An easy train ride from the golden city of Kanazawa (in Ishikawa Prefecture) famed for its gold leaf, historical geisha & samurai districts, intricately detailed Kaga Yuzen kimono and picturesque Kenroku-en gardens; is the charming and quaint onsen town of Yamashiro.

Made even more accessible come March 16th 2024 due to the extended Hokuriku Shinkansen route which will see journey times roughly only take ~2.5 hrs from the ancient capital of Kyoto, popular bustling Osaka, the modern metropolis of Tokyo and a mere 30mins from Kanazawa itself

A perfect way to extend one’s Japan holiday, see another side of the country and experience a quintessential onsen ryokan stay.

An easy train ride from the golden city of Kanazawa (in Ishikawa Prefecture) famed for its gold leaf, historical geisha & samurai districts, intricately detailed Kaga Yuzen kimono and picturesque Kenroku-en gardens; is the charming and quaint onsen town of Yamashiro.

Made even more accessible come March 16th 2024 due to the extended Hokuriku Shinkansen route which will see journey times roughly only take ~2.5 hrs from the ancient capital of Kyoto, popular bustling Osaka, the modern metropolis of Tokyo and a mere 30mins from Kanazawa itself

A perfect way to extend one’s Japan holiday, see another side of the country and experience a quintessential onsen ryokan stay.

Often referred to as “The Little Kyoto”, the charming city of Kanazawa often flies under the radar for Japan adventures and it should really be on one’s list. An easy shinkansen trip from Tokyo via the Hokuriku shinkansen; its perfect for a weekend away (or longer) and a wonderful alternative for those looking to explore a region rich with tradition, history, art, food and stunning landscapes.

Kanazawa is one end of “The Mitsuboshi Kaidou” (the Three Star Road) which stretches through Gokayama and the Nanto Region in Toyama, Shirakawa-go in Takayama to Matsumoto City in Nagano prefecture; this famous yet lesser travelled sightseeing route is renowned for it’s vast amount of Japanese National Treasures and World Heritage Sites.

At Kanazawa Salon in a quiet back street not far from the famed Omicho Market, one can learn how to incorporate using Koji in making healthy, traditional Japanese food with Chikako-sensei and Moe-sensei.

Koji is used in the production of sake, mirin (rice vinegar), soy sauce, amazake and miso. As Koji is fermented, it’s a great source of probiotics and in Japan is said to also  promote beautiful skin & hair growth, relieve constipation and fatigue, aid weight loss and good sleep, increase concentration and much more.