Ishikawa Prefecture

Understand

Ishikawa Prefecture is a peninsula in the center of the western coast of Japan. Its 581-km coastline is bordered by the Sea of Japan. Ishikawa Prefecture has a rich history and beautiful scenery, which makes it a shame that it isn't visited more often. Perhaps the most well-known city in Ishikawa is Kanazawa, its capital, which boasts Japan's best-preserved samurai districts and one of the three most beautiful landscape gardens in Japan. Ishikawa has an enormous rice yield (annually; approximately 15 million metric tons or 100 million koku) and is noted for its traditional handicrafts, including gold leaf, lacquerware, and silk dyeing. Ishikawa is also the home of Mount Hakusan, a sacred mountain. The foot of Mount Hakusan is surrounded by villages influenced by traditional Japanese lifestyles. The most northern region of Ishikawa is the Noto Peninsula, where you can find an incredible number of festivals, in addition to extensive distances of natural beauty. This region also bodes well for those interested in outdoor sports and relaxation. The Noto region has extensive sky and water sports available. Ishikawa is also well known for its number of ski resorts and hot springs.

Tourist Information The prefecture has an Official Travel Guide site in English.

Getting there

By plane 1 Komatsu Airport (KMQ IATA). Ishikawa's primary airport, in Komatsu. JAL offers flights into the Komatsu Airport from Tokyo Haneda Airport (1 hour) and Okinawa Airport (2 hours 10 minutes). ANA offers flights from Tokyo Haneda Airport (1 hour), Tokyo Narita Airport (1 hour 10 minutes), Sapporo New Chitose Airport (1 hour 30 minutes), Sendai Airport (1 hour), and Fukuoka Airport (1 hour 15 minutes). In addition, EVA Air and Tigerair Taiwan each offer a daily flight from Taipei Taoyuan Airport (2 hours 40 minutes), Korean Air flies from Seoul Incheon Airport on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (1 hour 40 minutes), and China Eastern flies from Shanghai Pudong Airport on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays (2 hours 30 minutes). 2 Noto Airport (NTQ IATA). A small airport in Wajima. Flights come in from Tokyo Haneda Airport (1 hour).

By train Kanazawa Station — Ishikawa's largest train station. The train station was rebuilt in 2005, and is a sight to see in itself, with its large wooden Japanese gate, glass, and steel. It is on the West Japan Railway's Hokuriku Line. Although the Kanazawa Station is not the only train station in Ishikawa, it is the hub from which the smaller cities can be reached. From Tokyo Station (Direct) — This takes 2½ hours Hokuriku Shinkansen Kagayaki (かがやき) and a regular ticket costs ¥14,120. All seats are reserved. From Tokyo Station (via Maibara) — there are two routes that can be used to reach the Kanazawa Station from Tokyo. This route takes the hourly Tokaido Shinkansen Hikari train and transfers at Maibara to the Shirasagi (しらさぎ) limited express. This takes a little over 4 hours and a regular ticket costs approximately ¥15000. The journey is fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass. From Osaka Station — this route takes approximately 2½ hours. From Nagoya Station (via Maibara) — this route takes approximately 2½ hours. From Kansai International Airport (via Kyoto) — this requires taking one of the frequent Thunderbird (サン

Getting around

For most tourists, traveling around Ishikawa will not be a problem. Kanazawa, the single most important destination for tourists is near the Komatsu airport, and is easily reachable by bus or train.

By train Travelling by train in Ishikawa is not a problem. There are local trains which go to a number of destinations in Ishikawa for a small cost. Once you're in Ishikawa, the easiest way to find out where to go is to head over to the Kanazawa Train Station where you can see the costs to go to a number of cities.

By bus This is another option for traveling within Ishikawa. A large number of buses leave from the Kanazawa Station to go to various destinations in Ishikawa. This makes travel particularly convenient within Ishikawa. There are also inter-city bus systems, which allow you to travel from one town to another nearby town. You take a ticket when you get on and pay when you get off. Depending on the city, it may even have its own inner-city bus system or bus system aimed at tourists.

By car Car rentals are available at a variety of locations. If you're coming into Ishikawa by other means, you can rent cars easily in downtown Kanazawa, by the train station. However, be aware that there are tolls on the roads in Japan, and parking can sometimes be a problem.

By bike Biking is an option if you will only be traveling between one or two cities, but unless you're a serious biker, you won't be able to do much serious traveling on a bike. Ishikawa is a long prefecture, and it has distinctive seasons.

See

Ishikawa is known for its historical interest and natural beauty. If you're only in Ishikawa for a short amount of time, you won't be disappointed by going to Kanazawa. It is a beautiful city with a balance of modern society and historical interest. There are a number of historical sites, museums, and festivals in Ishikawa to see as well. Kahoku — Nishida Kitaro Museum of Philosophy, Nanatsuka Shichifukujin Center, Umikko-land Marine Museum Tsubata — Kurikara Fudo Temple Phoenix Hall, Waku-waku Forest House, Kurikara Genpei-no-sato Take-bashi Entrance, Kawai-dani Fureai Center Saiji-no-yakata Festival Hall Kanazawa — The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa Yuwaku Yumeji Museum, Izumi Kyoka Kinenkan Museum, Kanazawa Old Merchant House, Kanazawa Phonograph Museum, Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art, Ishikawa Historical Museum, Muro Saisei Kinenkan Museum, Maeda Tosanokami-ke Shiryokan Museum, Historical Residence of Mr. Kurando Terashima, Seison-kaku, Tokuda Shusei Kinenkan Museum, Kanazawa Noh Museum Nonoichi — Kita Family Historical House, Furusato Historical Museum, Folk Culture Museum Hakusan — Hakusan City Matto Furusato-kan Folk Museum, Park Shishiku, Hakusan Torigoe Ikko-Ikki Museum, Kuretake-bunko Private Library, Hakusan City Matto Museum, Nakagawa Kazumasa Memorial Museum of Art, Hakusan City Tsurugi Museum, Hakusan Folk Museum, Hakusan Sabo Science Center, Museum of Farming Culture, Yoshino Kogei-no-sato Craft Center, Chiyo-jo Haiku Museum, Niwaka-kobo, Matto Shayu-kan, Mikawa Community Plaza, Tsurugi Yokomachi Urara-kan, Kawachi Local Product Center Noto Peninsula — Wajima Morning Market, Wajima Lacquerware Museum, Kiriko Museum, Yanagida Bontanical Gardens, Ganmon Cliffs, Hutago-iwa (one of many "married rocks"), Noto Glass Museum, Nanao Art Museum, Sosoji-dera, Abare Festival (July), Okuma Kabuto Festival (Sep 20)

Do

Go to festivals — Just because Ishikawa is rural, doesn't mean it doesn't have festivals. In fact, it means that you might just stumble upon a festival and get a front row seat. If you're really lucky, you might just be invited into it. Now that's an opportunity you can't get in a bigger area!