VISIT KANAZAWA, JAPAN - Official Travel Guide

You can purchase the Tsurugi Town Walking Coupon at Nomachi Station. Once you have your coupon, board the local train and head for Tsurugi. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes.

Hokuriku Railroad – Ishikawa Line

The train ride from Nomachi Station takes approx. 30 minutes. Enjoy views of residential neighborhoods and rice fields along the way before arriving at Tsurugi Station, the final stop on the line.

Today, the station remains an important part of everyday life for local residents, including commuters and students.

In the past, two other railway lines branched off from Tsurugi: the Nomi Line, which connected Tsurugi and Shin-Terai, and the Kinmei Line, which ran between Kaga-Ichinomiya and Hakusan-Shita. Both lines have since closed, leaving Tsurugi as the terminus of the Ishikawa Line.

Tsurugi has flourished for centuries as the gateway town to Shirayama Hime Shrine and as a regional center for transportation and trade. Historic buildings still stand throughout the town, and the station retains a nostalgic atmosphere.

Getting from Tsurugi Station to Shirayama Hime Shrine

1.On foot: Approximately 2.6 km / 40 minutes

2.By rental bicycle: Available at the Hakusan City Tsurugi Branch Office, directly opposite the station

3.By bus: Take the community bus “Meguru” (not operating on public holidays or during the New Year holiday period) or a Hokutetsu Hakusan Bus service

4.By taxi: Taxis are available from the station

The Tsurugi Town Strolling Coupon offers convenient ways to get around the area, in addition to the round-trip train ticket.

The Hakusan Tourism Association, located on the first floor of the Hakusan City Tsurugi Branch Office directly in front of Tsurugi Station, offers bicycle rentals.

The bicycle rental option included in the Tsurugi Town Walking Coupon provides a standard bicycle for one day. You can also upgrade to an electric-assist bicycle by paying an additional fee.

Shirayama Hime Shrine enshrines Mount Hakusan as a sacred mountain. It is the head shrine of approximately 3,000 Hakusan shrines throughout Japan and has long been revered as the highest-ranking shrine in the former Kaga Province. Locally, it is affectionately known as “Shirayama-san.”

The principal deity, Shirayama Hime no Okami, is also known as Kukurihime no Kami, a goddess associated with harmony and relationships. In the Nihon Shoki, one of Japan’s oldest historical chronicles, Kukurihime appears when the deities Izanagi and Izanami confront each other at the boundary of the underworld. Her name is associated with the Japanese word kukuru, meaning “to bind” or “to bring together,” and she is therefore also revered as a deity of harmonious relationships and matchmaking.

On the first day of each month, many worshippers visit the shrine for a traditional practice called Otsuitachi-mairi, a visit to the shrine to mark the beginning of a new month.

The grounds offer much to explore, including the impressive main worship hall, the shrine gate, and the approach lined with towering cedar trees. At the North Approach, visitors can also collect water from Hakusan Reisu, a spring associated with the sacred mountain.

The Treasure Hall displays a selection of valuable cultural properties, including Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Take your time exploring the grounds and discovering the history and traditions of Hakusan worship.

Overlooking the town of Tsurugi, Shishiku Highland sits at an elevation of approximately 650 meters. Take the gondola to the summit and enjoy sweeping views of the Tedorigawa Alluvial Fan, the Kaga Plain, and the Sea of Japan.

From this spectacular vantage point, you can appreciate the landscape shaped by the waters flowing from Mount Hakusan.

Established in 1877, Oya Soy Sauce is a long-standing local producer of soy sauce and miso. Located along the historic Tsurugi Highway, the shop retains the atmosphere of an old merchant house, with its traditional wooden sign, lattice doors, and large entrance door dating back to its early days.

Its signature product is “Oyadama,” a soy sauce that has been enjoyed in the Hakusan foothills for generations. Several varieties are available, ranging from light and mild to rich and full-bodied. Other popular products include “Hakusan no Shizuku,” made with domestically grown soybeans, and “Kogane Miso,” a miso that brings out the natural flavor of its ingredients.

Present your Tsurugi Town Strolling Coupon to receive ¥50 off your purchase.

With a history of more than 100 years, Koshihara Kanseido is a traditional confectionery shop that has been creating sweets inspired by Mount Hakusan for four generations. Tsurugi has long been home to many temples and shrines, and its confectionery culture has developed alongside local customs and everyday life. Japanese sweets are traditionally enjoyed with tea and served on occasions such as weddings, funerals, and other family celebrations.

In addition to traditional Japanese sweets, the shop offers a wide selection of baked goods, reflecting the previous generation owner's background as a Western-style pastry chef.

One of its most popular products is “Sake Kasutera,” a Japanese sponge cake generously infused with sake lees from the nearby Manzairaku sake brewery. It has a rich aroma and distinctive flavor.

Other specialties include “Taisō Mochi,” made with locally grown barley and named after Taicho Daishi, the Buddhist monk traditionally credited with opening Mount Hakusan as a place of worship, as well as “Kurumi Ame” (walnut sweets) and “Tochi Mochi” (rice cakes made with Japanese horse chestnuts).

The shop also preserves the tradition of Tsujiura, a small New Year’s sweet containing a fortune slip. This traditional confectionery dates back to the Edo period (1603–1868) and is becoming increasingly rare.

Present your Tsurugi Town Walking Coupon when spending ¥1,000 or more to receive one complimentary sweet.

Founded during the Tensho era (1573–1592), Kikuhime is a historic sake brewery that has been making sake in this area for more than 400 years.

Mount Hakusan has long been revered as a sacred mountain. The brewery uses underground water from the mountain to produce its rich and aromatic sake, traditionally known as “Kaga no Kiku-zake.”

The name “Kikuhime,” the brewery’s signature brand, is said to be inspired by Kukurihime, the deity enshrined at Shirayama Hime Shrine.

Kikuhime is also known for reviving the traditional Yamahai sake-brewing method, which had once fallen out of use, and for its achievements in Japan’s National New Sake Appraisal. Its historic brewery buildings include the large, white Heisei Brewery, as well as the Meiji and Showa breweries.

Enjoy the atmosphere of this traditional sake brewery and discover the history of sake-making in Tsurugi.

Present your Tsurugi Town Walking Coupon when purchasing a product to receive an original Kikuhime gift.

Yokomachi Urarakan is a free rest stop housed in a traditional Japanese townhouse built approximately 190 years ago. The building was once a kurayado, a warehouse and administrative facility used to manage rice collected as tax under the Kaga Domain during the Edo period (1603–1868). It later served as a post office during the Meiji era (1868–1912) and as a local doctor's residence and clinic during the time of the 12th-generation owner.

When the 14th-generation owner left the family home, the building was donated to the town and opened to the public for visitors to explore.

Inside, you can admire the thick wooden pillars and beams, decorative transoms, sliding doors, and traditional sunken hearth, all of which evoke the atmosphere of life in old Japan. A stone storehouse from its days as a kurayado still stands at the rear and is now used as a gallery.

Local volunteer guides, known as Furusato Annainin (local heritage guides), provide visitor information. You may also have the opportunity to see demonstrations of traditional hinoki cypress woodcraft. From April to November, hands-on workshops are held mainly on weekends and public holidays.

It is a welcoming place to take a break, meet local people, and discover the history and culture of Tsurugi.

This is a redemption location for the souvenir voucher included in the Tsurugi Town Strolling Coupon. If the facility is closed, the voucher can be exchanged at the Hakusan Tourism Association.

The Nishi Chaya District is one of the three geisha (traditional female Japanese entertainers) districts of Kanazawa, and located 500 m away from the Saigawa Ohashi Bridge in the central part of the city. Chaya is a traditional place of feasts and entertainment. You can find a number of two-story wooden chaya houses along the main street. At the time of twilight, you may hear the sound of the shamisen (a three-stringed musical instrument) and strongly feel the atmosphere of the Kanazawa-like chaya machi.

The Kanazawa Nishi Chaya Shiryokan Museum is a building reproducing a chaya house, where you can see the guest room of the chaya house.

The Kanazawa City Nishi Chaya Shiryokan Museum is located in a corner of Nishi Chaya Disrict. It is built on the site of the former teahouse "Yoshiyone-ro" where Seijiro Shimada, a writer of the Taisho period (1912-1926), spent his time.

On the first floor, valuable materials related to Mr. Shimada are exhibited, and on the second floor, a luxurious teahouse with lacquered ornaments is reproduced to give visitors a sense of the atmosphere of the time.