Kanazawa Walking Tour: Gold Leaf, Japanese Sweets and Ninja Stars
- Make a beautiful gold leaf plate that you can take home and display or use
- Walk through the atmospheric Kazuemachi Geisha district before exploring the stunning and famous Higashichaya Teahouse District
- Make a variety of delicious Japanese mochi sweets that you can eat at your own pleasure
- Tour the backway to the Nishi-chaya District and slowly see Ishiura shrine, the DT Suzuki Museum and other outdoor art and attractions
- Learn more about ninjas and try throwing two different types of throwing stars at the Ninja Museum
What to expect
The city of Kanazawa, with its beautiful gardens, historic districts and delicious local foods, is more than just the sights within it. Why not get hands-on experience with Japanese and local cultural activities while exploring some of the lesser visited areas. The area is famous for its traditional crafts such as gold leaf, Japanese sweets, pottery, kimono-making, etc. On this tour you can try out using gold leaf, making Japanese sweets and also getting a chance at throwing two different types of ninja stars. If you are someone who wants to dive deeper into the culture of the city while walking around the city, this is the tour for you.








Reviews
Amazing tour given to us by Daniel!Highly recommend this tour as you will experience and see places that are not your average 'touristy' activities. The Gold leaf foiling was so much fun (staff were so kind) and was great to have something uniquely your own to take home. Ninja Museum was amazing as you can see armour and weapons up close. Daniel was the best tour guide. So down to earth and personable. Book now everyone, you won't regret it! Ps we got graced by a prying mantis at stautes honouring the Seven Samurai! Look at this cute little guy!!
Overall, the guided tour experience was very good. Our guide, Daniel, not only took us to see representative traditional architecture and teahouse streets, but also arranged visits to lesser-known, quiet parks and cultural attractions. He also included a traditional handicraft experience, and we were able to take our finished works home, which was very engaging. The explanations were clear, and especially in the historical sections, he converted Japanese era names into common years, making it easier to understand. He also supplemented the explanations with background stories for each location, giving the tour more cultural depth. Even when asked about additional cultural knowledge, the guide was able to explain clearly based on history. The overall arrangement was thoughtful and smooth, making it suitable for travelers who want to learn more about the local culture. Please note that the walking time on the tour is quite long, so it is recommended to wear comfortable shoes.
Our guide, Zach, was amazing and we loved learning about the history of Kanazawa and Japan through our conversations with him. When the original sweets-making shop was closed, Mike quickly arranged an alternative local sweets-making experience, this made it even more memorable and gave us a deeper connection to Kanazawa’s traditions. We enjoyed seeing shrines, temples, and Geisha (Geiko) districts, as well as a wonderful local lunch recommended by Zach. The gold leaf decorating activity was a highlight, and Zach took photos so we could fully enjoy it. On the way to the Ninja Museum, he also showed us local spots. The Ninja Museum was fascinating, especially the chance to throw shuriken. At the end of the tour, Zach helped us with the bus system and shared great recommendations for other places to visit in Japan. His knowledge, enthusiasm, and personal attention made our trip truly special. We highly recommend this tour and Zach as a guide. Sincerely, Phillip, Jennifer, and Jacob
it became a private tour for the two of us on that day. Although we walked the whole day with our tour guide, the itinerary was totally flexible and we pretty much did everything we should do in Kanazawa. Enjoyed the tour very much.
I really recommend this tour ! Mike was my guide and what a day it was ! the activities were really fun to do and they make great souvenir. Mike has such good history knowing it made the trip even better. It is so worth it to see Kanazawa and to know it history in a New way.
Daniel was highly knowledgeable and his passion for the history of Kanazawa shone through. Definitely expect to clock a lot of steps but I learned so much today
it has a nice way to visit Kanazawa: the workshops were good fun for the kids. the guide Daniel was very knowledgeable and pleasant.
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