Nestled by the Sea of Japan in the north-west of Japan’s main island Honshu in Ishikawa prefecture, Kanazawa is a city with a long and rich history, incorporated with Kyoto’s culture and traditional industries including handicrafts and Noh Theatre, and steeped with samurai culture.
Beginning as a castle town, half of Kanazawa’s population was once samurai families, with influences from Edo (present-day Tokyo) remaining in modern-day Kanazawa. Its name is said to have originated from an old legend of a peasant named Imohori Togoro who made his living digging potatoes and washing the gold dust from them into a well, which is now called Kinjo Reitaku, giving the area the name Kanazawa, meaning “marsh of gold”.
With a background bathed in folklore and traditional Japanese culture, Tokyu Hotels invites you to explore the local Kanazawa area and go on a pilgrimage tour to see the places of legend, preserved in time and passed down generations, through folklore tourism.
Kanazawa Tokyu Hotel
The Kanazawa Tokyu Hotel is central for the city’s folklore must-see locations, making it perfect to walk and explore the history of the city. With an interior that is based on chic colours, Kanazawa Tokyu Hotel invites guests to deepen their relaxation in a high-quality space of peace and tranquility. Guests can dine at an elegant restaurant within the hotel serving Kaga cuisine, which utilises seafood, vegetables, and ingredients from the local Kanazawa area.
The Tengu’s Temple Folklore Pilgrimage
Based on a local folklore from Kanazawa, the Tokyu Hotels Group has created a pilgrimage tour for those seeking an off the beaten track and unique itinerary for their trip to Japan. Starting each day at the Kanazawa Tokyu Hotel, the map guides you over the course of three days to take in the historic and iconic real life locations from the story.
Day 1 – Following the Priest’s Journey
The first day will guide you along the path taken by the priest from the story, following in his footsteps to cross the bridge he walked over to reach the Omicho Markets, and through Hamaguri-zaka slope to the Myo-keiji Temple where the folklore takes place. It was this temple that was protected from fire by the tengu from within the tale, and the special talisman carved to protect it from.
Day 2 – Gaze Across the Scenery from Kite’s Rock
On the second day, take a trip out to Mt. Azuma and go on a nice hike up to Tonbi Iwa, translated to “Kite Rock”, significant to the folklore story as the tengu which was saved by the priest had been disguised as a kite where it had been caught in the Omicho Markets.
Kanazawa is well known for fresh seafood from the Sea of Japan, and the heart of Kanazawa’s rich seafood culture is the Omicho Market, known as the ‘Kitchen of Kanazawa.’ Here you can sample the city’s incredible seafood for yourself, one such dish being “Kaisen Donburi”. The dish consists of a bowl of rice with sashimi on top, offering a variety of fresh seafood and delicately paired flavours at once.
Local restaurant recommendations in Omicho Market include:
Sensai Enishi
Bekkan Tama Iki Iki-tei
Kaisen-Hirai
Day 3 – Explore the Local History
On the final day of the itinerary, explore the roots of Kanazawa, and trace its history back to the day of the samurai in the Nagamachi Samurai District before exploring the Kenroku-en, one of the three great gardens of Japan, formerly a private outer garden of Kanazawa Castle. Continue on the path of contemplation to the Buddhist philosopher D.T. Suzuki Museum’s Water Mirror Garden, where you can deepen your knowledge on his works, scriptures of which also captivated the mind of Steve Jobs.
