Ishikawa
Discover Ishikawa
Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県 Ishikawa-ken) is in the central Chubu region of the main Japanese island Honshu. 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.
Taste of Ishikawa...
Food in Ishikawa is a big deal! Local specialties rule the roost here. A few years ago the "Noto-don" became very popular. "Don" or "donburi" are dishes served in a bowl over rice. Noto-don are donburi created by local restaurants only of local ingredients. You can follow a "donburi trail" when you travel around the Noto Peninsula. Ishikawa is also well known for its fish. People in Japan say that the freshest, most delicious fish can be eaten in the Ishikawa area. One of the country's largest fisheries is in the Noto. Make sure to eat plenty of sushi and sashimi while you visit. Availability changes with the seasons. Make sure to try buri (yellowtail), katsuo, saba (horse mackerel), ika (squid), tako (octopus), ama-ebi (sweet shrimp), maguro (tuna), crab and the other 200 varieties available in this area. Ishikawa is also famous for its traditional sweets called "wagashi." Many old family businesses still produce them the old fashioned way, carefully crafted from sweet bean paste and rice. A fresh, green, healthy treat with a cup of hot green tea.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple Options36.393889136.40751 Komatsu Airport (KMQ). 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). 37.293333136.9622222 Noto Airport (NTQ). A small airport in Wajima. Flights come in from Tokyo Haneda Airport (1 hour). Kanazawa Station — Ishikawa's largest train station....
Getting Around & Staying
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. 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. 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.
Safety Information
Glimpses of Ishikawa
Kenroku-en (Kenroku Garden) in Kanazawa.
kanazawa jyo（castle）
kanazawa jyo（castle）
Ⅲ（three）
a couple of people that are standing in front of a gate
A calm river flows through a lush green forest.
fishing village（漁村）
Play for Sea（海原への祈り）
Sunrise
Large weeping willow tree with buildings in background
Kenroku-en (Kenroku Garden) in Kanazawa.
kanazawa jyo（castle）
kanazawa jyo（castle）