Kanazawa is one of the overlooked jewels of Japanese tourism although not by the Japanese, who visit in droves. Its relatively remote location, off the beaten (shinkansen) track, has perhaps unfairly contributed to a lower number of foreign tourists. However for those travellers who want to see perhaps the best preserved major Edo period city in the country (along with Takayama), it is hard to beat. Kyoto's offerings of temples and shrines are all very well, but Japanese history and culture is not just about them. The samurai, the merchants, the geisha, and the lords have all left their mark on Kanazawa in a compact, easily navigable central area. Kanazawa is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Crafts and Folk Art. Kanazawa cuisine is famous throughout Japan, particularly its seafood since it lies in the sweet spot of the hot south and cold north currents. The quality of food is so high, that essentially you'll eat good food whatever the price.Kanazawa can get a lot of rain Seattle of Japan. A local proverb says "even if you forget your lunchbox, don't forget your cheap nfl jerseys china umbrella". Although the weather can be beautiful in spring and autumn, it is never a good idea to bank on it being fine in Kanazawa, and winters in particular are cold. Kanazawa is in the Snow Country, the area along the Japan Sea coast of Honshu where cold Siberian winds dump large amounts of snow in orographic precipitation, and while it does not get as much as more inland areas, half a metre or more is not uncommon. Most of the main roads have lines of sprinklers down the street to wash the snow away, but the smaller roads often do not.Get in[edit]The nearest airport serving Kanazawa is in the city of Komatsu (IATA: KMQ). JAL offers flights into Komatsu Airport from Tokyo Haneda Airport, and from Okinawa. ANA flies into Komatsu from Tokyo Haneda and Narita Airports, as well as Sapporo Chitose, Sendai and Fukuoka. Internationally, Komatsu serves Seoul (four times a week) and Shanghai (three times a week).From Komatsu airport, buses run directly to Kanazawa (50 minutes, Or you could take a bus to Komatsu Station and a JR train from there, which is somewhat cheaper and, depending on your luck with connections, not much longer.From Tokyo Station, there are two routes that can be used to reach Kanazawa. One way is to take the hourly Tokaido Shinkansen Hikari train and transfer at Maibara () to the Shirasagi () limited express for the run to Kanazawa. This takes approximately 4 1/4 hours, and a regular ticket for this run costs around The journey is fully covered under the Japan Rail Pass. cheap nhl jerseys In addition, this route allows the lucky traveller a glimpse of Mount Fuji when the clouds are kind enough not to obstruct the view.The other route is to take a Joetsu Shinkansen train (Toki, Max Toki, Tanigawa or Max Tanigawa) to Echigo Yuzawa () and change to the Hakutaka () to get to Kanazawa. This northerly route takes four hours and a regular ticket is much cheaper at around A portion of this journey is on the non JR Hokuetsu Railway between Echigo Yuzawa cheap nhl jerseys from china and Naoetsu; Japan Rail Pass holders will have to pay a surcharge each way. The JR East Rail Pass will cover both the Shinkansen and the Hakutaka as far as Naoetsu; beyond that it costs to continue the journey on the Hakutaka to Kanazawa.A third route exists by taking the Joetsu Shinkansen further to Nagaoka () and changing to a limited express there. While this particular journey is also covered under the Rail Pass, express trains from Nagaoka are very sparse, whereas journeys to Kanazawa via Maibara or Echigo Yuzawa are more frequent.Frequent Thunderbird () and Raich () limited express trains run to Kanazawa from Osaka and Kyoto in Kansai. The one way ride from Osaka lasts around 2 1/2 hours on the wholesale jerseys fastest service and costs (No charge for Japan Rail Pass holders).Kanazawa is a morning stop on the Twilight Express () from Sapporo and Nihonkai () train from Aomori.By car[edit]Kanazawa is served by the Hokuriku Expressway, which runs through the western edge of the city. It has three interchanges: Kanazawa East and Kanazawa West feed into National Route 8, and Kanazawa Morimoto feeds into the Mountainside Loop Road ( Yamagawa kanj sen). The cost for a normal car from Kyoto East via Maibara is 5500, and the distance is 245 km (to Kanazawa West). From Osaka, 6850 and 296 km; Niigata 6350 and 293 km. From the capital city, expect 11,800 and 585 km.The national Route 8 is also a good option for those on a budget or who wish to take a leisurely trip, stopping off to see various sights along the way. It is four lane for much of the way, and so passing those slow old farmers in their white mini trucks is actually possible. There are other routes into the city, such as via the base of Hakusan, or over the hills from Toyama prefecture.Several bus companies make runs from Tokyo to Kanazawa. JR Bus runs two daytime buses and two night buses run from Shinjuku and Ikebukuro (more runs added on Weekends and Holidays). One bus also runs at night from Tokyo Station. The cost for all of these buses is the same ( each way) and the trip takes about 8 1/2 hours.Discount bus operators Willer Express [2], Star Express and Hope Tour [3] operate buses from Shinjuku to Kanazawa; fares start at each way. Overnight services are available.JR Bus runs four daytime trips to/from Osaka, taking 4 3/4 hours, and an overnight service, taking 7 hours. The cost is one way.From Kyoto to Kanazawa, several bus companies (for example Keihan, JR, Hokutetsu) run about 5 times a day. The trip takes 4 hours and the one way fare is 4,060.Kanazawa attempts to attract more foreign tourists to the city. There is a Tourist Information Lobby in the station, with English speaking staff always present, where you can get free maps of the city and help with any questions you may have.Kanazawa has a decent bus system to help you get where you need to go. There are three types of buses: city buses, a tourist bus, and community buses (Furatto Bus). The tourist bus makes a loop around the main sights in 15 minutes and costs per trip or daily.