Noto — Peninsula of Traditions
NOTO: SEA, CRAFTS & TRADITIONS

Noto — Peninsula of Traditions

Discovering the culture of Noto, shaped by the sea and traditional crafts

  • Duration: 10 hours (start at 8:30)
  • Price: On request
  • Departure: Departure and arrival at hotels in Kanazawa

Overview

 
The Noto Peninsula stretches for about 100 km into the Sea of Japan—a land living in harmony with the sea. Here, daily life is still shaped by fishing villages, a morning market with a thousand-year history, five centuries of lacquerware craftsmanship, and the tranquil landscapes of satoyama and satoumi.

 

Drive along the sandy shore of Chirihama, admire the terraced rice fields of Shiroyone Senmaida descending to the sea, visit the lively Wajima Morning Market, once again bustling with life, and discover the art of Noto at a lacquerware workshop. Explore the Noto Peninsula and immerse yourself in the unique landscapes and daily life of its people.

 

Itinerary: hotel in Kanazawa → Chirihama Nagisa Driveway → Noto Satoyama Kaido → Wajima Morning Market (temporary location) → Wajima lacquerware workshop → seafood lunch on the Sea of Japan coast → Shiroyone Senmaida → Wakura Onsen → hotel in Kanazawa

 

*Some roads and sites in Oku-Noto are still under reconstruction; the itinerary may be adjusted depending on the situation on the day of the trip.

Key Features

  1. Chirihama Road — A sandy road running along the water’s edge. Stretching for about 8 km, this is the only beach in Japan where you can drive a car.
  2. Noto Satoyama Kaido — A road running north to south through the Noto Peninsula. Known as one of the best travel routes in Hokuriku, it offers views of the coastline and satoyama landscapes.
  3. Wajima Morning Market — Originating in the 11th century, one of Japan’s three great morning markets. Although the morning market street was lost due to the earthquake and fire of 2024, merchants have resumed operations at a temporary site.
  4. Vadzima-nuri — Five centuries of lacquer craftsmanship. Wajima is one of the leading centers of lacquerware production. From crafting the wooden base to applying layers of lacquer, polishing, and exquisite decoration.
  5. Rice terraces — 1,000 small rice terraces cascade down to the Sea of Japan. With each season, the landscape transforms: a water mirror, emerald fields, golden harvests, and winter lights.
  6. Wakura Onsen — A historic hot spring resort overlooking Nanao Bay. The legacy of the hot springs and the coastal character of the town evoke the atmosphere of traditional Japan.

Itinerary

Day 1 — A Day in Noto — Amidst the Sea, Crafts, and Traditions

  • 8:30 Departure from the hotel in Kanazawa
    Head north in a private car with a personal driver. As you leave the city, you will soon sense the proximity of the Sea of Japan. Your guide will share insights about today’s journey through Noto.
  • 9:15 Chirihama Nagisa Road
    The tires press into the sand as you drive along the shore. Open the window to feel the sea breeze. You can stop the car to walk by the waves and look for shells (passage may be impossible depending on the tide).
  • 10:00 Head north along Noto Satoyama Kaido
    Enjoy a unique journey through Noto, where landscapes of the sea and villages alternate. Along the way, stop at roadside stations to discover local delicacies and the lifestyle of this region.
  • 11:20 Wajima Morning Market (temporary location)
    We will visit merchants operating at a temporary site in place of the burned Asaichi street. Depending on the season, guests will discover local gastronomy: fugu (Japanese pufferfish); snow crab; sea urchin; abalone; sweet shrimp amaebi; yellowtail buri.
  • 12:00 Wajima-nuri Workshop
    The Wajima-nuri technique has been developed here for over 500 years and is considered the pinnacle of Japanese urushi art.
    Guests will visit workshops to discover the creation process:
    wood preparation; application of natural urushi lacquer; multilayer polishing; decoration with gold and silver.
  • 13:00 Seafood lunch from the Sea of Japan
    The finest seasonal fish. Restaurant reservations where guests can savor local delicacies such as winter yellowtail, Kanou crab, sweet shrimp, and blackthroat sea perch, depending on the day's catch.
  • 14:30 Shiroyone Senmaida Rice Terraces
    1,000 rice fields cascading in steps toward the sea. Admire the terraces from the observation deck or stroll along the ridges between the flooded plots. Depending on the season, you will see shimmering water mirrors, lush green fields, golden rice, or winter lights.
  • 16:30 Wakura Onsen
    Welcome to Wakura Onsen, embraced by Nanao Bay. Stroll through the resort town, enjoy the sea breeze, and ease your travel fatigue in a foot bath. Immerse yourself in the leisurely atmosphere of Noto, where life harmonizes with the sea as you admire the tranquil views of the bay.
    Then, set off from Wakura Onsen to Kanazawa. During the approximately 1 hour and 15 minute journey back to the hotel, enjoy the views of Nanao Bay and the coastal landscapes of Noto.
  • 18:30 Hotel in Kanazawa
    Return to the hotel in Kanazawa.

WHAT THE SEA RETURNS

What the sea returns — Noto, on the reviving coast

In Noto, everything comes from the sea. Winter yellowtail, Kano crabs. For a thousand years, the gifts of the sea have been brought to the morning market.

On the first day of 2024, this coast was shaken violently. The morning market burned down, the terraced rice fields cracked, and the lights of the hot spring inns went out.

And yet, water returned to the fields, and once again, fourteen hundred small mirrors reflect the sky. Under temporary shelters, the voices of merchants can be heard again. In the lacquer workshops, the quiet sound of polishing continues.

Noto is a land that awaits return, not counting its losses. Once more, it transforms the gifts of the sea into its own landscape.

Additional options

 

  • Excursion to the Wajima-nuri lacquerware workshop
  • Seafood lunch on the coast of the Sea of Japan
  • Tour and tasting at a sake brewery
  • Introduction to the culture of ama (female divers)
  • Private cruise along the Noto coastline
  • Extended stay at a ryokan in Wakura Onsen
  • Helicopter tour of the peninsula
  • Visit to the Wajima Kiriko Museum

Practical Information

Start time / Duration
8:30/10 hours
Included in the price
・Car with a personal driver
・Accompaniment by a professional guide
・Admission tickets

*Please note that meals and additional options are not included in the tour price.