Local Guide
2025 Edition] Five recommended events in Kanazawa and Kaga area in spring.

The Kanazawa-Kaga area is in full bloom in spring, and there are many events and festivals where you can experience the prosperity and traditions of Kaga Hyakumangoku. Since many of these events are held during G.W., we recommend that you make your travel plans as early as possible.

Strolling in the Ancient City in Spring Evening

Cherry blossoms at night add elegance to Kanazawa Castle, which rises majestically in the darkness.
Cherry blossoms at night add elegance to Kanazawa Castle, which rises majestically in the darkness.

Kanazawa offers charming scenery in each of the four seasons, but the cherry blossom season is exceptionally beautiful. In Kanazawa, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and the "cherry blossom viewing season lights up" at Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle Park, creating a spectacular display of light on a spring evening. During the illumination period, Kenrokuen Garden will be open free of charge, giving visitors a chance to fully enjoy the garden at night, which is normally inaccessible. During the lighting-up period, the garden is open free of charge and visitors can fully enjoy the garden at night, which is normally inaccessible. The Kotjitouro (Chinese lantern) and the fresh green trees are illuminated by the fantastic light.
In Kanazawa Castle Park, the Ishikawa Gate, Kahokimon Gate, and Hishi Yagura (water chestnut turret) are lit up, giving them a different and more powerful appearance than in the daytime.

Enjoy the elegant nighttime cherry blossoms in the castle town

Illuminated cherry blossoms create a fantastic atmosphere along the waterfront.
Illuminated cherry blossoms create a fantastic atmosphere along the waterfront.

Nighttime cherry blossom viewing is also a pleasure during the light-up period. There are approximately 420 cherry trees in Kenrokuen Garden, some of which are rarely seen elsewhere, such as "Kenrokuen Chrysanthemum Cherry Blossoms," "Kenrokuen Kumagai," and "Yang Kai," and the blooming period varies by variety, so you can enjoy cherry blossom viewing over a long period.
Kanazawa Castle Park has approximately 400 cherry trees, and the rows of cherry trees along the garden path at Ishikawa Gate are breathtakingly beautiful. One of the highlights of the "Gyokuseninmaru Garden," which was created by Maeda Toshitsune, the third lord of the Kaga Domain, and loved by successive lords of the domain, is the unique variety of stone walls. The shadows of the stonewalls and the light red cherry blossoms that emerge in the darkness create an indescribable atmosphere.

▼Kenrokuen Garden opens for free & Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Garden are lit up during the cherry blossom viewing season
URL: https: //www.kanazawa-kankoukyoukai.or.jp/event/detail_30334.html
Venue: Kenrokuen Garden (1 Kenroku-cho, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture)
Period: Wednesday, April 2, 2025 - Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Hours: 7:00 - 21:30 (light-up: sunset - 21:30)
Kanazawa Castle Park Hishi Yagura, etc. 9:00 - 16:30 (last admission 16:00)
Fee：Free admission during the period (Kanazawa Castle Park Hishi Yagura, etc.: admission fee 320 yen)
TEL: 076-234-3800 (Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Garden Management Office, Ishikawa Prefecture)
Parking: No parking (use nearby toll parking lots)

Carp streamers swimming in the river, a springtime tradition

Carp streamers flowing down the river look like big carp climbing up the river. The photo shows the Umenobashi Bridge area.
Carp streamers flowing down the river look like big carp climbing up the river. The photo shows the Umenobashi Bridge area.

The Asano River, which flows gently through the downtown area of Kanazawa, is a popular springtime event known as the "Koinagashi (floating carp float). This is a rare event in Japan, where many carp streamers donated by local residents are floated down the river from Umeno Bridge to the elegant triple-arched Asanogawa Bridge (registered as a national tangible cultural property) and its surrounding area. The sight of the colorful carp streamers swimming leisurely through the clear stream is just like the "Yuzen Nagashi" of Kaga Yuzen, a traditional Kanazawa handicraft. The blowing streamers hanging from the Umeno Bridge dance in the wind, making the riverside even more colorful.
A promenade is maintained along the river, so why not take a stroll and enjoy it?

At-home events filled with love for children

It is fun to spread out your lunch on the riverbank while watching the carp streamers flowing like a yuzen nagashi.
It is fun to spread out your lunch on the riverbank while watching the carp streamers flowing like a yuzen nagashi.

The carp floating festival began in 1991. It was started by local residents who wished for the healthy growth of their children. The atmosphere is simple and homey, with a brass band played by local junior high school students, booths, a game corner, and rice cake pounding. The simple and homey atmosphere of the festival is very friendly, and the warmth of the local people's love for the children can be felt as they eat freshly pounded rice cakes together with the locals.
The carp streaming event is held near the popular tourist spot "Higashi Chaya-gai," and it is very crowded during the Golden Week holidays. The surrounding toll parking lots fill up quickly in the morning, so public transportation is recommended.

▼Asano River Carp Floating
Date: Sunday, May 4, 2025 (national holiday) 10:00-15:00
Venue: Higashiyama, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, river from Umeno Bridge to Asanogawa Bridge and surrounding area
TEL: 076-231-3689 (Zaimoku Community Center)
URL: https: //kanazawa-kankoukyoukai.or.jp/event/detail_30336.html

One of the largest pottery fairs in Hokuriku, full of the charm of Kutani ware

A wide variety of attractive Kutani-yaki porcelains, from gorgeous traditional patterns to pop designs
A wide variety of attractive Kutani-yaki porcelains, from gorgeous traditional patterns to pop designs

Kutani-yaki is a type of colorful pottery produced in Kanazawa, Nomi, Kaga, and other cities in Ishikawa Prefecture, and has a history of more than 360 years since the Edo period. The Kutani Tea Bowl Festival, held every year during Golden Week at the Kutani Pottery Village, is a big event that attracts many visitors from all over Japan. The Kutani Tea Bowl Festival is a big event that attracts many visitors from all over Japan. 50 booths of Kutani potters, potteries, and artists line the streets, selling a wide variety of Kutani ware, from luxury items to daily-use vessels, at reasonable prices.

Gourmet food and luxurious Experience menu

Kutani nail art, which applies the technique of painting to nail art, is sure to look good in photos.
Kutani nail art, which applies the technique of painting to nail art, is sure to look good in photos.

The "Kutani Yaki Gatchan" vending machine, where you can buy Kutani Yaki accessories, is also popular. Furthermore, visitors can experience the charm of Kutani Yaki through painting, "Kutani Nail" painting by a Kutani Yaki artist, and a luxurious tea ceremony using Kutani Yaki tea bowls. Since the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, the number of visitors from outside the prefecture has increased, and afternoons are crowded every day. It is recommended to go early in the morning.

Kutani Tea Bowl Festival
Date: May 3 (Sat) to 5 (Mon), 2025, 9:00 to 17:00 (until 16:00 on the last day)
Admission: Free
Venue: Kutani Pottery Village (Minami 22, Izumidai-cho, Nomi City, Ishikawa Prefecture), Negami Sogo Bunka Kaikan, actual stores and kilns in Nomi City, etc.
TEL: 0761-58-6656 (Ishikawa Ceramic Industry Cooperative Association)
Parking: Free

Discover the charm of Yamanaka lacquerware in the town of hot springs

40 stores, including lacquer ware dealers, are lined up in a row, crowded with people shopping for their products.
40 stores, including lacquer ware dealers, are lined up in a row, crowded with people shopping for their products.

Yamanaka Hot Spring is a lacquerware production area of Kaga Hyakumangoku, along with Kanazawa and Wajima. With a history of more than 400 years dating back to the Azuchi-Momoyama period, Yamanaka lacquerware is known as "Kiji no Yamanaka" (literally, "Yamanaka of wood") because of its outstanding technique of using a potter's wheel to grind wood, and the beauty of the wood grain and its comfortable texture in the hand are attractive. The Yamanaka Lacquer Ware Festival, a lacquer ware market, is held during G.W. every year. Various types of Yamanaka lacquerware are gathered, including traditional lacquerware such as tea utensils and soup bowls, bowls and lunch boxes for daily use, and interior and sundry goods. Why not take this opportunity to find your favorite bowls?

Fun stages and Experience menus to learn about craftsmen's skills

Experience the sound, aroma, and feel of wood shaving at the
Experience the sound, aroma, and feel of wood shaving at the "Wood Grinding Wheel Experience".

In addition to lacquerware, there will be many other events such as sales of local specialties from Kaga and Yamanaka, a fair corner, a special exhibition of a 1.5-meter-diameter "portable shrine for bowls," a wood turning wheel experience, a dance stage by a geiko group, and a Japanese drum performance. The "Wanko Soba (buckwheat noodle) Battle" using bowls made of Yamanaka Lacquer Ware will be a great hit, with fast-eaters and big-eaters competing in a heated battle. The event offers a wide variety of activities for both children and adults, and will make lacquerware, which is often thought of as a difficult subject to approach, more accessible. Visitors can also take a break from shopping and the stage performances to enjoy a footbath, which can only be enjoyed in a hot spring resort.

▼ Yamanaka Lacquer Ware Festival
Period: May 3 (Sat) and 4 (Sun), 2025
Time: 9:00-17:00
Venue: Yamanakaza Plaza in front of Kikunoyu (1 Yakushi-cho, Yamanaka hot spring, Kaga, Ishikawa, Japan)
TEL: 0761-78-0305 (Yamanaka Lacquer Ware Union Cooperative Association)
Parking: Free (Use the temporary parking lot. Free shuttle bus available to the venue)
URL: http: //tabimati.net/event/detail.php?p=419

A traditional festival in which Hikiyama (floats) associated with the Kaga domain are paraded through the streets

The sight of the gorgeous floats lined up in a row is breathtakingly beautiful.
The sight of the gorgeous floats lined up in a row is breathtakingly beautiful.

The spring festival of Uuhashi Shrine and Honori Hiyoshi Shrine is held every May in Komatsu City. It is said that the name "Otabimatsuri" was given to the event because the portable shrines parade through the Ujiko town, which is called "Tabi" (journey). The festival is said to have originated around 1640, when Toshitsune Maeda, the third generation of the Maeda family of Kaga, retired to Komatsu Castle, and the Hikiyama (float) appeared in 1766. Eight of the ten floats that existed until the end of the Kaga domain are still carefully preserved and displayed in each town during the festival.
The main highlight of the festival is the "Hikiyama Hikigarae," in which all the floats are lit up and glowing in gold. The "Hikiyama Children's Kabuki" performed on the stage of these floats adds to the festival's splendor.

Don't miss the "Hikiyama Children's Kabuki" performed by small actors!

The enthusiastic performances, which are as good as those of adults, show the pride of inheriting a tradition that dates back to the Edo period.
The enthusiastic performances, which are as good as those of adults, show the pride of inheriting a tradition that dates back to the Edo period.

Hikiyama Children's Kabuki in Komatsu is said to be one of the three major children's Kabuki plays in Japan along with Omi Nagahama and Musashi Chichibu. It is unusual in Japan in that it is performed by girls. The children who are chosen to play the roles learn difficult lines and choreography under strict instruction in just over two months before the performance. Supported by the young people of the town, gidayu storytellers, and shamisen players, the children, in their small bodies and gorgeous costumes, look just like real Kabuki actors when they take the stage. The stage and the audience are enveloped in a passionate sense of unity as they applaud their performance, which is full of laughter and tears.

▼Otabi Festival
Dates: Friday, May 9 - Sunday, May 11, 2025
Venue: Central area of Komatsu City, Ishikawa, etc.
TEL: 0761-24-8195 (Komatsu City Tourism and Culture Division)
Parking: Temporary free parking, municipal parking lots around Komatsu Station (parking fees apply)
URL: https: //www.city.komatsu.lg.jp/soshiki/1015/event/1/17423.html

The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.