Nagamachi and the Craft City

Best Time to Visit

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for this walk, with mild air and, in autumn, color in the Nomura garden. Morning is best for Omicho Market, when the fish is freshest and the wholesale trade is in full swing, roughly nine to eleven. Winter rewards you with snow crab in the market and the striking sight of the Nagamachi walls wrapped in their straw mats, though you will want warm, waterproof layers.

Pro Tips

• •Go at your own pace and skip freely: the six stops are close together but each stands on its own, so there is no wrong order.
• •Wear comfortable, waterproof shoes. Kanazawa is one of the rainier cities in Japan, and Nagamachi's lanes and the market floor can be wet and slick.
• •The Nomura house garden is meant to be seen seated from indoors, so take a few minutes on the veranda rather than rushing through.
• •At the 21st Century Museum you can wander the outer circulation ring and outdoor works for free; only the inner exhibition galleries, including the underwater view of The Swimming Pool, need a ticket.
• •Hit Omicho Market before lunch and bring some cash: many stalls sell small portions to eat on the spot, and eating standing near the shop is the local way.
• •Carry a small bag for your shoes if you enter the Nomura house or a tea room, since you will remove them at the entrance.