From Osaka, we travelled up to Kanazawa by train. The ride took us through the countryside of Japan towards the small town of Kanazawa.

Kanazawa is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture. It’s known for well-preserved Edo-era districts, art museums and regional handicrafts. Kenrokuen Garden is celebrated for its classic landscape designs incorporating ponds and streams.

On arrival in the city of Kanazawa, we did not expect Kanazawa Station to be a modern and integrated to major department stores. We got Kanazawa 1 day bus pass at the train station, before checking into our hotel – Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kanazawa, which is a walking distance from Kanazawa Station

The first stop in Kanazawa is Omicho Market. There are so many seafood restaurants and stores where you can buy seafood. We had lunch in one of the many restaurants.

Craving for more Sashimi, we stop by one of the seafood shop to have sashimi Tuna. We ate sashimi while standing up.

Next stop is Kenrokuen Garden.

Walking from the bus stop to the garden, we were greeted by a row of shop which are selling interesting snacks and souvenirs.

The garden would probably look greener and with flowers in spring or summer. As we we there during winter, the garden is not as vibrant. Nevertheless, the garden has its charm during winter.

This beautiful park contains one of the top three celebrated gardens in Japan. The name Kenrokuen literally translates to “garden combining six”, referring to the six attributes all gardens should have: seclusion, antiquity, spaciousness, human ingenuity, water and scenic views.

Winter means that sunset early in the day and we decided to head back to the hotel before sunset.

The next day, we pick up our rental car early in the morning, ready to be on the road towards Takayama. Before hitting the road, we had our breakfast in our hotel. I like the “exclusive hut” that we were seated to have our breakfast.

The first stop is a visit to Myoryuji – Ninja Temple. We were fortunate to get a slot for a tour which is recommended to be booked in advance. The kids enjoyed the building that has hidden rooms, secret floors and ninja features, full of booby traps and pitfalls.

Before heading out of Kanasawa, we took a walk in Higashichaya Old Town.

We wander the old street, had lunch in one of the traditional stalls and had ice-cream in a cafe. The old street is lined up by rows of wooden Geisha houses, some retained as tea houses while some have been converted to shops selling exquisite hand crafts and sake.

After lunch, we drove 2 hours from Kanazawa to Takayama.