It started as a drizzle, leaving a film of fine water droplets on my camera lens that I had to wipe off between taking photos. By the time I reached the entrance to Gyokusen-en Garden, the rain had increased to a steady, gentle downpour, and I, the fool without an umbrella, was forced to retreat under the eaves of a small pavilion on a hillside in the garden. I sat in silence for about 15 minutes, listening to the sound of the rain falling on the lush carpet of fallen leaves and the smell of the wet peat in my nostrils. It was autumn, and this was Kanazawa, which was soon to become one of my favorite cities on earth.

Even though Kanazawa has been directly connected to Tokyo for a decade via the fast and efficient Shinkansen bullet train, relatively few overseas visitors to Japan make the journey. My friend and fellow Japan traveler Ariel recently posted the shocking statistic that only 2.2% of overseas tourists to Japan make Kanazawa part of their itinerary. Secretly, I’m a little pleased, wanting to keep this treasure of a city all to myself. But logically, I know that Kanazawa needs and deserves tourists to bolster their economy and support the recovery efforts of the nearby Noto Peninsula, which was devastated by a massive earthquake on January 1st, 2024.

How Kanazawa Became a City of the Arts

The story of Kanazawa begins with a man named Maeda Toshiie, a samurai general who served two of the men who helped unify Japan: Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Maeda himself could have vied to become Shogun if not for his death in 1599. Although Maeda Toshiie was a rival of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Edo-era Shogun, his son Toshinaga was a shrewd politician who supported Tokugawa as he ascended. The Maeda clan’s Kaga Domain increased in size to become the largest in Japan, other than the Shogunate itself.

At the heart of Kaga was Kanazawa, a castle town so formidable that when the six-story keep of Kanazawa Castle burned down in 1602, the Maeda clan saw no reason to rebuild it, knowing no one would dare to attack. However, because the wealth and power of the Maedas could easily be seen as a constant threat to the Shogunate, something had to be done to ease the Shogun’s mind. And that is how Kanazawa became a city of the arts.

Accumulated wealth could be seen as a way to build an army to overthrow the Shogunate, so rather than accumulate it, the successive Maeda lords invested in the things they valued most: art and culture. They invited artisans and scholars from all over Japan to live and work in the Kaga domain. Many of these master artisans supported the practice of tea ceremony, a pastime Maeda Toshiie was particularly interested in as a disciple of the tea master Sen no Rikyu. The Maeda Lords were also fond of Noh theater, and brought many prominent Noh actors and craftspeople to Kanazawa. In the relatively peaceful Edo Period, both the samurai and the general public of Kanazawa culturally benefited from the policies of the Maeda clan. And today, the whole world can benefit from them.

Kanazawa Is More Art than History

On the surface, most first-time visitors to Kanazawa see it as a historic city rather than an artistic one. True, Kanazawa has remained roughly intact for over 400 years without a natural or man-made disaster, so there is a lot of history here. But the arts run through Kanazawa’s veins like streaks of gold used in kintsugi, seen in tiny shops selling unique Kutani-ware ceramic pieces, ateliers hand-dyeing silk with the colorful and realistic Kaga-yuzen process, and even one of the last remaining shops producing handcrafted fly fishing lures that I have seen in Japan. Big hotel chains like Hyatt pay homage to Kanazawa’s artistic roots at their Hyatt Centric property. Even the National Crafts Museum was relocated from Tokyo to Kanazawa in 2020 as an affirmation of the city’s culture.

As an avid walker, the city’s compact physique, built around Kanazawa Castle and the lavish Kenrokuen Gardens, make it a fun and easy city for me to explore. Where Tokyo is sprawling, and Kyoto’s landmarks are spread to the four corners of the city, you can get a basic overview of Kanazawa on foot in a day or two. Not to say that you should only spend a day or two in Kanazawa, mind you. There is far too much to see and do for that short of a time span.

I typically like to stay around the Korinbo area, which is an easy walk to the castle and garden, many of the major museums, and the Nagamachi samurai quarter. However, in recent years, many new hotels have sprung up or been renovated between Kanazawa Station and Korinbo; the area around Omicho Market has several mid-range hotels and is an easier walk to the Higashi Chaya district, which every tourist to Kanazawa loves. I won’t dismiss Higashi Chaya as a destination, as that area has many fantastic shops, restaurants, and cafes. But the scenery has become as common as Kyoto’s Sannenzaka, and I hate to see Kanazawa become pigeonholed into a single cliched image.

Every visitor to Kanazawa will inevitably visit Kanazawa Castle Park and Kenrokuen Gardens, a practice I wholeheartedly endorse. But since every travelogue about Kanazawa will mention these “must-see” attractions, I won’t go into detail about them here. Suffice it to say they live up to their billing.

Nor will I highlight Kanazawa’s historical attractions, for there are many, each of them deserving at least a peek. The trouble is if you peek at them all, you have little time for anything else.

Kanazawa’s Art Museums Cover All Interests

Instead, let’s continue to focus on Kanazawa as a city of the arts. The wonder of Kanazawa is how integrated the arts are into its culture. There are no art districts in Kanazawa; the entire city is devoted to the arts. You’ll find it in museums, galleries, stores, and workshops dotted all over the city.

Most people interested in art will seek out museums, and Kanazawa has plenty to keep those folks occupied. Kanazawa’s art trinity, the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art, the National Crafts Museum, and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art are located within a five-minute walk of each other. Each presents a unique aspect of Kanazawa art: fine art, handmade art, and modern art, respectively. Sometimes, you’ll be able to see some surprising crossovers, like the use of Pokemon characters in traditional Japanese crafts that debuted at the National Crafts Museum before going out on a world tour.

You could dedicate an entire day to exploring these museums, and there are several other museums nearby: the D.T. Suzuki Museum, the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Traditional Arts and Crafts, and the Kanazawa Noh Museum, to name a few.

Art in the Wild Around the City

But art wasn’t just created for museums, and there are many “art in the wild” types of experiences that can be found in Kanazawa as well. Modern art lovers can visit KAMU KANAZAWA, which makes use of various buildings spread across the city as a virtual modern art gallery. The concept was created to get art lovers to explore more of the city, hopefully on foot. Seison-kaku is an attraction for traditional Japanese art lovers. A retirement villa built by one of the last Maeda lords for his mother, Seison-kaku is an incredible example of what the Maeda family achieved by investing in the arts, a pinnacle of the practical applications of the traditional arts among the wealthy and powerful. On a more modest scale, a similar application can be seen at the Nomura-ke Samurai Residence in Nagamachi.

Hands-on Traditional Crafts Workshops

And for some, art isn’t something you look at; it’s something you create. For those who want to get hands-on with Japanese traditional arts and crafts, there is no better city in Japan than Kanazawa.

For starters, visit the Kaga-Yuzen Kimono Center to see some of the finest examples of contemporary artisans using this traditional paint-on method of dyeing kimono fabrics. Kaga-Yuzen makes use of a traditional five-color palette but introduces color gradation and minor imperfections in subject matter to make the images more realistic. For example, the leaf of a flower might be painted to look like it was nibbled on by an insect. After you have an idea of what Kaga-Yuzen dyeing encompasses, head to the workshop to try dyeing your own textile, handkerchief, or eco bag.

Gold leaf is another of Kanazawa’s famous crafts. The city now accounts for nearly all of the gold leaf production in Japan thanks to a climate that is favorable to its production. Local companies like Hakuichi offer gold leaf experience workshops, decorating lacquered plates, boxes, and other items with patterns created from a 1/10,000 millimeter thick sheet of gold. The process is more difficult than it appears, with even the slightest breeze capable of folding the sheet over on itself in the process.

One of Kanazawa’s most unique crafting experiences may be found at Meboso Hachirobei, one of the city’s oldest shops that was established here in 1575, even before the Maeda clan made it the capital of the Kaga Domain. It began as a needle shop, and indeed, its needles are still highly prized for their sharpness and ease of use in sewing. Fly fishing, which was once a hobby reserved for the samurai class, became popular among the masses in the late 19th century and Meboso Hachirobei developed a new product, fly fishing lures.

According to their website (and not my personal experience, as I have only visited the shop to buy lures), Meboso offers workshops in making fly lures and feather accessories such as hair pins and brooches. During my last visit in 2023, the shop appeared to have materials on hand for the workshop, so I can only assume they are still offering it today. In any case, interested people should stop by the shop as they have a fascinating selection of traditional products and are centrally located, just a few minutes’ walk from Kanazawa Station or Omicho Market.

Kanazawa – The Seattle of Japan for Coffee and Weather

If there is a downside to Kanazawa, it’s the weather. The climate has been compared to the American Northwest: frequently rainy with snow in the winter. For this reason, the Kanazawa Tourist Information Center offers “rentals” of umbrellas and waterproof boots free to visitors. On the bright side, the rainy climate has created a coffee culture similar to Seattle’s, with dozens of coffee shops and cafes springing up around the city. One popular cafe, Curio, was founded by a couple who relocated to Kanazawa after living in Seattle.

Townsfolk Coffee is a roaster off the beaten path, across the street from Tamagawa Park. This unpretentious shop is popular with the locals but virtually unknown to tourists. Closer to Kanazawa Station, tiny Angolo Caffe is a bit trendier, with cute desserts and sandwiches to satiate the crowds of mostly young women who frequent it. and KANAZAWA is far enough from the main street of Higashi Chaya to not be overrun by customers, and offers a peaceful respite to enjoy an espresso and a soft cream cone in the summer while you wait out a brief rain shower.

And the frequent rain? Well, it ceases to bother you, becoming part of Kanazawa’s identity as you explore the delights of the city with borrowed boots and umbrellas, splashing through puddles with a smile.