The Art of Japanese hospitality from the Edo period, Kanazawa was ruled by the powerful Maeda clan. With a history of over 430 years, Kanazawa boasts one of Japan’s three famous landscape gardens, Kenrokuen Garden,with a different look for each season. Having been spared from war,historical areas such as tea house entertainment districts where geisha still train and many former samurai residences have been preserved.

Since the Maeda clan, in an effort to avoid war, had dedicated their significant resources to promoting cultural pursuits, traditional crafts and arts such as gold leaf and Kaga Yuzen silk dyeing have been handed down to the present day. In 2009, Kanazawa was designated as a UNESCO Creative City in the field of Crafts and Folk Art.

Kanazawa has also contemporary look such as the Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. You can enjoy the harmony between its traditional past and contemporary present. Surrounded by the Japanese sea and the mountains, Kanazawa is blessed with an abundance of fresh seasonal ingredients. So Kanazawa offers the best Japanese cuisine every season.

Asadaya

Asadaya is one of Japan’s most prestigious ‘ryokans’ ( a traditional Japanese inn) and is located in the historical city of Kanazawa. This beautiful Japanese inn started business in 1867 as a humble Ryokan with thirty seven rooms. In 1977, Asadaya began serious renovation works, scrapping and rebuilding their business into a luxury, boutique Ryokan with only four elaborate rooms. Their aim was to reduce their number of rooms and instead provide luxury, top quality services for a minimum number of guests. Today, Asadaya welcomes celebrity guests from around the world who are looking for a unique, true Japanese Ryokan experience with full privacy. Asadaya is also well-known for its outstanding cuisine which has a Michelin star. Dinner is prepared with local, seasonal ingredients, cooked according to traditional Japanese culinary techniques, and served using the most beautiful and refined Gold-lacquer antiques. The restaurant is fully equipped to respond to all its guest needs, due to the limited numbers. Vegetarian, allergies, organic, likes and dislikes, all your needs are cared for. Asadaya create true lasting relations with their guests by recording each individual’s likes and dislikes. Food allergies, bedding material preference, size of Yukata and other personal information is all added to their client data-base. On your next visit, you will be cared for immaculately without any need to repeat your desires.

Zeniya

Cozily tucked away in the quieter streets of Kanazawa’s bustling Katamachi, Zeniya is one local destination not to miss on your next visit to Ishikawa. The restaurant, which is a historic ryotei of the highest caliber, serves multi-course Kaiseki sets of breathtaking elegance and refinement. At the behest of chef Shinichiro Takagi, the restaurant responds carefully, with great sophistication, to the sequence of Kanazawa’s seasons. Seasonality, as chef Shinichiro Takagi believes, is not merely about dates on a calendar or metrics on a record. Rather, it is about the very gradual changes of life in the nearby soils and waters. “Sometimes”, explains Takagi, “one season can be divided into four or five periods. The menu is a constant effort to reflect these gradual changes. The seasons dictate the ingredients. The ingredients dictate the menu”. Chef Shinichiro even sources his water with extreme care. The entire team at Zeniya have taken great pride in their ground water sourcing and even bottle and pack gallons of their water which they pass onto their collaborators and events around the world. After experiencing the rich flavors and vibrant colors of Zeniya’s multi-course fare, one emotionally connects with Chef Shinichiro and his team and their grand effort to truly create their raison d’être: to serve the chant of their seasons and the flavor of their ingredients with utmost nuance. They truly do so with grace, hospitality, and inclusion. We confidently declare: the Zeniya experience is nothing short of impeccable.

Araya Totoan

Araya Totoan dates back to 1639, with an order by the ruler of the Maeda Family, to protect the Yamashiro hot spring, which he personally owned. The home has been running for eighteen generations and is a real jewel. The best features of this ryokan is definitely its “hot springs” which are truly something special. Araya is known for its drawing of the largest amount of hot spring water, more than all the hotels in the area. The superior quality of its hot springs are well established and offer its guests a luxury experience, bathing in the privacy of their own room with a private open-air bath. They also have the precious works of Kitaoji Rosanjin and many Kutani ware and contemporary artists on display. After having a beautiful seasonal kaiseki meal, you can enjoy a cozy nightcap at the cottage named “Arisugawa-sanso”, which serves as a lounge bar and offers a wide selection of fine wines and local Japanese drinks. During your stay you will feel the essence of traditional Japanese hospitality, an honored guest with your every need taken care of.