10 Free Things to do in Hokuriku That You Shouldn't Miss

May 22, 2021 Agatha Simes

Discover the best top things to do in Hokuriku, Japan including Noto Peninsula, Chirihama Nagisa Driveway, Yuki no Otani (Snow Wall), Ainokura Gassho Community, Suganuma Gassho Community, Shirayama Hime Shrine, Hakusan Shrine (Heisenji-Hakusan Shrine), Gokayama, Fugan Unga Kansui Park, Kanazawa Station.
Restaurants in Hokuriku

1. Noto Peninsula

Ishikawa Prefecture +81 767-62-2077 http://www.notohantou.com/
Excellent
47%
Good
46%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 57 reviews

Noto Peninsula

This highly scenic region is in the far south of Japan.

2. Chirihama Nagisa Driveway

Chirihamamachi, Hakui 929-1344 Ishikawa Prefecture +81 767-22-1111 http://www.hot-ishikawa.jp/sys/data?page-id=5818
Excellent
52%
Good
37%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 575 reviews

Chirihama Nagisa Driveway

The Chirihama Nagisa Driveway is a 8 km long beach located between Imahama Houdatsu-Shimizu-cho Sakui-gun and Chirihama-cho Sakui-shi in Ishikawa prefecture.

Reviewed By JohnA299 - Hong Kong, China

The rain was bucketing down when my wife and I took the exit to the Chirihama Beach Drive. With the rain coming in sheets and the surf heavy, driving on the beach was a completely magical experience. I had expected that the beach drive would be prohibited during heavy weather, but it was not — we enjoyed solitude on the beach as we passed the thundering waves and listened to the rain on the roof of our car. I let the tires wade in the seawater on the strand. Just so beautiful and something a visitor to should never miss!

3. Yuki no Otani (Snow Wall)

11 Ashikuraji Bunazaka, Tateyama-machi, Nakaniikawa-gun 930-1406 Toyama Prefecture +81 76-432-2819 http://www.alpen-route.com/enjoy_navi/snow_otani/
Excellent
59%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
12%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 223 reviews

Yuki no Otani (Snow Wall)

Yuki no Otani (Snow Wall) is the highlight of Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route in spring. "Yuki no Otani" would be open from middle of April to late of June and you can walk along the walls during the festival. This snow wall is located in Murodo where is 2,450m above the sea level and it reaches about 20m some times. Of course, this is the best photo spot!! ※Please note this event would be cancelled if the weather is bad.

Reviewed By shlomit100 - Nagano, Japan

Spectacular during April - May. Very impressive. Was there during the corona season, so very few people. I was there before, much less enjoyable with lots of tourists around...

4. Ainokura Gassho Community

Ainokura, Nanto 939-1915 Toyama Prefecture +81 763-66-2123 http://www.g-ainokura.com
Excellent
56%
Good
36%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 291 reviews

Ainokura Gassho Community

Reviewed By sarahl588 - Brisbane, Australia

I read about Ainokura in Lonely Planet and from that point on I made sure that I had to go out to visit there. I stayed in Toyama, not far from the train station, hired a car for the day and drove out to Ainokura. It was so worth it! It's such a beautiful village and was a beautiful way to experience traditional Japanese hospitality and living. It really is a must! It's like you've stepped back in time into a fairytale. Make sure you visit the Gokayama tourist information centre and Murakami House before you make the drive to Ainokura. When you're at the visitor centre make sure you put a sticker on the map of where you're from, my family were the first visitors from Samoa to place a sticker there.

5. Suganuma Gassho Community

Suganuma, Nanto 939-1973 Toyama Prefecture +81 763-67-3300 http://www.info-toyama.com/spot/41004/
Excellent
43%
Good
44%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 209 reviews

Suganuma Gassho Community

Reviewed By FoodTraveler_Huang - Bangkok, Thailand

The first stop you can consider to drop by before going to Shirakawago . If you stay in Kanazawa, first take JR to Shin Takaoka station. Then , take the Kaetsunou bus terminal no.8 to Suganuma and also take the same bus to Shirakawago. This route considers less crowded than the bus in Takayama. Come a bit early like 9am so that you won’t see many people. February is good timing to get full snow.

6. Shirayama Hime Shrine

Sannomiyamachi, Hakusan 920-2114 Ishikawa Prefecture +81 76-272-0680 http://www.shirayama.or.jp/index.html
Excellent
46%
Good
44%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 131 reviews

Shirayama Hime Shrine

7. Hakusan Shrine (Heisenji-Hakusan Shrine)

56-63 Heiseiji, Heiseiji-cho, Katsuyama 911-0822 Fukui Prefecture +81 779-88-1591 http://heisenji.jp/#3-2
Excellent
53%
Good
36%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 121 reviews

Hakusan Shrine (Heisenji-Hakusan Shrine)

Reviewed By Hoegaarden987 - Brossard, Canada

Hakusan (literally, the white mountain in Japanese) is a ~2700 m tall mountain extending between Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui and Gifu prefectures. It has been a sacred mountain for many in the area, leading to the many Hakusan Shrines in the region and around Japan that believe the mountain to house a god. The Heisenji-Hakusan Shrine is one such shrine located near Katsuyama city in the Fukui prefecture. The Shrine has beautiful lawns of moss throughout its campus, and is well known along with the famous Saiho-ji in Kyoto for its moss gardens. It was raining that day, and the rain made the moss lawn even more beautiful. There were several individual visitors, and we saw two or three groups, but the shrine itself was very quiet. We first strolled through the moss lawns and took the main road to the main hall and gave our prayers. There are two other smaller halls next to the main hall, and the three halls signify the three peaks of Hakusan. We then took another road up the hill to the Sannnomiya, another hall higher up in the mountain. There were moss lawns along the road as well, and the air was very refreshing. All three of us were completely awed by the beauty and the sacred environment. To get to the shrine, we took a local train from Fukui station to Katsuyama station. There are local buses to the shrine, but unfortunately, the wait was more than an hour after our arrival at Katsuyama that day. As such, we took a taxi from the Katsuyama station, which cost us about 1800 yen. On the way back, we took the bus back to Katsuyama station, which was a mini-van, and the cost was 200 yen per person. It turned out that this Shrine was opened by Taichou in 717, and so it was exactly 1300 years from its opening. Nevertheless, there were very few signs that marked this anniversary, and the area was very calm, just like the shrine itself.

8. Gokayama

Nanto Toyama Prefecture http://gokayama-info.jp/
Excellent
51%
Good
37%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 296 reviews

Gokayama

9. Fugan Unga Kansui Park

Minatoirifunecho, Toyama 930-0805 Toyama Prefecture +81 76-444-6041 http://www.kansui-park.jp/
Excellent
42%
Good
44%
Satisfactory
13%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 580 reviews

Fugan Unga Kansui Park

10. Kanazawa Station

1-1 Kinoshinbomachi, Kanazawa 920-0858 Ishikawa Prefecture +81 76-262-7605 http://www.jr-odekake.net/eki/top.php?id=0541449
Excellent
41%
Good
47%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,671 reviews

Kanazawa Station

Reviewed By DGandJudy - Ann Arbor, United States

The new Kanazawa station, built for the coming of the Shinkansen bullet trains in 2014, is great - has every amenity you could want, and is small enough to be easily negotiated. Be sure to stop by the Tourist Information Center, staffed by knowledgeable and friendly Good Will Guides volunteers, before setting out into the city. The east entrance (shown in the picture) is a striking combination of the old and new, with the traditional wooden torii gate juxtaposed in front of the ultramodern station building; the water clock (behind the photographer) is a fun place for photos.

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