1 Day Tour from Kanazawa: Ancient Temples, Panoramic Landscape Views and Butterflies in Tsurugi

A short distance outside of the city center of Kanazawa is Tsurugi, a small town often overlooked by tourists to the area. Tsurugi has 2,000 years of history as an important site for religious worship and two of the shrines in the city have been attested to being local spiritual centers since at least the 60s BC. The shrine approach to Shirayama-hime Shrine still maintains that mystical feel as you walk through the forested and moss covered stairs. Nearby is a gondola that takes you to the top of one of the local mountains and gives you a stunning view of the town beneath and as far as the Sea of Japan. The final stop of the day is to see the butterfly house with over 1,000 butterflies. The mix of history and nature so close to the city is epitome of what makes Japan so great.

Highlights

• Walk around the town of Tsurugi, see Kinkengu Shrine and some of the local shops

• Visit the most important shrine in the entire region, Shirayama-hime Shrine, and enjoy the atmospheric approach

• Head up a mountain on a gondola and soak in the expansive and breathtaking views

• Head inside the Ishikawa Prefectural Insect Museum to see the Butterfly House and the 1,000 butterflies inside

*For those looking to join the tour from Tokyo or Nagano, please see the FAQ Section below

Description

This tour will start at Kanazawa Station at 9:00 A.M., where your guide will meet you in front of the Information Center near the Shinkansen Ticket Gates. You will have the opportunity to put your belongings in a coin locker at the station as well if you feel the need.

Once everyone is accounted for, we will head out. The first ride of the day is one of Japan’s local trains out to and through the countryside. The destination is Tsurugi, a small town in the mountains that was and is famous for soy sauce, sake and, most importantly for today’s tour, Shinto.

The old townscape is pleasant to stroll in and the natural sights give that feeling of escape. A shrine called Kinkengu, in historical records from the 1st century BC, really shows off what shrines look like in snowy locations and how they are protected. The approach is also fairly unique, with an underground tunnel right before entering the shrine grounds.

Next we will walk out of the town to the next area. The stroll along the river is really nice and leads us to a water system that was created in the late 1800s to control waterflow. It looks like a water park with water flowing on aqueducts above, below and everywhere. The history of water systems is not something you can see so easily now that everything has gone underground or is managed by dams . There is also an abandoned train station that still has many of the old items from its heyday decades ago.

After a short walk from seeing the water system we will arrive at the sando or ‘approach’ to the shrine. The moss covered stairs that lead into more forest gives an almost mystical feel. The surviving records say that this shrine has existed in some form since the year 297, with the first building on nearby Mt. Hakusan as early as 91 BC. It is also the head shrine for all Shirayama shrines all over Japan. This shrine worships the god of the mountain Hakusan and is prayed to for clean and clear life-giving water. Feel the connection to history, tradition and the mountains in this timeless location.

It’s lunch time! There are a couple of restaurants at the entrance of the shrine that you can choose from so ask you guide for recommendations.

A short distance from the shrine is an activity park that celebrates the Chinese lion and the dance performed with them. You can see some examples of the heads around the complex. But the real reason for coming to this area is the gondola which brings you way above the town and gives stunning views of the mountains and alluvial plain below. There are also often paragliders that use this area as well, enhancing the thrill, even if we are only watching. Soak in the sun and the beauty of the area as we relax at the top of the mountain.

On a small hill right outside the main town area is the Ishikawa Prefectural Insect Museum. There are about 20 different types of insects, including Hercules beetles but the main draw for visitors is the butterflies. There are over 1000 butterflies of different colors, shapes and sizes. The inside is fairly open so we can stroll along inside and try to find beautiful and interesting beetles and butterflies at our own pace!

After getting our fill of butterflies, it’s time to start the journey back to Kanazawa. First we’ll head to Tsurugi Station before getting on the train towards the city. Once we arrive back at Kanazawa Station it will be time to say goodbye. I hope you enjoyed the adventure to the gateway to the mountains and their gods! Don’t forget to ask your guide about recommendations for dinner or in Kanazawa in general!

TOUR MEETUP POINT

1 / KANAZAWA STATION @ 9:00 A.M.

The meetup point is outside of the Shinkansen ticket gates, in front of the information center. If you are heading out from the gates, look forward and to the right and you will see a four large sumo wrestlers lined up. This is where we will be meeting. For those coming from outside the station, you will find this sign immediately inside of the East Entrance of Kanazawa Station. You may wait nearby there until the tour begins at 9:00 A.M. Be sure to look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag.

NOTES

Included

• Transportation to and from Tsurugi
• English speaking guide
• Gondola roundtrip ticket
• Entry fee at Ishikawa Prefecture Insect Museum (includes Butterfly House)
• Guided Tour at Kinkengu Shrine, Shirayama-hime Shrine and all other locations

Excluded

• Lunch
• Accommodation
• Shinkansen/Transportation to Kanazawa Station start point

Other Information

• This tour involves several hours of walking in the outdoors. We recommend that you wear shoes and clothes which are easy to walk in. Please check the weather forecast before you head to the meetup point and prepare an umbrella or rain coat if necessary.

• In winter the temperatures will be below 10℃ at the high , and in the morning and evening may be close to or below 0℃. Please wear warm clothing and footwear appropriate for snowy and cold conditions. There may also be snow and ice on the road/sidewalk, and so you should take care to not slip by preparing the correct shoes for such conditions.

• There will be free time along the way for guests to enjoy the locations at their own pace. However, please make sure that you are at the respective meetup points at the time stated by your guide. If you get lost or need assistance, feel free to call the number which is listed on your tour pass, and our staff will assist you immediately.