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Upon arriving at Kanazawa Station, the first thing you notice is the large number of foreign visitors, especially westerners, which is clearly more visible here than even at Tokyo or Osaka Station.

I’ve heard that since the Shinkansen arrived in this area a few years ago, the ‘Hokuriku’ region has become very popular, drawing travelers to cities that were previously not high on the list of main Japanese destinations.

But I think we should now start watching this unexpected favorite that is becoming popular with tourists and will likely gain attention quickly in the next few years.

The Hokuriku region is made up of Toyama, Ishikawa, and Fukui Prefectures; it is the land on the western side known for its great natural beauty and top-level craftwork.

Toyama Prefecture is the city that connects the stunning Japanese Alps with Toyama Bay, a source of excellent seafood. It is home to industries and craft traditions rooted in everyday life, reflecting the unique culture and artisan spirit of its people. Meanwhile, Ishikawa Prefecture remains the center of a rich cultural history from the Samurai period and stands as the only place in Japan that keeps the art of gold leaf making alive. Lastly, Fukui Prefecture is a place of spiritual depth and careful detail, with strong roots in Zen Buddhism and pure water, which has led to several breweries producing high-quality local sake.

All three prefectures have the traditional knowledge to make craft items with deep stories, from local sake and smoky Japanese whisky to flexible, bendable tin products. This makes Hokuriku a new region of interest for tourists who enjoy food, art, culture, crafts, and new places that are less well-known.

And here are the places we recommend if you plan to visit Hokuriku

Toyama

Toyama Prefecture is known for its amazing landscape, from the Japanese Alps to Toyama Bay, a source of prime deep-sea seafood. Besides its natural beauty, Toyama is a center for metal craftwork, especially Takaoka Copperware that has been passed down for centuries, which is now constantly being updated with modern ideas. This has made it famous as a source of highly technical craft items, and it is also home to a World Heritage village with the old Gassho-zukuri building style hidden in the valleys.

Website : visit-toyama-japan.com

Saburomaru Distillery

The Saburomaru Distillery of Wakatsuru Shuzo Company began by making sake since 1862 before starting whisky production in 1952. This distillery is skilled at creating smoky-style whisky by mixing ingredients and techniques from both the global whisky world and local Toyama. The key element is the use of pure groundwater from the Shogawa River, along with high-quality ingredients like peat from Islay, Scotland, to create a unique smoky smell. 

Saburomaru also created the ZEMON copper pot still with local artisans, and started using large wooden fermentation tanks to add layers of flavor to the whisky. By working with carpenters in Inami Town, they made Mizunara casks from local Toyama oak, which creates a sustainable loop for the forests and truly lifts the status of the aging cask to a premium resource. 

With this passion and new ideas, Saburomaru continues to challenge itself to bring Toyama’s craft whisky to the world stage. If you visit the distillery for a tour of the production process, make sure to stop by the shop for souvenirs. You can also enjoy a whisky tasting, and if you like coffee, they offer coffee beans aged in whisky barrels.

Website : www.wakatsuru.co.jp/saburomaru

NOUSAKU 

The NOUSAKU factory is more than a production site; it’s a fun center for casting, carrying on the techniques and culture of Takaoka Doki, which has a history of over a hundred years. Here they make products from brass and bronze, as well as items from 100% pure tin that has the special quality of being soft and able to be bent. The top product, the KAGO tin basket, shows the courage to break away from traditional manufacturing limits. Visitors can fully experience the craft by taking a free factory tour to watch metal being cast at temperatures over 1,000 degrees Celsius. Or we strongly suggest joining the NOUSAKU LAB workshop, which lets anyone try their hand at making their own tin item using the traditional sand casting method.

This factory also features a very interesting restaurant and cafe. Almost every piece of equipment used on the table is tinware produced right here in this factory, allowing us to touch and use them in a real setting. And if you find yourself impressed, there is a factory souvenir shop where you can choose items to take home.

Don’t forget to look for the special collections as well.

Website : www.nousaku.co.jp

Ainokura Gassho-zukuri Village

Ainokura Village is a Gassho-zukuri World Heritage Site, featuring steep thatched-roof houses built to handle heavy snow for centuries. What makes Ainokura so special is its calmness and smaller size, making it clearly different from Shirakawa-go. It really feels like a true country village because people still live there and keep the old way of life with very little commercial activity. 

Visitors can walk up to the viewpoint for a high view of the Gassho houses surrounded by mountains. 

A must-do experience is staying overnight in a Gassho-zukuri Minshuku to privately take in the feeling of the past, and taking part in traditional Washi paper-making.

Website : gokayama-info.jp

SAYS FARM

SAYS FARM in Himi Town, Toyama Prefecture, is a beautiful and modern farm started by a man’s strong desire to turn an empty plot of land into a rich and lasting farm. 

This is more than a winery; it aims to be a symbol of living together with nature. The farm is located on a hill overlooking the vineyard, with Toyama Bay and the Tateyama mountain range in the background. 

The main idea of SAYS FARM is to use the land’s value to the fullest. The farm’s restaurant, next to the winery, follows a Farm-to-Table rule, serving freshly created Italian-style food that highlights the freshness of vegetables, fruits, and herbs grown on the farm, along with seafood from Toyama Bay. 

We highly advise booking a meal of seasonal ingredients while enjoying wine made at the farm.

Website : www.saysfarm.com

Ishikawa

Ishikawa Prefecture, especially the city of Kanazawa, is the core of gold, crafts, and the Samurai way of life. The cultural greatness of the past is fully preserved. This city is the source of gold leaf used in all of Japan. Its special quality is the blend of the classic beauty of the Samurai era with modern art ideas and building design, making this city a perfect spot for those looking for both history and modern flair

Website : visitkanazawa.jp

Imai Kinpaku

The first place we visited to experience Kanazawa’s culture was Imai Kinpaku. Here, we can see the art of gold leaf application by skilled artisans, who handle sheets of gold leaf as thin as 0.0001 millimeters with extreme precision. They must carefully control their breathing at all times while they work.

The shop also offers a small workshop where you can create your own souvenirs. You can learn the gold leafing technique firsthand by decorating items like small purses or tumblers.

If you enjoy soft-serve ice cream, we highly recommend trying one topped with an edible gold leaf sheet.

It’s a true signature of this city!

Website : www.kinpaku.co.jp

Kanazawa Shrine 

An important shrine over 200 years old, built by the Feudal Lord Maeda Harunaga mainly to bring in Tenjin, the god of learning and intelligence, to be the protecting deity of the Kaga Domain. Because of this, the shrine is extremely popular with students and people who want to wish for success in exams. Inside, the shrine keeps its peaceful charm and continues to attract visitors who come to ask for blessings. 

This shrine is located close to a sacred spring that visitors believe brings good luck, combining beliefs in education and good fortune

Website : www.kanazawa-jj.or.jp

Kinjo Reitaku 

A famous old well that gives its name to the city of Kanazawa, meaning Gold Marsh. Legend says a farmer found gold while washing sweet potatoes in the well. This small well is in a quiet spot in Kenrokuen Garden. 

Even though you can’t see gold today, this sacred well remains the most important sign that tells the story of how the city began

Website : www.kanazawa-kankoukyoukai.or.jp

Ishiura Shrine 

The oldest shrine in Kanazawa, lasting over 1,500 years, it has been a spiritual landmark since before the Samurai ruled. The feature that catches the eye of visitors is the path lined with 101 of red Torii gates that stretch like a sacred tunnel. 

This shrine is particularly well-known for wishes about love and finding a partner. Also, the shrine has a cute dog mascot named Kimachan, which is shown on charms and souvenirs, making this old shrine a lively spot that connects old customs with modern times

Website : www.ishiura.jp

Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art 

A round, clear building that changed the museum world, designed by the architectural unit SANAA to act as a museum like a public park that people can use and enter from any side at any time. Entry here is free, but you pay to see some smaller shows. 

This idea completely removed the barrier between art and people. The main draw for tourists from around the world is the standout works, like The Swimming Pool by Leandro Erlich, which creates a visual trick of a pool where people can actually stand under the water’s surface. 

This museum is not just a place to show art, but a social center that encourages learning, relaxing, and joining in with modern art without limits.

Website : www.kanazawa21.jp

National Crafts Museum

This museum is the first national museum to move from Tokyo to Kanazawa, clearly showing that this city is a genuine hub for crafts. The exhibition halls were newly built by moving and repairing two old buildings that used to be military structures during the Meiji and Taisho periods. 

Inside, the museum holds a collection of over 4,000 pieces of Japanese craftwork, from modern to present-day, including ceramics, lacquerware, metal, and fabric, showing the work of many skilled makers.

Website : www.momat.go.jp/craft-museum

Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of History

This museum is located in three red brick buildings that were originally the Kanazawa Army’s weapon storage in the early 20th century and have been recognized as a National Important Cultural Property.

 The displays inside tell the story of Ishikawa Prefecture, from early history up to the rich Samurai culture, detailing art, crafts, and the traditional way of life. A visit here is a mix of admiring the western-style military buildings and learning about local Japanese history.

Website : www.ishikawa-rekihaku.jp

Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery (福光屋) 

This sake brewery, founded way back in 1625, holds fast to its idea of Junmai-Kura, or only making Junmai sake. Junmai sake means sake made with only sake rice and water, and Fukumitsuya uses Hyakunen-sui, a sacred water naturally filtered for hundreds of years. 

They were the first to age sake in Japan, creating the aging methods of Nojuku (aging at room temperature) and Tanjuku (aging at a low temperature). In the past, sake was not often aged like wine, but this brewery was a pioneer of this practice. Also, Fukumitsuya has used its knowledge of rice fermentation to enter the world of beauty by developing cosmetic products, a clever way to blend traditional knowledge with new ideas.

Website : www.fukumitsuya.co.jp

TILE 

A Kaisendon (seafood bowl on rice) restaurant that provides a special meal experience in a 110-year-old renovated house near Kanazawa Station. 

The restaurant is special because you need a password to enter, creating an exciting feeling like going into a secret place. 

The main dish is the Kanazawa Yakumi Kaisendon, where customers can pick and place over 30 types of fresh seafood into a glass bowl designed to look like a jewelry box. 

Website : tile-japan.jp

Fukui

Fukui Prefecture is a land of deep meditation and heritage. Its primary quality is a profound spiritual peace, as it houses major temples that serve as the heart of regional faith, giving the area a particularly serene and solemn atmosphere. 

Additionally, Fukui is a source of pure headwater from the Hakusan mountains, which is vital for brewing sake that focuses on purity and a gentle taste. It is also famous for traditional crafts like Echizen pottery and Echizen knives, renowned for their exceptional sharpness.

Website : www.fuku-e.com

Urban Design Center Sakai และเมืองเก่ามิคุนิโจ

Mikunichō Old Town in Fukui Prefecture is a gem from the past that was once a key port for the Kitamaebune trade, leaving the town full of signs of wealth through its old buildings, especially the unique local Kaguradate style houses. 

This town is currently dealing with the problem of more empty houses. Those empty houses are being turned into spaces for public use by the Urban Design Center Sakai, or UDCS. Its goal is to keep the spirit of the port town that welcomes new ideas without forgetting the old ones. 

We had a class on playing the Shamisen, a Japanese stringed instrument with only three strings, which is not hard but not as easy as you’d think. We sat and learned in an old house that is a space where anyone can ask to hold an event at a very low price. 

If you come to Mikunichō in May, you might see the huge and historic annual Mikuni Festival. The main event is the Yamaboko parade, decorated with giant warrior puppets over six meters tall, which moves through the narrow streets of the old town, a thrilling display of community pride and energy that has been passed down for years.

Website : udcs.jp และ kanko-sakai.com

Kubota Shuzō 

The Kubota Shuzō Maruoka Sake Brewery is over 270 years old, established in Maruoka Town, Fukui Prefecture, following an order from the feudal lord to bring back a lost legendary sake from the Muromachi period. 

This story makes the brewery not just a producer, but a keeper of cultural heritage. Its sake is made using pure underground water that comes up in the area, as well as sake rice grown by the brewery itself, based on the idea that making alcohol with what is grown locally is the true local sake.

Website : www.fukukoma.co.jp

Echizen Daibutsu 

The Great Buddha of Echizen, or Echizen Daibutsu, at Daishizan Seidaiji Temple, is considered one of the hidden impressive sights in Fukui Prefecture. Although built fairly recently, the huge size of the main Buddha statue inside the great hall is truly amazing. 

The statue is seventeen meters high, and this height makes the Echizen Great Buddha one of the largest Buddha statues placed inside a building in Japan, even bigger than the Great Buddhas at Nara and Kamakura. 

When you visit, you will feel a sense of peace inside the hall, which also holds a total of over 1,281 medium and small Buddha statues. In autumn, the temple is also known for its beautiful autumn leaves. 

If you climb the pagoda next to the hall, you can see a full 360-degree view of the city. 

It is another place that should be on your Fukui travel plan.

Website : www.etizen-daibutu.com

Amago no Yado 

Amago no Yado in Katsuyama Town, Fukui Prefecture, is a Ryokan-style guesthouse hidden in the untouched nature near Ho-onjiyama mountain. But what we really suggest you try here is the Amago fish, a stream fish related to Trout and Salmon. 

This place has its own Amago fish pond, so you can be sure that every fish served is very fresh – literally from the pond to your plate. Visitors can taste the sweet and firm flesh of Amago fish in different ways, including rare sashimi, grilled with salt, or tempura.

Additionally, there is an activity where you can catch the Amago fish, and once you’ve caught one, you can have the restaurant immediately grill it with salt for you to eat.

Website : amago.jp

Symphony Yoshida Sake Brewery 

A sake brewery with a history of over two centuries in Eiheiji Town, Fukui Prefecture. This brewery follows the idea of Eiheiji Terroir, which means making sake that truly shows the character of the local land and weather. 

This idea is strictly followed, with a commitment to making only Junmai sake (sake using only rice and water, no added alcohol) and using 100% of the rice grown only in Eiheiji Town, along with water from the melting snow of the Hakusan mountains. 

A visit to this brewery is not just seeing a place, but an experience with craftsmanship that tastes exactly like the region.

Website : hakuryusake.com

L’aisance

If you visit Fukui and want to experience the terroir of this region, we highly recommend L’aisance. This restaurant uses mostly local ingredients from Fukui, prepared with French techniques and a focus on open flames and wood-fired heat. You will experience the natural tastes of ingredients like eggs, vegetables, and meats from Fukui producers without over-seasoning that masks their true essence. 

L’aisance uses more than just local food; almost all the tableware, kitchen knives, and plates are crafted by Fukui’s own artisans. We strongly recommend a visit if you are in Fukui.

Website : aidot.base.ec