Planning a Trip

Getting There

By JR Train -- Direct trains from Osaka (via Kyoto) depart hourly; the ride takes less than 3 hours and costs ¥6,930 ($58/£29) for an unreserved seat. From Nagoya, direct trains depart for Kanazawa every hour and take about 3 hours; the cost is ¥6,620 ($55/£28) for an unreserved seat.

From Tokyo, take the Joetsu Shinkansen to Echigoyuzawa and switch there for the limited express Hakutaka train to Kanazawa. The trip takes about 4 1/2 hours and costs ¥11,840 ($99/£50).

By Bus -- JR buses depart six times a day from Ikebukuro Station's east exit in Tokyo, arrive in Kanazawa 7 1/2 hours later, and cost ¥7,840 ($65/£33). Buses also depart four to six times daily from Nagoya and Kyoto stations; both trips take about 4 hours and cost ¥4,060 ($34/£17).

Visitor Information

Be sure to pick up the flyer "Kanazawa" at the Tourist Information Centers in Tokyo, at the Narita or Kansai international airports, or at the local Tourist Information Center (tel. 076/232-6200) inside Kanazawa Station (you can also download it from the Japan National Tourist Organization's website at www.jnto.go.jp by looking under "Browse by Destinations"). To find the center, turn right after passing through the wicket (you'll be heading toward the East Gate exit); it will soon be on your left beside a shopping arcade. Open daily 9am to 7pm (with English-speaking volunteers on duty 10am-6pm), it distributes an English-language map and brochure. You can also book hotel rooms here. Visit the city's home page at www.city.kanazawa.ishikawa.jp.

Internet Access -- The Ishikawa Foundation for International Exchange, a 5-minute walk from the east exit of Kanazawa Station (on the road running between the Miyako and Nikko hotels), on the third floor of the Rifare building at 1-5-3 Honmachi (tel. 076/262-5931), has four computers you can use free of charge for 30 minutes daily 8:30am to 5:15pm. The Seattle's Best coffee shop in the APA Hotel (tel. 076/231-8111) next to Kanazawa Station's west exit has Wi-Fi, if you brought your own laptop, while two computers in the lobby are available for ¥100 (85¢/45p) for every 10 minutes.

Getting Around

Kanazawa's attractions spread south and southeast from the station (take the East Gate exit). Katamachi, 3.2km (2 miles) southeast of the station, is Kanazawa's downtown. Sights are too far-flung to see everything on foot, so the easiest way to get around Kanazawa is by bus. All major lines depart from Kanazawa Station, and as many as 15 lines pass Kenrokuen Garden. Take a ticket when boarding the bus and pay when you get off; the fare is ¥200 ($1.65/85p) to most sights in the city.

Easiest for tourists, however, is the Kanazawa Loop Bus (Shu-yu Bus), which departs from platform 1 at Kanazawa Station's east exit every 15 minutes and travels to all the tourist sights, making 19 stops in a circular route. Stops are announced in English and displayed on a digital board at the front of the bus. A single ride costs ¥200 ($1.65/85p) and a 1-day pass, which also allows rides on city buses, costs ¥500 ($4.15/£2.10). The bus runs daily from 8:30am to 6pm.

You can also travel around Kanazawa by bicycle. JR Rental Cycle (tel. 076/261-1721; daily 8am-8pm), at the west exit of Kanazawa Station, rents bicycles for ¥1,200 ($10/£5) per day.