A Pocket Guide to Ishikawa, Japan
A coastal prefecture famed for culture-packed cities, pretty fishing villages and a culinary scene as delicious as those of Tokyo and Kyoto. Tap into Ishikawa’s creative energy with our ultimate guide to the area’s best hotels, restaurants and attractions, including the workshops, markets and Japanese gardens not to miss.
17 March, 2021
In partnership with
- Words by
- Fleur Rollet-Manus
Snow-tipped
Snow-tipped
mountains back ancient towns decorated with artisan
workshops. Paddy fields tumble into the ocean. Fertile farms and
fishing boats laden with seafood make their way to lively morning
markets.
Situated on Japan’s rugged northern coast, Ishikawa
showcases all of Japan’s best bits: culture, craftsmanship and
exceptional cuisine. As destinations go, it flies relatively off
the radar of travellers who beeline for Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. But
they’ll be missing out on the prefecture’s culture-packed cities,
thriving craft scenes and a smorgasbord of regional delicacies.
While there’s no one right way to tackle Ishikawa, we recommend
kicking off your itinerary in Kanazawa, Ishikawa’s capital and home
of the Maeda clan for 14 generations from the 16th century. Through
generous funding, the family established the city’s reputation as
an artistic enclave. Today, dip in and out of Kanazawa Castle and
museums stacked with precious wares before rolling up your sleeves
get stuck in the vast array of workshops. Kanazawa’s residents are
keen to share the knowledge passed through generations. Slow-paced
travel reigns supreme here. Drive along the Mitsuboshi Kaidou, or
so-called “Three-star Road” – to connect with Ishikawa’s cultural
heritage.
Cultural appetite satisfied, whisk yourself to the Noto
Peninsula, where you’ll find artistry of a different kind: in the
buzzy kitchens, on plates piled high with sashimi and in markets
stalls teeming with farm-fresh produce. Fuelled up, sink into a
slower pace of travel courtesy of Kaga’s rejuvenating hot-spring
villages, where steamy baths are said to hold restorative
properties.
Intrigued? We’ve scoured museums, gorged on seafood suppers and
bedded down in rejuvenating ryokans across Ishikawa to bring you
the prefectures’s best hotels, restaurants and cultural
attractions.
For more information and to get planning, visit www.ishikawatravel.jp.
hotel
Maki No Oto Kanazawa
hotel
Kayotei
Address
1-17-1, Higashimachi, Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga City, Ishikawa 922-0114
hotel