Slightly off the beaten track, Kanazawa is a small city close to the coast. It was for a time Japan's fourth largest city, known for rice production, weaving and gold leaf, but was somewhat left behind when industrialisation took over.

Samurai houses, a ninja temple, a geisha district and the beautiful garden of Kenroku-en (one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan) are among its olden-day charms.

Kenroku-en was started in the 1670s and embraces six fundamentals: spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, water and panoramic views.