Ishikawa Prefecture occupies a dramatic stretch of Japan's Hokuriku coast, anchored by the historic castle city of Kanazawa and stretching north along the rugged Noto Peninsula. Once ruled by the powerful Maeda clan — second only to the Tokugawa shogunate — Kanazawa flourished as a center of traditional arts: Noh theatre, Kenroku-en garden design, gold leaf craft, and Kutani porcelain. Because it escaped WWII bombing, the city retains intact samurai and geisha districts that feel genuinely lived-in rather than reconstructed. Beyond Kanazawa, the Noto Peninsula offers terraced rice paddies plunging to the Sea of Japan, morning fish markets, and remote onsen hot springs, while the Kaga Onsen resort area provides therapeutic bathing amid mountain forests.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Kanazawa gold leaf products
Price: ¥500–¥30,000 (~$3.30–$200)
Where: Hakuichi in Higashi Chaya or station
Kutani porcelain
Price: ¥1,500–¥50,000 (~$10–$333)
Where: Higashi Chaya shops, Kutani Kosen
Wajima lacquerware
Price: ¥3,000–¥200,000 (~$20–$1,333)
Where: Wajima city shops; Kanazawa craft stores
Kaga Yuzen silk
Price: ¥5,000–¥200,000+ (~$33–$1,333+)
Where: Nagamachi Yuzen Silk Centre
Wagashi (traditional sweets)
Price: ¥1,000–¥5,000 per box (~$6.60–$33)
Where: Morihachi, Fumuroya at station
Ishikawa sake (nihonshu)
Price: ¥1,500–¥8,000 per bottle (~$10–$53)
Where: Fukumitsuya Brewery, station shops, convenience stores
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Omicho Market
Where: 50 Kamiomicho, Kanazawa
Hours: 9:00–17:00
Wajima Morning Market
Where: Asaichi-dori, Wajima
Hours: 8:00–12:00