What is the current status of 8 Places to Visit on Your Travel to Kanazawa? | Ishikawa, Japan Trip

What is the current status of 8 Places to Visit on Your Travel to Kanazawa? | Ishikawa, Japan Trip

Only 2.5 hours from Tokyo. With the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line, Kanazawa is now more conveniently accessible from central Tokyo. The number of tourists increased and the city became even more vibrant. Then, on January 1, a major earthquake struck the area including Kanazawa.

Kanazawa registered an intensity of 5 upper on the Japanese seismic scale. Since this area was more than 100 km away from the epicenter, the damage was limited. However, many tourists canceled their trips to Kanazawa. It has been one month since the earthquake.

We visited popular tourist spots to see how Kanazawa is doing now. Feel Japan provides tourist information about Japan. You may learn something about Japan that you did not know. If you like this video, give us a thumbs up. Your comments are also welcome.

Kenrokuen Garden is one of the three most famous gardens in Japan. It is a must for visitors to Kanazawa. In 2009, it was awarded three stars in the Michelin Tourism Guide. The total area is about 110,000 square meters. The vast area is planted with a variety of trees that show their seasonal appearance.

In winter, the area is famous for its snow hanging scenery, which protects the trees from snow. Plum blossoms also begin to bloom, signaling the arrival of spring. An earthquake caused damage to the park, including the toppling of several lanterns. The park was temporarily closed. Currently, the park is open as usual.

However, the number of tourists is low, about a quarter of the normal number. Kanazawa Castle Park, located next to Kenrokuen Garden, is another place to visit. The huge area of about 300,000 square meters is ideal for a walk. Unfortunately, the castle tower has not been preserved due to repeated fires.

However, some of the buildings, such as the Ishikawa Gate, are still standing as they were during the Edo period. Since the castle was rebuilt many times, you can see various old and new stone walls. However, due to the earthquake, the walls collapsed in several places. Restoration is still in progress.

Currently, the park is open as usual, although some areas are off limits. Higashi Chaya-gai is one of the three major teahouses in Kanazawa. Historic buildings line the stone-paved streets. This streetscape preserves the atmosphere of the teahouse district as it was 300 years ago.

This historically valuable streetscape has been designated as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Today, many of the shops operate as traditional Japanese restaurants, but there are also a variety of shops selling Japanese sweets and traditional crafts.

Although all the shops are old buildings, they were not damaged by the earthquake. Therefore, they are all open as usual. However, there was no waiting time at popular stores that usually have long lines. At first glance, one might wonder if Oyama Shrine is a church.

The shrine’s symbol, the Kamimon Gate, is an unusual blend of Japanese and Western architecture. At night, the uppermost stained glass windows are illuminated, attracting the viewer. Because it is a unique and precious building, it has been designated a National Important Cultural Property. Within the shrine grounds is a small but spectacular Japanese garden.

The East Gate on the east side of the shrine leads to the Gyokusen-in-maru garden. Gyokusen-in-maru Garden is located next to Kanazawa Castle Park. Compared to Kenrokuen Garden, it is a smaller Japanese garden. It is a new garden that was restored in 2015 based on an excavation survey.

Currently, the garden is largely a restricted area due to the earthquake. Although it can usually be visited from Kanazawa Castle Park, currently it can only be entered from the entrance on the side of Oyama Shrine. Nishi Chaya-gai is one of the three main teahouses in Kanazawa.

Like Higashi Chaya-gai, it is lined with historic buildings. Of the three teahouse districts, this teahouse district is said to have the largest number of geiko. Visitors can meet geiko, learn about them at the museum, and enjoy other activities different from those in Higashi Chaya-gai.

This area is far from the main tourist attractions, is smaller, and has fewer shops. Therefore, there are few pedestrians, but this is not considered an effect of the earthquake. All businesses, including cafes and Japanese sweets shops, appear to be operating normally. Kazuemachi Chaya-gai is one of Kanazawa’s three major teahouse districts.

Historic buildings stand side by side along the Asano River. Traditional Japanese restaurants and Traditional Japanese inns are still in business. The narrow, atmospheric alleys are also a highlight. Since many shops are open at night, the streets are less crowded during the day.

The Naga-machi Buke Yashiki site is an area where samurai residences stood during the Edo period. The mud walls and stone-paved alleys still retain the appearance of those days. The area is dotted with many shops of various kinds. Citizens still live in the area, so please be careful not to enter private homes.

The Nomura House is located in the ruins of a samurai residence. This is the only samurai residence open to the public. Visitors can tour the prestigious mansion. It was not damaged by the earthquake and is open for normal business.

We visited famous tourist spots in Kanazawa and found almost no damage from the earthquake. So it might be the place to go now when there are fewer tourists. Thank you for watching the video until the end. Please subscribe to this channel, give us a thumbs up, and leave a comment.

Various links are listed in the overview. We welcome your recommendations and requests in the comments and on the social media.

On January 1, 2024, a huge earthquake struck the area including Kanazawa.
One month after the earthquake, we went to see how the popular tourist spots in Kanazawa were doing.

VISIT KANAZAWA
https://visitkanazawa.jp/en/

Kenrokuen Garden
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DV4eL3wUmFs3Pdee6
Kanazawa Castle Park
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4XrFLK2XZPrngDQw6
Higashi Chaya-gai
https://maps.app.goo.gl/YQ9TSvEvwcX6LXqn6
Oyama Shrine
https://maps.app.goo.gl/SzsdmmjuBZY2BGwj8
Gyokusenin-maru Garden
https://maps.app.goo.gl/uBE9ctCEqixwQZ2e8
Nishi Chaya-gai
https://maps.app.goo.gl/R8EJvex3xvZvatVa9
Kazuemachi Chaya-gai
https://maps.app.goo.gl/uLYryHaMZgf7aecc9
Naga-machi District
https://maps.app.goo.gl/74kViTz3m9sTQ3oi7

Feel Japan offers travel ideas in Japan.
Follow us and be inspired to discover the unknown wonders of Japan!
https://www.youtube.com/@FeelJapan

X
Tweets by FeelJapan_yt
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/feeljapan_youtube/

00:00 Opening
00:28 Overview of Kanazawa
03:36 Kenrokuen Garden
06:09 Kanazawa Castle Park
08:20 Higashi Chaya-gai
10:46 Oyama Shrine
12:36 Gyokusenin Maru Garden
14:04 Nishi Chaya-gai
16:05 Kazuemachi Chaya-gai
17:19 Naga-machi District
19:27 Ending

#HistoricTownscape #Kanazawa #JapanTravel