Omicho Market近江町市場
A covered market of fish, crab and local vegetables. The seafood rice-bowl restaurants have queues around lunchtime.
- Food & markets
- Shopping & strolling
- about 60 min
- Free
- Fine on a rainy day
Walk · About 15 min from Kanazawa
What you can do here
Sea of Japan fish and Kaga vegetables
Mostly seafood from the Sea of Japan and local fruit and vegetables: Kaga vegetables, blackthroat seaperch and sweet shrimp, plus pickles, sweets and flowers.
Seafood bowls and sushi
Shops serving seafood rice bowls and sushi made with Sea of Japan fish are popular. Queues form, so going early is recommended.
Snack at the shopfront
Some shops let you eat seafood, croquettes and other fried snacks at the front of the shop. Chatting with the shopkeepers is part of the fun.
Popular and not to be missed
- "The citizens' kitchen" for 300 years
- Busy since 1721 as the market that supplied the kitchens of the Maeda lords of Kaga, it has sustained daily life in Kanazawa for about 300 years.
- About 170 shops
- About 170 specialist shops for fresh fish, vegetables and fruit, and places to eat, line the covered lanes.
Good to know before you go
- TimingHours differ from shop to shop, and a fair number close on Wednesdays. Early in the morning many eateries are still setting up, and it is quiet.
Kanazawa guide
A castle town of the Maeda lords. Kenrokuen Garden, the castle, teahouse districts and samurai lanes are all a short bus ride or walk apart, with a seafood market and modern art too.
Things to see 9 classics
"Classics" and "Hidden gems" are this site's editorial picks, not a measured popularity ranking.
By interest
By how you get there
By distance
- 1
Kenrokuen Garden
One of Japan's three great gardens, known for the stone lantern by its pond and the rope supports that protect the pines in winter.
Introduced by JNTO
Named as a stop in Kanazawa on a route away from the usual Tokyo-Kyoto path. Source: JNTO, Off the Beaten Track in Japan
Many overseas visitors
532,879 foreign visitors in 2024, a record high Source: Kanazawa City, Kanazawa Tourism Survey Report 2024
- Nature
- History & buildings
about 1.5 hrPaid entryPartly step-free
Bus · About 20 min from Kanazawa ・ Bus to Kenrokuen-shita, then about 5 minutes on foot ・ 1.2km from here
- 2
Higashi Chaya District
A stone-paved street of old teahouses with wooden lattices, now with gold-leaf shops and cafes. Quiet early and late in the day.
- History & buildings
- Shopping & strolling
- Food & markets
about 60 minFree
Bus · About 20 min from Kanazawa ・ Bus to Hashibacho, then about 5 minutes on foot ・ 900m from here
- 3
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
A round, glass-walled museum of contemporary art. The piece that lets you stand under a swimming pool is the favorite. Busy on holidays.
- Museums
- With kids
about 1.5 hrPartly paidFine on a rainy dayWheelchair & stroller friendly
Bus · About 20 min from Kanazawa ・ Bus to Hirosaka / 21st Century Museum ・ 1.2km from here
- 4
Omicho Market
A covered market of fish, crab and local vegetables. The seafood rice-bowl restaurants have queues around lunchtime.
- Food & markets
- Shopping & strolling
about 60 minFreeFine on a rainy day
Walk · About 15 min from Kanazawa ・ 100m from here
- 5
Kanazawa Castle Park
Site of the Maeda lords' castle. See Ishikawa Gate and the long turrets rebuilt in wood. A bridge links it to Kenrokuen.
- History & buildings
- Nature
about 60 minFreePartly step-free
Bus · About 20 min from Kanazawa ・ Bus to Kenrokuen-shita, then about 5 minutes on foot ・ 900m from here
- 6
Nagamachi Samurai District
Narrow lanes lined with earthen walls where samurai families lived. In winter the walls are covered with straw mats.
- History & buildings
about 60 minFree
Bus · About 20 min from Kanazawa ・ Bus to Korinbo, then about 5 minutes on foot ・ 1.1km from here
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Omicho Market
Area guide
Themes
Nearby places in the same theme
Within walking distance
Within walking distance of here
See nearby on a mapWalking times are estimates from the straight-line distance.
- Go hereOyama ShrineAbout 10 min on foot
A shrine to the lord Maeda Toshiie. Its unusual gate mixes Japanese, Chinese and Western styles and has stained-glass windows.
- Go hereShoenji TempleAbout 9 min on foot
A temple just past Betsuin-dori. During the spring and autumn equinox weeks it shows its treasured paintings of hell and paradise.
- Go hereKazuemachi Chaya DistrictAbout 10 min on foot
A narrow lane of teahouses along the Asano River. Loveliest at dusk, when the lamps come on.
Sights are this site's picks, not a popularity ranking.
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