Tsurugi, Hakusan – A Secret Gem and Fun Day Trip From Kanazawa
This Tsurugi (鶴来) area walking itinerary in Hakusan city (白山市) is the ideal day trip from Kanazawa if you are looking for a lesser-known destination in Ishikawa prefecture. Tsurugi has a lot to offer: beautiful shrines, sake breweries, an insect museum, mountain gondolas where you can admire stunning views of the Sea of Japan on sunny days...
I've had an amazing day exploring this area and would like to share my 1-day walking itinerary. It would be great if my blog post could help introduce this place to foreign tourists, as it really is a lovely place to discover, with lots to do and incredibly friendly locals!
How to Get There?
This itinerary begins at Tsurugi station (鶴来駅), the starting point for exploring Tsurugi, a small town that forms part of the city of Hakusan in Ishikawa Prefecture.
From Kanazawa, going by car may be the easiest. But it is also possible by public transport, as I did, if you plan a bit ahead. You can take a bus from central Kanazawa to Nomachi station (野町駅) and then a local train on the Hokuritsu Testudo-Ishikawa line (about one train per hour) to Tsurugi station, its last stop. The trip takes about 30 minutes.
Everything about this train journey had a nostalgic vibe. I was among the only foreign tourists among a handful of commuters riding on this quaint local train, which passed through small towns and rice paddies, and arrived at this old station where there was a small exhibition of antiques.
A Walking Itinerary Packed with Many Things to Do
The itinerary below follows the walk I took on my day trip. If you've read my other articles, you'll know that I love exploring on foot. But you should know that you can also rent bicycles near Tsurugi station, if you fancy, at the Hakusan City Tsurugi Branch (白山市 鶴来支所).
1/ Visit the Local Kinken-gu Shrine
I’m a Japanese shrine and temple lover, so I had to start my day by visiting a nearby local shrine called Kinken-gu (金劔宮). To reach it, climb the stone steps to the shrine grounds after a white torii gate and proceed through the underground passage next to the road.
金劔宮 男坂の鳥居 (as indicated on Google Maps)
I didn’t know it at the time, but this shrine is a popular place to worship for wealth. I found the atmosphere great, peaceful and steeped in spirituality.
On the way down, you can follow a different set of steps that will take you to Kinkengu Fudou-daki Waterfall (金剱宮境内不動滝), a tiny but 15-metre-high waterfall that flows into a small pond where colourful carp can be seen swimming.
Kinken-gu Fudou-taki Waterfall
2/ Do some Sake Testing and Omiyage Shopping at a Local Sake Brewery
Back in town, I enjoyed wandering around and stopped at the Manzairaku Sake brewery (萬歳楽 本店). There, a friendly staff introduced me to the region's sake and umeshu (Japanese plum wine) with a generous amount of samples which allowed me to choose an omiyage for my Tokyo friends. As I wanted to explore the area without having to carry the bottles, I decided to come back later to do my shopping.
I had a great experience at Manzairaku Sake brewery, but note that there are other sake breweries around town if you'd like to try a few.
3/ Enjoy a Delicious Lunch at a Sushi Shop
Looking for somewhere to have lunch, I opted for a small sushi shop calledじんずし 鶴来店, where I ordered a delicious maguro (tuna) bento at a very affordable price. People usually take takeaway there, but the lady at the counter let me sit at the only table in the little shop to enjoy my meal. And it was delicious!
4/ Stop By Yokomachi Urarakan Free Resthouse
Next stop in this itinerary is the Yokomachi Urarakan Free Resthouse (横町うらら館), an ancient merchant house built in the Edo period that serves a a rest area for tourists. Ancient objects can still be found inside, so I recommend to tour the building and take a short break there.
5/ Have a Wonderful Time at the Ishikawa Insect Museum
About a 10-minute walk from the rest house, the Ishikawa Insect Museum (石川県ふれあい昆虫館) is a hidden gem in Ishikawa Prefecture. For just ¥410, you can visit this interesting museum with an impressive display of insects and a pretty butterfly garden where a thousand butterflies fly around you.
I was very curious to visit this museum, but I wasn't expecting to have such a good time. I had never seen most of the insects on display, some of them looking like fairies, and I felt like a child in the butterfly garden.
The museum is open from 9.30am to 5pm from April to October (and until 4.30pm the rest of the year) and is often closed on Tuesdays. You can find out more about the museum on its website here.
6/ Walk to Shirayama Hime Jinja Shrine
The next stage of this itinerary was my favourite of the day and takes about 15 minutes to reach from the insect museum.
The Shirayama Hime Jinja (白山比咩神社) is said to have been originally built over 2,100 years ago and now serves as the main shrine for over 3,000 Hakusan and Shirayama shrines throughout the country, dedicated to the sacred mountain Hakusan. It is also known as the grand shrine that protects the Hokuriku region and is nicknamed Shirayama-san. You can read more details about this shrine here.
The atmosphere was so eerie and serene. I particularly enjoyed the long walkway to the temple, called Omote-sando, lined with sugi cedar, zelkova, and maple trees.
Shirayama Hime Jinja Omotesando (白山比咩神社 表参道)
Shirayama Hime Jinja
7/ Take a Gondola to Sky Shishiku for a Stunning View of the Sea of Japan
Once you have soaked enough in the awe-inspiring atmosphere of Shirayama Hime Jinja, it is time to head to Shishiku Highland (獅子吼高原), a resort facility with museums, a souvenir shop and a restaurant at the foot of the Shishiku plateau.
I visited in April and was lucky enough to be there during the cherry blossom season. The wind was getting stronger and the petals were falling like rain. I felt so lucky to have this magnificent place all to myself, and the memory of this moment remains very special to me to this day.
From Shishiku Highland, you can take a small gondola to the top of the plateau (the return ticket costs ¥700 per adult). Shishiku Highland is open from 10am to 5pm and closed on Tuesdays (in winter it is open from 10am to 4pm and closed on Fridays as well). Note that the gondolas are closed during the winter.
View from the gondola
Unfortunately for me, the weather became stormy on my way up, and it eventually started to rain once I got to the top. As you can see from the photo, I didn't get to see the Sea of Japan that day because of the poor weather, but I could imagine how enchanting the view would be on a sunny day. These things happen and I was still glad I went up!
You can definitively spend some time at the top on a sunny day. There is a restaurant, a dog run, hiking trails, and a small shrine. The place is also popular for paragliding. In my case, I didn't stay long because the gondolas were about to close due to the bad weather.
8/ Have a Well-deserved Afternoon Snack at Omoteya
Once I got back down from the gondola, the end of the day was approaching and I felt like having a little snack, knowing the walk back to Tsurugi station lay ahead of me.
And I was not disappointed by the little custard treat called Obanyaki I got at the Omoteya (おもてや) restaurant, nearby the entrance of Shirayama Hime Jinja. There were several fillings available (red beans, macha, custard…) and it was super cheap, tasty and filling.
9/ Stroll Back to Tsurugi Station
It's time to head back, with a 2km walk to the station (20-30 minutes). As the weather was getting worse, I quickly went to see the Tedori river and stopped at the sake brewery to pick up my purchases before returning to the station.
Had the weather been better, I would have spent more time in the area to take more photos. Overall, I found this area atmospheric, embodying life in a small town in the Japanese countryside.
My Itinerary in a Map
To Conclude
Visiting on a gloomy weekday, I was among the few tourists to visit Tsurugi that day. With so much to do, I hope this area can be more known in the future. Most of all, I will remember the kindness of the people I met throughout the day, and their warm welcome as I discovered their town. You can check the Hakusan City tourist website (in English) for more things to do in the area here.
If you are interested in doing this day trip from Kanazawa, you may also want to read my 2-day itinerary to explore Kanazawa city: Discover Kanazawa: 2-Day Itinerary and Travel Tips.
Found this article helpful? Buy me a coffee. 😊
Want to stay in touch? Subscribe to my monthly newsletter (with latest articles, updates, travel tips and more...) delivered straight to your inbox. 📩
