Photo by Sho: Kanazawa Castle
Ishikawa · Private tour

Kanazawa, a castle town dressed in gold leaf

Kanazawa makes about 99% of Japan's gold leaf. We walk its garden, teahouse streets and market, by bus and on foot. Up to six people.

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LengthsHalf day · Full day · Two days
GroupPrivate, up to 6 guests
LanguageEnglish (Japanese on request)
Meeting pointKanazawa Station, East (Kenrokuen) Exit, in front of the Tsuzumi-mon gate.
Overview

Gold, gardens and teahouses

We meet under the Tsuzumi-mon gate at Kanazawa Station. It's 13.7 metres tall and modelled on the hand drum used in Noh. Kanazawa gets a lot of rain and snow, and the glass dome behind the gate was designed as an umbrella held out to people arriving by train.

Kanazawa produces about 99% of Japan's gold leaf, beaten to a ten-thousandth of a millimetre. Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto uses about 200,000 sheets of it.

In the Higashi Chaya district, the teahouse Shima has stood since 1820 and is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. You can go inside.

Highlights

  • Walk Kenrokuen garden, with free early-morning entry before the regular opening
  • Step inside Shima, a teahouse built in 1820
  • Have lunch at Omicho Market, home to about 170 shops
  • See the garden at the Nomura samurai house (full day)
  • Hear how Kanazawa's gold leaf ended up on Kinkaku-ji
Routes

Pick the length that suits your day

Half day (3 to 4 hours)

Garden and castle, lunch at the market, then the teahouses.

  1. Kenrokuenabout 12 minutes by bus, then a 5-minute walk.
  2. Kanazawa Castle Parkfree to walk in, next to the garden.
  3. Omicho Marketlunch.
  4. Higashi Chaya district.

Full day (7 to 8 hours)

The whole old town, with a samurai house and a modern art museum.

  1. Omicho Market12 minutes on foot from the station.
  2. Kenrokuen and Kanazawa Castle Park.
  3. 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Artthe free zone is open 9 am to 10 pm.
  4. Nomura samurai house5 minutes from the Korinbo bus stop, with a garden given two stars in the 2009 Michelin Green Guide Japon.
  5. Higashi Chaya and Shimato finish.

A one-day city bus pass costs 800 yen.

Two days

Kanazawa works best as one full day.

Two days are available on request, but the second day would be much lighter than the first.

Photos

Kanazawa through my lens

Details

Before you book

Included

  • Sho as your private guide for the length you book, in English (or Japanese, if you prefer)
  • A route planned for your group before the day
  • Food stops checked ahead for any allergies you tell me about

Not included

  • Bus fares (one-day pass 800 yen)
  • Entry, if we go in: Kenrokuen (320 yen), Shima (500 yen), Nomura house (550 yen), the castle turrets (320 yen)
  • Exhibitions at the 21st Century Museum
  • Food and drinks

Good to know

  • Many Omicho Market shops close on Wednesdays. If your date is a Wednesday, I'll plan lunch somewhere else.
  • Rain plan: the 21st Century Museum, the Nomura house, Shima and the covered Omicho Market.
  • Kenrokuen opens at 7 am from 1 March to 15 October and at 8 am the rest of the year.
  • I look after the day itself. Train tickets, hotels and any entry tickets you want to book ahead are yours to arrange. I'll tell you exactly where and when to meet me.
  • We get around by train, bus and on foot, the same way people here do. I don't drive guests, and I'll show you how the ticket machines work as we go.
Your guide

I'm Sho, and I'll be your guide

Sho, your guide

In January 2011, in my last year of junior high, I left Japan for Brisbane. I stayed until I'd finished university in March 2020. That's nine years of Australian school, uni and part-time jobs.

I speak English and Japanese without any trouble, and I don't get shy around people from other cultures. What I care about most on the day is simple: that you're having a good time.

I'm based in Yokohama. I've been photographing planes since 2009. Since moving back to Japan in 2020, photography has taken me to airports and towns all over the country. Every area I guide is somewhere I've been myself.

I have a serious kiwi fruit allergy (anaphylaxis) and react to some fruit in the rose family. So I check our food stops with the restaurants before the day. If there's anything you can't eat, tell me when you first get in touch.

  • Nine years in Brisbane, from junior high to the end of university
  • Comfortable in English and Japanese
  • Has been to every area on this site
  • Checks food stops ahead of the day
Pricing

Quotes in six currencies

Free quote

Quotes are provided in USD, CAD, AUD, NZD, GBP or EUR, so you can skip the hassle of currency conversion. Other currencies are quoted in USD. Each quote covers your whole group of up to six people. When you send an enquiry, please include your preferred dates and the kinds of experiences you'd like.

FAQ

Questions people ask

When is Kenrokuen quietest?

I don't have hard numbers, but the free early-morning opening may be quieter. If you're up early, we can start there.

Why isn't there a two-day route?

One full day covers the main old town well. I can stretch it to two if you ask, but the second day would be light.

Free quote

Kanazawa on your list

Send me your date, group size and anything you can't eat, and I'll put together a route and a free quote.

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More places I can take you

AsakusaShibuyaShinjukuYokohamaKamakura, Shonan & EnoshimaHakoneMt Fuji areaAtamiShimodaOsakaKyotoFukuoka, Dazaifu & YufuinHaneda AirportKansai's three airportsSapporo

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