Calm and magical Tea House Streets
Going down the Kuragari-zaka, you are in Kazue-machi teahouse district. Walk along the river and cross one of the classical bridges, Naka-no-hashi, Asanogawa O-hashi or Ume-no-hashi on your choice to reach the Higashi Chaya-gai district. You may be surprised to see how the teahouse district looks after the stores have closed, as if the bustle of the daytime was an illusion. If you are lucky, you may hear the sound of shamisen (three-stringed Japanese guitar) played by a geisha from the second floor of a teahouse.
Next, let’s take a ride from the Hashiba-cho bus stop.
Kanazawa at night from the bus window
The light-up bus passes under Kenrokuen Garden and follows the stone wall along a moat. The bus will take you to the National Crafts Museum, Ishikawa Red Brick Museum, and 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. (The exhibition zone of 21st Century Museum is open until 8 p.m. every Saturday, so it is a good idea to stop by on the way.)
The bus crosses the Sakura Bridge to the Teramachi area. You can see the night view of the downtown area from the hill. Cross the river again and get off at Korinbo, where the winter illumination is beautiful. If you are hungry, it is convenient to get off at Katamachi or Korinbo bus stop to take a snack.
Proceed to Oyama Shrine and Gyokusen’in Maru Garden
After passing through the brightly lit stained-glass gate of Oyama Shrine, cross the Nezumita-mon Bridge at the back of the shrine to Gyokusen’in-maru Garden. This garden is illuminated every evening until 9:00 pm. Enjoy the changing light effects set to music.
Be careful of the last bus!
The last bus leaves from the Marunouchi bus stop near the Gyokusen’in Maru Garden at 9:58 p.m. The last bus leaves from the Minamicho/Oyama Shrine bus stop at 10:20 p.m. Before the Musashigatsuji/Omicho Ichiba bus stop, you can see the retro building of the Musashigatsuji branch of Hokkoku Bank from the bus window.
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