Discover Classic Japan and Stunning Scenic Views! 20 Popular Tourist Spots in Hokuriku

Hokuriku is beautiful throughout the four seasons, and each season offers its own delicious seasonal foods, but spring is the most recommended time to visit.
After getting through the harsh, snowy winter, plum and cherry blossoms come into season, and places like Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle in Ishikawa become even more beautiful and atmospheric.
Also, Toyama’s Kurobe Dam becomes open to sightseeing from late April, so if you plan to visit Kurobe Dam, spring or summer is especially recommended.
Winter brings heavy snow, which may make getting around and sightseeing difficult for those who are not used to snowy conditions, so first-time visitors in particular should consider visiting in spring or summer.

Although Hokuriku is often referred to as one region, it stretches a considerable distance from Niigata in the northeast to Fukui in the southwest, so the best means of transportation depends on your destination. That said, the most common way to get there from Tokyo is by shinkansen.
If you are heading to Niigata, you can arrive in Approx. 2 hours by taking the Joetsu Shinkansen.
If you are going to Toyama, Ishikawa, or Fukui, use the Hokuriku Shinkansen. It takes Approx. 2 hours 30 minutes–3 hours from Tokyo to Kanazawa.
Also, Komatsu Airport in Ishikawa and Toyama Airport in Toyama have international flights, making it possible to access Hokuriku directly from overseas.

If you are visiting the major sightseeing spots in Hokuriku, public transportation is generally sufficient.
For long-distance travel across prefectures or regions, you will likely use JR, while for getting around within a prefecture, trains and buses will be the main options.
Areas around famous tourist spots tend to have good route coverage and frequent service, but depending on the place and time of day, service may be limited, so it is best to check the timetable in advance.

Kiyotsu Gorge, counted as one of Japan’s Three Great Gorges for its scenic beauty, features the Kiyotsu River flowing between steep cliffs over 100 meters high, creating a beautiful contrast between the rugged rock faces and the emerald-green clear stream.
Its unique topography, said to have been formed by magma 5 million years ago and shaped over time through repeated uplift and erosion, lets visitors feel the immense power of nature.

One of the largest aquariums on the Sea of Japan coast. Its dynamic dolphin show is held at the Dolphin Stadium four times a day, or five times on Sundays and holidays.
A distinctive feature is that the show also explains dolphin anatomy and behavior through jumps and other movements timed to the trainers’ cues.
A highlight is the “Sea of Japan Large Tank.” In the Marine Tunnel, you can observe fish native to the Sea of Japan as if you were taking a walk along the ocean floor.

The ichinomiya of Echigo with a history of more than 2,400 years.
The shrine grounds are lined with ancient trees over 400 years old, creating a sacred atmosphere.
The current worship hall was rebuilt in 1916 by Chuta Ito, the architect who also designed Meiji Jingu Shrine.
At the summit of Mt. Yahiko stands a sacred mausoleum dedicated to Ame-no-Kaguyama-no-Mikoto and his consort, and it is especially popular as a matchmaking spot.

A waterfall on the Sekikawa River, which runs along the border between Niigata and Nagano, and one of Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls.
It is also called “Earthquake Falls” because the sound of water dropping from a height of 55 meters echoes powerfully through the surrounding area.
It is also said that in ancient Japan, earthquakes were called “nawi,” and that the name changed from “nawi no taki” to “naena taki.”
It is especially impressive in spring, when melting snow sends a large volume of water into the falls.

A beautiful bridge spanning the Shinano River, the longest river in Japan. It measures 306.9 meters long and 22.0 meters wide.
It withstood the Niigata Earthquake of 1964 and continued to support the hearts of the people of Niigata.
The bridge is known for its elegant arches lined up at regular intervals. Its solid stone structure is finished with granite and polished stone, giving it an especially dignified presence.

Japan’s largest dam in terms of embankment height at 186 meters, and also one of the largest in the world.
Built over seven years by a total workforce of 10 million people and completed despite numerous challenges, it was known at the time as “the great project of the century.”
The biggest attraction of Kurobe Dam is its sightseeing water discharge, held from early June to early October. The sight of 10 tons of mist-like water gushing out every second is truly spectacular.

Located a 5-minute walk from Amaharashi Station on the JR Himi Line, this spot opens as a beach in summer and draws visitors from all over for its exceptionally clear water.
Beyond the shallow sandy beach with its gentle waves, you can enjoy views of the 3,000-meter-class Tateyama Mountain Range and the Noto Peninsula. The scenic area, with its white sand and pine trees, was so beautiful that it was beloved by Otomo no Yakamochi, a poet of the Manyoshu.

A mountain sightseeing route running through the Northern Alps, where peaks rise to 3,000 meters, with a total length of 37.2 kilometers and a maximum elevation difference of 1,975 meters.
The two gateways, Tateyama Station on the Toyama side and Ogizawa Station on the Nagano side, are connected by six types of transportation, including cable cars and ropeways.
Many scenic spots are scattered along the way, and visitors can enjoy the grandeur of nature in various styles, from casual walks to full-scale trekking.

Gokayama lies at the southwestern tip of Toyama Prefecture and consists of 40 small villages scattered across five valleys.
Surrounded by steep mountains, it receives over 2 meters of snow in winter. Many gassho-zukuri houses can still be found here, with their steeply pitched thatched gabled roofs, a building style unique to heavy-snow regions.
The two villages of Ainokura and Suganuma are registered as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites.

A vast gorge deeply carved into a V shape by the erosion of the Kurobe River.
Water originating from Mt. Washiba in the central Northern Alps flows for 86 kilometers between the Tateyama Range and the Ushiro-Tateyama Range, descending steep slopes with an elevation difference of as much as 3,000 meters.
The only way to access this rugged valley is by trolley train.
Along the route are scenic highlights such as Sarutobikyo Gorge, designated as both a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and a Special Natural Monument, Okukane Bridge rising 34 meters above the surface of the Kurobe River, and Hitokui-iwa Rock, which looks as though it could swallow people whole, as well as open-air baths and footbaths fed by hot springs.

A strolling garden created over a long period of about 180 years by successive lords of the Maeda family of Kaga, and counted as one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens.
A strolling garden is one designed to be appreciated while walking around the grounds, unlike a seated-viewing garden meant to be admired from the tatami rooms or study of a residence.
Within its vast grounds of Approx. 34,600 tsubo, ponds, winding streams, and artificial hills are scattered throughout, creating a layout that can be enjoyed as you stop at various points along the way.

One of Kanazawa’s best-known sightseeing areas, its streets lined with beautiful wooden lattices and stone paving have been selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
Originally, in 1820, Narihiro Maeda, the 12th lord of the Kaga Domain, gathered tea houses that had been scattered throughout the castle town into one area to create this chaya district. Even today, traditional buildings from the Edo period still line the streets.

Since opening in 2004 under the concept of “an open museum,” it has drawn attention for exhibition methods that overturn conventional ideas of what an art museum can be, becoming one of Japan’s most popular museums and a central force behind Kanazawa’s reputation as a city of art.
You can enjoy many contemporary artworks that propose new values, including works that capture passing light through cut-out ceilings and the famous installation that looks like a pool in the garden but is actually a transparent glass space filled with water overhead, allowing visitors to look up at it from inside.

A rare beach road where you can actually drive on the sand. Stretching for Approx. 8 kilometers along the shoreline, it can be traveled not only by car but also by motorcycle and bicycle.
Because the sand particles are fine and firmly packed, you can enjoy the movie-like experience of driving right beside the waves, and a sunset drive here is especially moving.

Known affectionately as “Omicho,” this market has served as Kanazawa’s kitchen for Approx. 300 years.
About 170 shops line its narrow alleys, selling fresh seasonal seafood, vegetables, prepared foods, and souvenirs, creating a lively atmosphere.
Some shops cook food right in front of you, and others have eat-in seating, so you can enjoy seasonal local flavors on the spot. Popular items often sell out before noon, so it is best to visit in the morning.

Tojinbo is a rugged cliffscape dramatically carved by wave erosion and has long been praised as a scenic spot.
Its rough, imposing cliffs continue for about 1 kilometer, and it is said that only three places in the world, including Tojinbo, have columnar joints of this scale. It is designated as both a National Place of Scenic Beauty and a Natural Monument.
With cliffs rising more than 20 meters high, standing at the edge can be frightening enough to make your legs shake. Yet the horizon seen from there, along with Oshima, known as “God’s Island,” is truly beautiful.

A castle built in 1576 during the Sengoku period by Katsutoyo, nephew and adopted son of Katsuie Shibata, under the order of Oda Nobunaga.
In the Edo period, Narishige Honda became lord of the castle and the Maruoka Domain was established. Later, the Arima clan entered the domain and governed from here for eight generations.
Its keep is one of the oldest surviving examples of castle architecture in Japan and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

The head temple of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism in Japan. It was founded in 1244 by Zen master Dogen as a training monastery for zazen meditation.
On its vast grounds of Approx. 330,000 square meters stand more than 70 temple buildings centered around the seven main halls, where over 100 monks devote themselves to training each day.
Visitors can worship at places such as Joyoden Hall, the mausoleum enshrining Zen master Dogen, and Butsuden Hall, which enshrines Shakyamuni Buddha, the principal image.

One of the largest museums in Japan devoted to dinosaur-related materials. In Katsuyama, fossils including teeth, bones, and footprints of dinosaurs and many other vertebrates were discovered.
For that reason, the museum opened in 2000 and in some years receives more than 900,000 visitors annually.
The exhibition hall inside its silver shining dome is divided into three zones: “The World of Dinosaurs,” “Earth Science,” and “The History of Life.”

Kuzuryu Lake is an artificial lake created by damming the Kuzuryu River during the construction of the dam.
With the Kuzuryu Dam reaching 128 meters high and 355 meters wide, and with grand mountains surrounding the area, the site feels all the more dynamic.
In spring, the area around the lake turns a soft pink. Around 2,000 cherry trees, including Somei Yoshino, Yamazakura, and Yaezakura, bloom along about 15 kilometers of roadside.