Kanazawa

Not just another Kyoto!

About Kanazawa

Kanazawa is a major stop on the Hokuriku Shinkansen and a popular destination for tourists looking to checkout “Little Kyoto”,  as well as for foodies looking to try out some of Japan’s best seafood.  If the thought of someplace with lots of tourists isn’t your ideal getaway, don’t switch pages just yet.  Kanazawa’s not nearly as crowded as some of the big spots around Japan.  On top of that, it has convenient infrastructure, several coworking spaces and lots of cool places to explore.

Access

If you are coming from Tokyo, access to Kanazawa is simple.  Just take the Hokuriku Shinkansen from either Tokyo or Ueno.  The ride takes right around 3 hours and if you are looking to work on the trip up, most of the trains on the Hokuriku line offer a special ticket called TRAIN DESK.  In the TRAIN DESK car you can freely have meetings while speaking out loud as long as you are considerate and don’t talk too loudly.  (If it wasn’t already clear, speaking on your phone on trains in Japan is usually frowned upon.)

Coming from Kansai, you can take the Thunderbird from Kyoto station up to Fukui and then transfer to the Shinkansen from Fukui to Kanazawa.  This is a bit more complicated, but in general fairly simple.

Another option that will take a bit longer is to grab a highway bus from Shinjuku station in Tokyo or Nagoya station.  This would be a good option if you want to save a bit of money.

Where To Work

As a fairly large city, Kanazawa has quite a few options for coworking spaces.  In addition to the popular Tsutaya Share Lounge, there is also a Microsoft coworking center and several other local options.  This list of coworking lounges might be of use to you.  It’s all in Japanese, but you should still be able to find the websites and google map links:

• https://ishikawacoworkingmap.com/

Accommodations 

Kanazawa is a decent sized city so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding an Airbnb or a short term lease.  Keep in mind that the closer you get to Omicho market and the castle area downtown, the more expensive things will get so we recommend looking a bit further away.  You could easily find a place to stay at a nearby station off the Hokuriku Railway or IR Ishikawa Railway which would also offer the added bonus of having fewer tourists.

Things To Do

Kanazawa really has a lot of options for things to do both in the city and nearby.  It’s hard to list every single thing, but here are a few popular ones.

• Higashi Chaya District
  If you love that traditional Japanese vibe that can be found in places like Kyoto and Nara, you’ll love this area.  Try to get here early in the morning to see it without all the crowds.

• Kenrokuen and the Castle
  Right behind Omicho market you’ll find Kanazawa’s castle and the Kenrokuen gardens.  Both are beautiful and a great place to take a walk and relax a bit.  They are especially beautiful in the fall when the leaves are starting to change colors.
  
  
• Shirakawa-gyo
  This village up in the mountains boasts a large collection of traditional straw-roof houses.  The process of making them has almost died out so this is an excellent place to see so many of them in one spot.  You can even book a night at one of the inns there which would give you the opportunity to get up early and look around while no one is there.  If you aren’t a fan of tourist heavy places, you can also take a look at some of the other smaller towns in the area like Ainokura, although you might need to rent a car to get to some of them.

What To Eat

• Seafood
  Kanazawa is famous for its seafood and each season of the year brings something a little bit different.  Stroll through Omicho market to find a ton of seafood restaurants and shops selling fresh fish or pop into one of the local sushi restaurants speckled about the city.  Just make sure to look for seasonal specials and don’t settle for the standard tuna and salmon!

• Beef
  Most visitors of Japan have heard of Wagyu and Kobe beef, but you may not have realized that beef from the Noto peninsula just north of Kanazawa is also famous (and delicious!).

Difficulty Level:  Easy

Kanazawa is a big city that sees quite a few tourists every year so there are lots of restaurants and accommodations that can speak English.  It’s also easily accessible by Shinkansen from Tokyo and you can generally get there without any transfers.  Again, don’t let the notion of tourists scare you away.  Kanazawa is not nearly as well-known as the bigger cities in Japan.  It could be a great place to get more exposure to Japanese or as a base point to get further off the beaten path.