Kanazawa Sample Itinerary for Journeying into the Arts
Kanazawa is a place where Japan’s heritage traditions like tea ceremony and Japanese dance still thrive today. With Kanazawa Castle at its heart and center, this castle town still pulses with a remarkable samurai culture and people who actively pursue the martial arts. Alongside the ways of tea ceremony, travelers here will find a tandem set of customs including Japanese sweets and traditional crafts that celebrate the skill of artisans who hone themselves each day, while the glamorous tea house districts with roots in the samurai heyday buzz with geisha still diligently training in shamisen, short ballads and dance.
A trip in Kanazawa is a journey into Japan’s traditions and martial arts, with the same crafts and sensibilities long-loved by the samurai, artisans and geisha all just waiting at your fingertips.
A 2-night, 3-day travel plan to experience artistic culture
Day 1: Kanazawa Day
11:20am Walk through streets that feel like a step back in time
Step into the Higashi Chaya District where cobblestone streets are lined with lattice-doored tea houses. Some tea houses, built in the 19th century, are open to the public, allowing a glimpse into the world of 'ichigen-san okotowari' (custom where first-time patrons are typically not allowed).
12:05pm Walk through the bustling 'Kitchen of Kanazawa Citizens' at Omicho Market
The Omicho Market, with a long history of more than 300 years, is brimming with the lively atmosphere of face-to-face sales. It's a place where you can fully experience Kanazawa's food culture with all your senses.
2:00pm Making Japanese Sweets in a Historic Tea Room
Kanazawa is a city with a long history of tea ceremony and Japanese sweets, where expressing the colors of the four seasons is an integral part of daily life. Step into a historic tea room for a chance to enjoy a cup of tea served with wagashi, Japanese sweets made by you.
Day 2: Samurai Day
9:00am Stroll Through the Streets Lined with Samurai Residences
Explore the area where the remnants of the samurai residences of the Kaga Domain, one of the many 'han' (feudal domains) that existed across Japan, are preserved. Walk the alleys, past earthen walls and estate gates, and take in the feeling of almost having traveled back into the era of the samurai.
10:00am Kenroku-en, Kanazawa’s famous garden with countless highlights
Kenroku-en was originally developed in the 17th century as a garden placed outside Kanazawa Castle for the lords of the Kaga Domain. A large pond was created in the center of the garden, and visitors can walk around the pond and enjoy the garden as part of the samurai culture.
12:00pm Experience the Authentic Arts of Kanazawa Geisha
Step into this charming townhouse for a time to savor authentic tea ceremony and geisha performance. Here is where the full extent of Kanazawa hospitality comes to meet you.
3:30pm Aikido Experience at the Ishikawa Prefectural Budokan
Aikido is known as the 'martial art of non-fighting'. It's a martial art also sought out by women as it brings all the challenges of the arts without an exceptional use of physical strength or prowess.
Day 3: Art Day
10:00am Lose Yourself and Become the Art at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
This museum of contemporary art boasts one of the highest visitor rates in the country. Its permanent exhibits often include interactive art pieces where viewers become part of the artwork, stimulating all five of the senses.
12:00pm Hands-on Kaga Yuzen Dyeing and Maki-e Workshop
Visit a Kaga Yuzen studio in Kanazawa. Come in touch with authentic materials and tools, and try an experience that can only be had here.
3:00pm Kaga Embroidery Experience
Try your hand at sheer elegance and delicate art woven via 'Kaga Embroidery'. This hand sewing workshop found in Ishikawa Prefecture still upholds the traditional technique. Encounter true art and beauty as laid out by the thread.
Wrap-Up
With this 2-night, 3-day travel itinerary you’re ready for a journey into the art and culture that’s still alive in Kanazawa, a castle town built by samurai warriors. Come to Kanazawa and prepare for a journey to front step of Japan’s art and craft traditions, from tea ceremony culture developed alongside samurai sensibilities, to Japanese sweets, the refinement of geishas in the tea house districts and so much more. The city is brimming with all the best of the samurai, just waiting for you to experience firsthand by trying the art or craft of your choice.
