Postcards from Japan - Kanazawa

When Ben and I starting planning our Japan trip I knew I wanted to see parts of Japan beyond Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, but it felt so hard to choose and narrow things down. We decided on adding in Kanazawa and Karuizawa. We were hoping to stop in Toyama too but we didn't have enough time. So we saved that for another trip.

We had some amazing meals, so much delicious sake, and of course a few treats. We were made to feel so welcome everywhere we went and even learned some more Japanese in our conversations. 

The first night we ate at a tiny delicious sushi restaurant with a set menu at Okina Sushi. We had a delicious meal and they made us feel so welcome. They've been open since 1974. There are only 9 seats here so it's probably easier to get a seat as a solo travel or in pairs.

One of our favorite stops on our trip was the Inuwashi Sake Bar. It was right by our hotel and we had so much fun trying different sakes and food. This place is a sake lovers dream. We let them know our preferences and they then made a flight for us to enjoy. We were having such a great time that we just kept trying more recommendations. If they weren't closed the night after we would have stopped back again. 

One night we had planned to eat at a ramen place, but they were too busy. We found delicious indian food at Tandoori Kitchen near by. The service was so great, and we loved everything we had. This is a great option for Halal, Vegan, Vegetarian, and meat eaters alike. 

Museums and sites we visited:

Kanazawa Yusue Gold Leaf Museum - was founded in 1974 by Yasue Takaaki to preserve the legacy of goldbeating and gold leaf craft for future generations. It is one of the world's few museums dedicated to gold leaf. The museum introduces the goldbeating process and related tools, and exhibits fine art and craft works featuring gold and gold leaf

We visited Gold Leaf Sakuda after where you can take a workshop, watch the artisans making gold leaf, and shop all kinds of different crafts and gifts made with gold leaf. I couldn't resist taking a selfie in the gold leaf restroom.

DT Suzuki Museum this was a must do on our list. I love DT Suzuki's writing and teaching and visiting this museum was fantastic. You can learn more about his work, Zen philosophy and his teaching while in a beautiful, calm space. It was designed by architect Taniguchi Yoshio. 

There were a few more museums we wanted to visit. But we didn't have enough time or tickets were already sold out.

Nomura Samurai Heritage Residence

We got there really early and it still filled up with tour guide groups while we were there. I'm glad we went but the earlier you can get there the better!

Nagamachi Samurai district

Kenroku-en Garden

Omicho Market 

We stopped here for lunch one day and had a hard time choosing from all the delicious looking options. 

We had a lovely lunch at Fukuten after walking around the Kenroku-en Garden. The tempura was delicious. If you're looking for something more than the food stalls near the gardens, this was a great choice.

Kazue-machi Chaya

This district was named Kazuemachi after Tomita Kazue's residence in the Edo period. We loved wandering through the different districts in Kanazawa.

Higashi Chaya

This was another beautiful geisha district and the most famous in Kanazawa.

Temples and Shrines we visited:

Shincho-ji Temple

Ozaki Shrine

Oyama Jinja Shrine

Myoryugi Temple (Ninja temple)

Kanazawa Jinja Shrine

There's also a Kanazawa Tourist Information center that was a good stop for figuring out the buses and gathering extra info. You can get a one day bus pass, access wifi, charge your phone, borrow an umbrella, as well as luggage storage and delivery.

Have you been to Kanazawa? I hope to go back and get to take a workshop there. We didnt have time this trip but hopefully next time!