Kanazawa escaped the bombs of the Second World War and kept its old quarters, which is a large part of its charm today. The city sits on the Sea of Japan coast of Ishikawa Prefecture, between two rivers and a hill, and for centuries it was ruled by the Maeda clan, the second richest domain in feudal Japan. Their money went into art and craft, and Kanazawa is still known for gold leaf, lacquerware, ceramics and tea ceremony. Kenroku-en, the garden the clan laid out over generations, is counted among the three great gardens of Japan, with its pines held up by rope umbrellas against the heavy winter snow.
Here you can wander the old samurai district, with its mud walls and narrow lanes, and the geisha quarter of Higashi Chaya, where wooden teahouses face each other across stone-paved streets. The fish market near the station, Omicho, sells crab, sweet shrimp and sushi in season, and the sea is close enough that the catch is always fresh. Winter brings snow crab and heavy grey skies, and the city's cuisine has a deep reputation across Japan.
As a place to start a ride, Kanazawa is a city with all the usual urban frictions. The ring road and the main avenues are busy, and traffic lights are frequent, so the early miles are a matter of patience. Once you leave, the Noto Peninsula to the north offers a long, quiet coastal road, with the sea on one side and low hills and rice paddies on the other, small fishing harbours, salt farms and terraced fields. The surface is generally good, speeds are low and drivers are polite. Winter brings snow and ice to the area, and the best months to ride are late spring and autumn.
Fuel is easy around Kanazawa, a city of nearly half a million, with self-service pumps everywhere. Nonoichi and Matsuto, the neighbouring towns, are also well stocked. On the peninsula, stations thin out, especially in the evening, so fill up before heading north. Convenience stores sell a decent coffee and a rice ball at any hour.
Give yourself a morning or an evening in town, if you can. The gardens and the old districts reward slow walking, and Kanazawa is a lot more interesting than most places that serve merely as a start line.