I continue my travels throughout Japan and explore the Ishikawa Prefecture to visit historic, preserved Edo period towns in Kanazawa and Takayama.
I sample the Hida beef that is only available in this region of Japan and visit some of the classic districts where many tea houses and geishas entertain guests.
I also go over how to purchase the JR Pass, how to redeem the exchange order for a physical copy of the pass at the train station, and how to reserve seats on a train car for the best travel experience.
Japan Rail Pass Calculator Website: https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/ Use this to calculate your trips and see whether it is cost-effective to buy the JR Pass or not.
00:00 Intro
00:37 Japan Rail Pass
02:08 Seat Reservation with JR Pass
03:41 Kanazawa
05:56 Toyama
06:25 Takayama
08:13 Outro
Feel free to check out some of my other videos for travel tips, ideas, and overall impressions of the country I’m in!
#LeoDoesLife #Japan #Travel
After bouncing around Kyoto and Osaka, and getting acquainted with Japanese culture and savory cuisine options, I travel northeast to the Ishikawa Prefecture and its incredibly preserved historical districts. Kyoto Station is a huge, and frankly, eye-catching transportation hub connecting various trains, local subways, and bullet train lines. It’s busy most days but is surprisingly
Easy to navigate for first-timers. Before catching my train, I needed to pick up my JR Pass from the main office. I purchased the JR Pass from Klook about a week before arriving to Japan. It comes in the mail to your address as a document you
Will need to exchange for the physical copy of the pass. I bought my JR Pass for 21 consecutive days to travel throughout Japan. The cost was just over 60,000 Yen and I placed my order just before the price increase that went into effect on October 1st.
Since the price hike, individual tickets suddenly seem more appealing than paying full price for the JR Pass. There is a link I’ll leave in the description of this video, which can help you decide whether to buy the JR pass versus individual tickets and vice versa.
Japan practically runs on rail. It’s easily the most efficient, punctual, and streamlined experience I’ve had in all my travels. Besides the basic premise of going from Point A to Point B, the JR Pass also includes the bullet trains, known as shinkansen. These stylish and insanely fast trains are just amazing. They
Connect major cities all across Japan, come in a variety of colors, and offer a truly comfortable ride, similar to an airplane taking off. You can buy bento boxes at the station to consume on the train, so be sure to reserve a seat for the best possible experience.
I’ll quickly show a quick crash course on how to reserve a seat using the green machine at the station. Touch Japan Rail Pass on the bottom left, and then “Select Train to Use Now” and number of passengers. Scan the QR code on the JR Pass, input your passport number,
Followed by spelling out your desired departure station, your arrival station, and the date and approximate time for your departure. A quick search will give you some options, select the one you’re most comfortable with, and then the seat reservation menu will open. Hit the button with the green circle for each
Leg of the journey and then you can either manually select your seat or let the system reserve one automatically. I prefer to do my own and choose a car that is least occupied. After all is said and done, the seat tickets will print out. Don’t forget to take your
JR Pass as well and then head to the track where your train will be arriving on time. Back at Kyoto Station, I hopped on the Thunderbird to take me across the varied landscape of middle Japan. The line stems from Kyoto to Kanazawa and the entire trip took just over two hours.
Kanazawa station was voted one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. The city itself is chill, with a mix of modern infrastructure and old-world charm. I only had one day here, so I walked over to the Higashi Chaya district,
Which was once an entertainment district filled with tea houses and geishas. It’s exceptionally preserved and authentic, making each little alleyway fun to explore. The smell of tea, cedar, and local eateries is something special and I really felt like I stepped into a bygone era in this district.
You’ll find a lot of classic homes still standing in Kanazawa, so naturally I chose a 140-year old home to serve as my guesthouse. A former kimono shop, located next to a small canal, and felt like home right from the get-go. Really recommend it if
Staying in Kanazawa, and I even learned how to create origami cranes. Write a wish on the small paper, make the crane, and add to a large collection to be incinerated at the end of the year for good fortune. This was also a city where I tried bullet train sushi. Order from a menu,
The train arrives carrying your order, hit the button to send it back. Rinse, repeat. It’s not to be confused with conveyor belt sushi, from which you can just pick and choose pre-made individual plates. The empty
Plates are tallied up at the end for payment and it’s a great idea if you want a quick sushi fix. The next day I took another bullet train for a short ride heading east to the sister city of Toyama. I actually liked this city, it’s kind of old-
School and has a fun little college vibe going for it. It was also where I was first introduced to the traditional Japanese instrument called a Shamisen. The train ride to Takayama from Toyama is quite beautiful, with a river winding its way
Underneath the train tracks all the way into town. Takayama is known for its preserved old town, called Sanmachi, dating all the way back to the Edo period. It’s lined with traditional wooden merchant homes, sake breweries, craft shops, and cafes. I was told to try the Hida Beef while in
Takayama. Similar to Kobe beef, its renowned for its exceptional quality and taste. I got it sashimi style on a rice cracker. But overall, wasn’t really blown away by it. The main drag can be crowded but once you cross the road, there are more merchant stores and old
Timey shops, with a few hits of random nostalgia. An old, wooden shrine in the forest is also a nice touch, with a lot of intricate details and a glimpse into a bygone era. There’s just so much art, ancient calligraphy, and impressive
Woodworking to be found in this unique region. The attention to detail is quite impressive. If I had to choose, I’d pick Takayama as a nice day trip if you’re looking to experience Japan from its early days and admire the dedication the locals have into preserving such a historic region.
This wraps up my travels in the Ishikawa Prefecture – a region that truly transports you back in time of ancient Japan. In my next video, I travel to the Central Alps near Nagano to explore the high country and take in the bright colors of fall. If you like this video, please don’t
Forget to like, subscribe and follow my journey around Japan. See you next time.