Kenrokuen
One of Japan's three great gardens, built over 200 years by successive Maeda lords; covered ropes hold its pines through the heavy snows.
Open in Maps ↗Prefecture profile · 都道府県
Ishikawa 石川県
The cultural crown of the Hokuriku coast — Kanazawa preserves Japan's most intact samurai-and-geisha districts, the country's three great gardens (Kenrokuen), and the workshops that produce ~98% of Japan's gold leaf. The Noto Peninsula extends into the Sea of Japan with a singularly old culinary tradition.
Capital
Kanazawa
Population
1.1 million
Area
4,186 km²
Region
Chūbu
History
Kaga Domain under the Maeda clan (1583–1868) was the wealthiest non-Tokugawa domain — its rice yield was second only to the Shogun's. The Maeda spent their surplus on culture: Nō theater, tea ceremony, gold-leaf, lacquerware, and the construction of Kenrokuen garden, opened to the public in 1874.
Kanazawa escaped WWII bombing entirely, preserving an Edo-era street pattern, samurai quarters, three Edo geisha districts, and the city's gold-leaf workshops — a continuity rare in Japan.
January 1, 2024 — a magnitude-7.6 earthquake on the Noto Peninsula killed ~470, destroyed Wajima morning market by fire, and forced ongoing rebuilding of the Wajima lacquerware tradition and traditional fishing communities.
Economy & business
Ishikawa's prefectural GDP is around ¥4.7 trillion (US$32 billion). Traditional crafts (Wajima lacquer, Kutani porcelain, gold leaf), precision machinery (Komatsu was founded in Komatsu City and still has a major R&D presence), construction equipment, and Kanazawa's outsized tourism share.
Key industries
Traditional crafts
Ishikawa produces ~98% of Japan's gold leaf, the country's premier lacquerware (Wajima), and Kutani-ware porcelain.
Construction & mining equipment
Komatsu (founded 1921 in Komatsu City) is the world's #2 construction-equipment maker.
Tourism — Kanazawa
The opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa in 2015 tripled visitor numbers; the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art draws design pilgrims.
Fisheries
Noto Peninsula's deep waters supply premium yellowtail, oysters, and turban shell (sazae).
Aerospace & precision
Sanwa Hydrotech, Tsuda Kogyosho, and several smaller aerospace component shops in the Komatsu industrial belt.
Notable companies
KomatsuHokkoku BankHokuriku Electric PowerWajima Kirimoto (lacquer)Kutani Pottery CooperativeImai KonbuDaiwa Spa
Trade partners
ChinaUnited StatesSouth KoreaThailandGermany
Tourism highlights
Higashi Chaya
Old geisha district with intact Edo-period tea-house facades; one (Shima) is open as a museum.
Open in Maps ↗Kanazawa 21st Century Museum
Circular SANAA-designed glass pavilion; Leandro Erlich's Swimming Pool installation is the world-famous resident piece.
Open in Maps ↗Wajima morning market
Daily market on the Noto Peninsula tip; the 2024 fire destroyed the original shopping street but the market itself has been re-housed and continues.
Open in Maps ↗Shirayama Hime Shrine
Headquarters shrine of all the Shirayama / Hakusan shrines in Japan; foot of the sacred Mt. Hakusan.
Open in Maps ↗Notojima glassware studios
Cluster of contemporary glass studios on a small island in Toyama Bay; works combine Japanese restraint with Murano-style coloring.
Open in Maps ↗Did you know
Ishikawa produces approximately 98% of all gold leaf used in Japan; the workshops still beat it down to 1/10,000 mm thickness by hand-and-mallet.
The 2015 extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen tripled Kanazawa visitor traffic in its first year; the city now sees more international tourists per resident than almost anywhere outside Kyoto.
Kanazawa is one of the very few major Japanese cities that escaped both the Allied bombing of WWII and a major earthquake in the modern era — its Edo-period street pattern and most original samurai-quarter walls are intact.
About Ishikawa — Frequently asked
What is the capital of Ishikawa?
The capital of Ishikawa is Kanazawa.
What region of Japan is Ishikawa in?
Ishikawa is part of the Chūbu region of Japan.
What are Ishikawa's main industries?
Ishikawa's key industries include Traditional crafts, Construction & mining equipment, Tourism — Kanazawa, Fisheries.
What are the top tourist attractions in Ishikawa?
Top attractions in Ishikawa include Kenrokuen, Higashi Chaya, Kanazawa 21st Century Museum, Wajima morning market.
What major companies are based in Ishikawa?
Notable companies headquartered in Ishikawa include Komatsu, Hokkoku Bank, Hokuriku Electric Power, Wajima Kirimoto (lacquer), Kutani Pottery Cooperative.
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