Kanazawa at night offers a different kind of fun than in the daytime. Listen to the sound of shamisen (a Japanese traditional musical instrument) coming from the second floor of a teahouse, or soak in the art in a museum with few people and all to yourself. You can also enjoy the illumination of the castle and its stone walls.
Why not take the Kanazawa Light-up Bus and explore Kanazawa at night?
Kanazawa Light-up Bus Runs on Saturdays!
The unlimited ride pass for the Light-up Bus costs 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children. If you want to enjoy stopovers, the pass is recommended. You can purchase ones at the Hokutetsu Center (on Kanazawa Sta. West Gate) and the Transportation Information Center at Kanazawa Station, as well as at some major hotels.
Click here for details.
Departing from Kanazawa Station East Exit, Bus Stop No. 7
The Light-up Bus departs every 20 minutes from Bus Stop No. 7 at the Kanazawa Station East Exit. The first bus departs at 7:00 pm. Buy a unlimited ride pass in advance and board the bus. And then, how about getting off at the second bus stop, Owari-cho?
Go through the dark slope to the teahouse district
Near the Owari-cho bus stop, there is a shinto shrine called Kubo-ichi Ototsurugi-gu Shrine (久保市乙剣宮). Behind the shrine building, You will find a slope called “Kuragari-zaka”, literary means “Dark slope”. It is said that in the old days, rich shopkeepers used to sneak down this slope to go to their teahouses to see geishas under the pretense of visiting the shrine. The dark slope is a stairway connecting the sacred and the profane.
Calm and magical Tea House Streets
Going down the Kuragari-zaka, you are in Kazue-machi teahouse district. Walk along the river and cross one of the classical bridges, Naka-no-hashi, Asanogawa O-hashi or Ume-no-hashi on your choice to reach the Higashi Chaya-gai district. You may be surprised to see how the teahouse district looks after the stores have closed, as if the bustle of the daytime was an illusion. If you are lucky, you may hear the sound of shamisen (three-stringed Japanese guitar) played by a geisha from the second floor of a teahouse.
Next, let’s take a ride from the Hashiba-cho bus stop.
Kanazawa at night from the bus window
The light-up bus passes under Kenrokuen Garden and follows the stone wall along a moat. The bus will take you to the National Crafts Museum, Ishikawa Red Brick Museum, and 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. (The exhibition zone of 21st Century Museum is open until 8 p.m. every Saturday, so it is a good idea to stop by on the way.)
The bus crosses the Sakura Bridge to the Teramachi area. You can see the night view of the downtown area from the hill. Cross the river again and get off at Korinbo, where the winter illumination is beautiful. If you are hungry, it is convenient to get off at Katamachi or Korinbo bus stop to take a snack.
Proceed to Oyama Shrine and Gyokusen’in Maru Garden
After passing through the brightly lit stained-glass gate of Oyama Shrine, cross the Nezumita-mon Bridge at the back of the shrine to Gyokusen’in-maru Garden. This garden is illuminated every evening until 9:00 pm. Enjoy the changing light effects set to music.
Be careful of the last bus!
The last bus leaves from the Marunouchi bus stop near the Gyokusen’in Maru Garden at 9:58 p.m. The last bus leaves from the Minamicho/Oyama Shrine bus stop at 10:20 p.m. Before the Musashigatsuji/Omicho Ichiba bus stop, you can see the retro building of the Musashigatsuji branch of Hokkoku Bank from the bus window.
