kanazawa’s station. We found some delicious tayaki here, along with crepes.
We stayed near the station at Kanazawa Chaya Ryokan, where we had a great experience over two days. It was there that we were greeted with a brief tea ceremony and an invitation to wear traditional yukatas during meals.
Strolling through Kanazawa is a delight, and we had a great time walking to the old samurai district. Multiple canals run through Kanazawa, with bridges every 20 feet or so that lead directly into businesses and houses–it’s like something out of a movie.
When we returned to the ryokan, we had our first VFD (very fancy dinner) of the trip. This is the type of multi-course meal you’ll get at traditional inns, including local speciality nodoguro (blackthroat fish), a giant snail, and fugu.
For our full day in Kanazawa we visited two major landmarks, the first of which is Kanazawa Castle. In more recent times it was used as a university–how amazing would it be to go to college here? I thought of my dad a lot while walking through here, as the castle’s wooden interior has been restored using traditional techniques (few to no nails).
We also took our time roaming around the nearby Kenrokuen Park, which is worth the walk.
The ryokan also served elaborate breakfasts to us every day. For someone who usually eats only a small bowl of oatmeal at breakfast, it was a lot to adjust to!
Other little notes about Kanazawa and Japan:
- We were delighted by a staff member at one of the old samurai houses. He gave us a detailed tour in Japanese even though it was slightly past closing time.
- In Kanazawa I had my first Yebisu beer in many years–it’s a brand that hasn’t made its way to the US (at least not that I can find). Though my favorite drink to have in Japan was chuhai, a sparkling fruity beverage (our favorite flavors were apricot and grape).
- Many places in Japan accept credit and debit cards, but many others are still cash-based. Make sure to have plenty of cash at all times.
- This is the first time we’ve traveled with another couple, and it was mostly wonderful. We also had to learn a little about navigating 4 different sets of preferences and needs instead of just 2.
- I recommend stopping by a quaint cafe called Moron Cafe in Kanazawa if you’re in the area–really good coffee drinks and pastries.
- Kanazawa has an awesome game cafe called Game Bar. We stopped in to play a few games, and I was elated to see a copy of Wingspan there.
- With all the walking doing a number on our feet, legs, and lower backs, Megan and I got a massage at this ryokan. I think I’ll do this again midway through other trips in the future–it was great.
- Compared to when I was last in Japan, there’s so much less smoking, which was amazing.