No upcoming voyage currently calls at Kanazawa
NYK Cruises publish new voyages a few times a year. Tell us when you would like to sail and we will write to you when a call here is scheduled.
About Kanazawa
The seat of the Maeda lords, whose domain was the richest in Japan after the shogun's own, and a city that was neither bombed nor rebuilt — so the teahouse districts, the samurai quarter and the garden are where they were put. Cruise ships use the Kanazawa Port terminal, whose roof was shaped after the white crests of the Sea of Japan; the centre is about twenty minutes inland.
Within reach of the port
Kenrokuen
A stroll garden built up by successive Maeda lords over a century and a half, and a nationally designated Special Place of Scenic Beauty. It is worth going in whatever the weather: the ropes that hold the pines up under snow are as much the point as the blossom.
Kenrokuen (Ishikawa Prefecture) ↗in Japanese — your browser can translate it
Higashi Chaya
A district of two-storey teahouses with wooden lattice fronts, laid out in 1820 and still standing as a block rather than as a preserved building or two. Some are open, some are still teahouses, and one is a gold-leaf shop — the city makes almost all of Japan's gold leaf.
Kanazawa tourism (official) ↗in Japanese — your browser can translate it
The castle, and the museum beside it
The castle grounds sit across a bridge from the garden and are being rebuilt in wood by traditional methods. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art is on the other side of it — a round glass building that is free to walk through.
Kanazawa tourism (official) ↗in Japanese — your browser can translate it
Shore excursions
NYK Cruises run their own guided excursions at each port, booked by guests themselves through My ASUKA PLANS — the booking window opens before departure and depends on your cabin class. They are conducted in Japanese. Going ashore independently is always an option.
Official sources
- Kanazawa tourism (official) ↗in Japanese — your browser can translate it