Kanazawa is one of the overlooked jewels of Japanese tourism — although not by the Japanese, who visit in droves.
Its relatively remote location, off the beaten (shinkansen) track, has perhaps unfairly contributed to a lower number of foreign tourists. However for those travellers who want to see perhaps the best-preserved major Edo-period city in the country (along with Takayama), it is hard to beat.
Kyoto's offerings of temples and shrines are all very well, but Japanese history and culture is not just about them. The samurai, the merchants, the geisha, and the lords have all left their mark on Kanazawa in a compact, easily navigable central area.
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