Kanazawa
Kanazawa (金沢) is one of the most over-looked tourist destinations in Japan and is truly a jewel of a city. Known as "Little Kyoto", Kanazawa is an excellent long-weekend away. The capital of Ishikawa prefecture, it lies to the north of Gifu and to the west of Nagano on the Japan Sea coast.
It isn't called "Little Kyoto" for nothing, it has much of the charm as well as history that Kyoto has but packed into a smaller and less crowded area.
Accomodations
The Official Kanazawa homepage has a link to accommodation deals and should be all you need for organising somewhere to stay.
Also check out Rakuten. We got a double at the APA Katamachi for ¥4500 a night! Pretty pokey room but good value for the price and well located.
Sightseeing
- The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art - is rather amazing. The permanent collection is in itself, worth a visit, and some of the temporary exhibitions are astonishing. Close to Kenroku-en.
- Without a doubt Kenroku-en garden is the highlight of the city. There are 3 gardens in Japan that rate as the best, and this is one of them. Allow yourself quite a few hours to just sit and absorb the calming ambience. It is especially beautiful in the winter, and you should try to time your trip to when they light the park at night.
- There are some nice samurai districts (Kanazawa, like Kyoto, was not bombed during WW2 out of respect of its cultural heritage) and tea houses in the geisha district. The food is superb. There is a sight-seeing loop bus that runs every 15 minutes around town and costs 200 yen per trip, or 500 yen for a full day pass. Be sure to ask at the tourist information area at Kanazawa station for any special events for the weekend and for guides in English.
Getting there
Kanazawa is accessible by bus from Nagoya. Its about a 4 hour trip and costs about 6,000 yen return. There is a limited express train that will get you there in about 2.8 hours for about 7,000 yen each way, though you can save a few hundred yen by getting a non-reserved seat.
Further reading
Wikitravel - Kanazawa - an amazingly thorough travel guide
