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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Kaga
加賀市
Base in Kaga for one night if you want onsen and Kutani porcelain: Yamashiro Onsen for a ryokan, Kagaonsen station for a cheap hotel.
Kaga is the southern edge of Ishikawa, a spread-out onsen and craft town rather than a sightseeing city. Its three draws are the Yamashiro and Katayamazu hot springs, Kutani porcelain kilns and museums, and the old Kitamaebune shipping house at Hashitate. Most travellers pass through on the JR Hokuriku line between Kanazawa and Fukui; one night is enough, and a car or the CANBUS makes the outlying sights work.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 加賀市
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), mid-August Obon
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥7,000–11,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥11,000–18,000 excl. bed · High ¥18,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Noodle soup or katsudon | ¥800–1,300 |
| Sushi, per plate | ¥150–325 |
| Set lunch | ¥750–1,900 |
| Museum entry | ¥310–500 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KMQ · Komatsu Airport
- Nearest airport; Hokutetsu bus or train via Komatsu station, then JR to Kagaonsen.
Typical fares
- JR Kagaonsen → Kanazawa
- ¥740, about 53 min (check)
- Hokutetsu Komatsu Station → Komatsu Airport
- ¥260, 12 min (check)
- CANBUS around Kaga
- day pass about ¥1,000 (check)
Get around
Kaga is spread out. The JR Hokuriku line links Iburihashi, Kagaonsen and Daishoji stations; Kagaonsen is the main stop. The CANBUS loop reaches outlying sights. A rental car is the fastest way to Yamashiro, Katayamazu and Hashitate.
See and do
Known for
- Yamashiro and Katayamazu onsen
- Kutani porcelain
- Kitamaebune Ship Museum
- Nakaya Ukichiro Museum of Snow and Ice
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kanazawa | JR Hokuriku line from Kagaonsen, about 53 min, ¥740 | About 1 h |
| Komatsu | JR Hokuriku line from Kagaonsen, a few stops north | About 30 min |
| Nonoichi | JR Hokuriku line north toward Kanazawa | About 45 min |
| Hakui | JR line north along the coast | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Yamashiro Onsen
- The classic onsen base: ryokan with hot-spring baths and the Kutani kiln site nearby.
- Kagaonsen station area
- Business hotels and izakaya within a 10–15 min walk; best for a cheap one-night stop.
- Daishoji
- Around the station and city hall: cafés, the Kutaniyaki Art Museum, easy rail access.
- Katayamazu Onsen
- Lakeside onsen with the snow-and-ice museum; quieter, needs a car or bus.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Sights are far apart: without a car or the CANBUS you will lose hours waiting.
- Many small restaurants close one fixed weekday and shut early; check before you walk.
- Onsen towns are quiet after dark; last buses from the stations run early.
- Cash is still needed at smaller shops and some museums.
Kaga is a quiet, low-crime town and safe to walk by day. The real risks are winter snow and ice on the roads, long gaps between buses, and few open restaurants after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Kaga yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Yamashiro and Katayamazu onsen
- Kutani porcelain
- Kitamaebune Ship Museum
- Nakaya Ukichiro Museum of Snow and Ice
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Kaga (local tourist association): visitkaga.jp/
- Komatsu Airport: www.komatsuairport.jp/index_en.html
- Wikivoyage: Kaga, revision 5315258 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5315258
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/kaga). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.