Must-see attractions · Kanazawa
12 attractions with a verified description
Kenrokuen · Garden
A 17th-century garden that Ishikawa Prefecture counts among the three great gardens of Japan: ponds, the Kotoji stone lantern on its two legs, and a fountain said to be the first in Japan. ¥320. Every morning before opening you can enter free through two gates. In winter ropes are strung over the pines against the snow, and that is the photo.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Original uploader was Jovandavid at en.wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kenrokuen · Free
A castle rebuilt with traditional methods: long wooden halls with white lead roofs. The park is free, the buildings ¥320. The inner garden, Gyokusen-inmaru, with a teahouse, was restored in 2015.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: DimiTalen / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Higashi Chaya · Free
A district of wooden teahouses from 1820 with dark lattices, where geigi, Kanazawa's geisha, still perform. The streets are free, the Shima teahouse is open to visitors for ¥500 and Kaikaro for ¥750. This is where Hakuichi's gold leaf ice cream (¥1,189) was born.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: ajari / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Central Kanazawa · Market
'Kanazawa's kitchen', about 170 shops in covered lanes, which counts its years from 1721: snow crab in winter, sweet shrimp and uni. A kaisen-don bowl is about ¥1,200 to ¥2,900. Roughly 09:00 to 16:00, some restaurants open earlier, and many shops are closed on Wednesday. Entry to the market is free, and ¥2,500 is an estimate of spending on a bowl.
Photo: dconvertini / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Nagamachi · Free
Lanes with yellow mud walls, water canals and samurai houses. The streets are free, the Nomura house with its garden is ¥550. In winter the walls are covered with straw mats against the ice, and it is a unique sight.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Hirorinmasa / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kenrokuen · Museum
A round glass museum by SANAA (2004) with 'The Swimming Pool' by Leandro Erlich: from above you see people under the water. The public zone is free. From 31 October 2026 the exhibition is ¥1,200 (¥450 until 18 October). Closed on Monday, and for the space under the pool you take a same-day queue slot from 09:00. It closes for renovation from May 2027 to about March 2028.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Aspere / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Central Kanazawa · Free
A shrine with an unusual entrance gate from 1875 that combines Japanese, Chinese and Dutch styles, with colored stained glass on the top floor. Free. Lit up in the evening, and there is no other structure like it in Japan.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: La Japonie facile / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Kenrokuen · Museum
A museum in memory of the philosopher who brought Zen to the West, in a minimalist design by Yoshio Taniguchi: a meditation room facing a still pool of water with ripples. ¥310. 45 minutes of complete quiet.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Saigawasakurabashi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kanazawa Station · Free
A wooden gate 13.7 meters tall in the shape of a tsuzumi drum in front of Kanazawa Station, under a glass dome. Free. On every hour from sunset to midnight it is lit in colors for two minutes. In 2011 Travel + Leisure magazine chose the station as one of the 14 most beautiful stations in the world.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Higashi Chaya · Free
The third teahouse district of Kanazawa, on the bank of the Asano River, smaller and quieter than Higashi Chaya. Free. Two lanes of stone steps, Akari-zaka and Kuragari-zaka, climb from it to Kubo-ichi Otsurugi Shrine, and in the evening there are lanterns.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Okochuke / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kenrokuen · Museum
A museum of Noh theater, of which Kanazawa is one of the centers: antique masks, embroidered costumes, and you can try on a costume. ¥310. Small, quiet, and next to the 21st Century Museum.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Saigawasakurabashi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Teramachi · Book ahead
The 'Ninja Temple': 23 rooms, 29 staircases, pits and hidden stairs, in a temple of the Maeda clan from 1643. ¥1,200, cash, only on a guided tour in Japanese of about 40 minutes, and only by phone reservation in advance (English is possible). The last tour is at 16:00.
Price checked October 2026
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