Kanazawa Family Hotels: A Walkable City of History and Art

Kanazawa is Hokuriku's leading tourist city, retaining the atmosphere of its history as the castle town of the powerful Kaga domain, once valued at a million koku of rice. Its sights are clustered close together in the city center — Kenrokuen, one of Japan's three great gardens; the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, where visitors can experience art hands-on; Omicho Market, known as "Kanazawa's Kitchen"; and the atmospheric Higashi Chaya geisha district — so families can enjoy a compact walking tour of the city even with kids in tow. Excellent access is another reason for its popularity as a family destination: the Hokuriku Shinkansen runs direct from the greater Tokyo area with no transfers required.

One of the appeals of sightseeing in Kanazawa with children is the number of spots where they can play and experience things hands-on. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art has artworks scattered outdoors as well, and it's known as a museum where kids can get comfortable with art alongside their parents. At Omicho Market, you can snack your way through fresh seafood, and the spacious lawn at Kanazawa Castle Park is perfect for young children to rest and play outside.

The properties featured here cover three styles you can choose based on your travel preferences. Hotel MyStays Premier Kanazawa is a five-minute walk from the west exit of Kanazawa Station, an urban hotel with spacious rooms of 32 square meters (about 8 sq ft) or more in every room, crib and bed-guard rentals available, and an easy base for sightseeing. OMO5 Kanazawa Katamachi by Hoshino Resorts sits in the lively Katamachi entertainment district; its no-shoes-policy rooms, where you relax with your shoes off, are reassuring for babies at the crawling stage, and it offers neighborhood activities kids can join too. Asobi Tabine is a whole-house rental in a traditional machiya townhouse within walking distance of Omicho Market, complete with a wooden slide and hammock in the living room and even a baby gate and baby monitor, letting your family stay relaxed with the whole place to yourselves.

Kanazawa Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen is the gateway to the city, and the station's iconic Tsuzumi-mon Gate sets the tone for the start of your trip. Winter brings a snow-dusted Kenrokuen and seasonal delicacies led by crab, spring brings cherry blossoms, summer brings lush greenery, and fall brings colorful foliage — a city with a different face to enjoy in every season.