Kanazawa

Kanazawa is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, on the western edge of Japan’s central Honshu Island. It's known for well-preserved Edo-era districts, art museums and regional handicrafts. Kenrokuen Garden, begun in the 17th century, is celebrated for its classic landscape designs incorporating ponds and streams. Adjacent Kanazawa Castle was built in the 1580s, after the defeat of the Peasant’s Kingdom, Japan's only Buddhist fiefdom. Coming from Shirakawa-go, it was a 75 minute bus journey down from the mountains in to the Ishikawa district and to Kanazawa city.