I am originally from Kanazawa and I would like to tailor your Kanazawa tour only for you. Kanazawa is different from cosmopolitan cities like Tokyo and Osaka, but you can see well preserved Japanese culture and history. Please feel free to contact me what you want to visit and see. I will make an itenerary based on your request. Here is my propsosed itinerary but I am very flexible on it.
At your hotel or JR Kanazawa station
Kenrokuen in Kanazawa is justifiably classified as one of Japan's "three most beautiful landscape gardens" alongside Mito's Kairakuen and Okayama's Korakuen. The spacious grounds used to be the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle and were constructed by the ruling Maeda family over a period of nearly two centuries. Opened to the public in 1871, Kenrokuen features a variety of flowering trees which provide the garden with a different look for each season.
Kanazawa Castle was the residence of the Maeda clan, feudal rulers of the Kaga Domain (modern-day southern Ishikawa Prefecture). The first clan lord, Maeda Toshiie, entered the fortifications in 1583 and began rebuilding an impressive castle there. Kanazawa Castle had a large keep, multiple turrets and a palace, but the structures were destroyed by fires in 1602, 1631, and 1759. The oldest surviving structure is Kanazawa Castle Park’s symbolic Ishikawa-mon, built in 1788. the Hishi Yagura, Gojukken Nagaya, and the Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura have been faithfully reproduced based on old drawings and documents, making it an ideal location to experience a Japanese castle.
Please let me know if you have any food allergies, dietary restrictions, and preferences with your budget. Teppanyaki, Udon, Ramen, Curry rice, highend Omakase and so on.
Nagamachi was a samurai district located at the foot of the former Kanazawa Castle, where samurai and their families used to reside. The area preserves a historic atmosphere with its remaining residences, earthen walls, private entrance gates, narrow lanes and water canals.
One of the main attractions of the district is the centrally located Nomura-ke, a restored samurai residence displaying the lifestyle and artifacts of the era when samurai were prosperous.
A chaya (lit. teahouse) is an exclusive type of restaurant where guests are entertained by geisha who perform song and dance. During the Edo Period (1603 - 1868), chaya were found in designated entertainment districts, usually just outside the city limits. You may want tp try a gold leaf workshops at a gallery for a hands-on experience
At your hotel or JR Kanazawa station
You will have wonderful time with my tour in Kanazawa!!
¥48,000 for guide fee up tp 6 participants,
¥2,000 for transportations for guide(including round trip fare from home to your hotel)
Costs for foods & drink (around 2,000 yen per person) for you and guide, entrance fee for you and the guide.
-Kenrokuen 320yen per person, free for above 65 years old with ID.
-Nomura House 550yen per person. No entrance fee for the guide.
Transportation for participants (around 800 yen per person)
Please note that above costs are needed on the day of the tour.
We mainly use public bus and our own feet. However, if you prefer taking a taxi or renting a car with professional driver, please feel free to ask.
If you have food restrictions or allergies, please feel free to tell me.
Walking distance per tour.
Walking only: 10-12km walk
Walking and bus 7-8km walk
Walking and taxi 5-6km walk
A review from someone who rarely writes a review.... Our day tour was by far the highlight of our holiday! Yoji was absolutely fantastic! Yoji accommodated all our requirements, we were traveling with an 8 months old which made it tricky, but nothing was a problem for him. We also stopped at a little town for lunch and had lunch as a local which was very cool. Yoji was the perfect guide, very informative. Yoji, Thank you for a great day!!
Peter san, thank you for such a lovely comment. I just saw your review and comment on me after work without any expectations. It makes me smile^^ I had such a wonderful time with you all. I hope all of you enjoyed the day with me, even a smily baby. I’m happy to hear from you and see photos you took while I’m with you. I appreciate your time and kindness. Best regards, Yoji
We spent a day in Kanazawa with Yoji, and it was an unforgettable experience. Yoji is not only a smart and knowledgeable guide but also someone who clearly thinks deeply about the world around him. This made spending the day with him all the more enjoyable, as our conversations often went beyond the typical tourist information. Being a Kanazawa native, Yoji’s deep understanding of the city shone through in every interaction, offering us a truly authentic experience rather than just a standard highlights tour. He took us to a charming Japanese curry spot and recommended an excellent, English-friendly sushi place for dinner—both of which were perfect. What really stood out was how naturally our conversations flowed, thanks to his excellent English and the sense that there was more to him than just guiding. His insights and thoughtfulness added an extra layer of depth to our day.
Thank you very much for such a wonderful comment on me and my tour. I enjoyed every single moment with you such as showing around my hometown, chatting with you and learning a personal view, and letting you try Japanese curry for the first time^^ I am a guide chosen but I would like to do more than that always. Especially, you came to such a small city called Kanazawa which is my hometown. I hope I gave you good impression of Japan, at least of Kanazawa. Thank you very much for everything you did to me.
Yogi is a smart, nice and knowledgeable guide. Visiting places with him is a valuable experience If I knew earlier I would have asked him to be our guide in more destinations
Thank you very much for great comment and review on me and my tour. I wish I could take you more destination! I hope you enjoyed the tour with me and you enjoy the rest of your trip in Kyoto and Tokyo! It was pleasure to meet all of you in Kanazawa.
Yoji was a great guide for the day, very knowledgeable in his home town of Kanazawa. He gave us lots of options for walking of bus depending on our fitness levels and heat etc. Yoji even managed to convince me to try authentic Japanese sushi for the first time in the market! Amazing experience with my father. I thoroughly recommend Yogi as a local guide, his English is very good and really made our day special. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your review and comment. It was a wonderful time for me to walk with your family and you yesterday. I hope you enjoyed the tour with me and the whole trip in Japan. Please come back one day and drive from the north to the South, which is a great plan! I would like to join you a few days. Again, thank you very much for choosing me as your guide and choosing Kanazawa. Please stay in touch.