Sightseeing

Situated in the grounds of the former Komatsu Castle, Rojo Park is famous as a cherry blossom viewing spot. In spring visitors will be able to enjoy the 140 cherry blossom trees in full bloom.

Kibagata park affords a beautiful view of Mt. Hakusan, and the lagoon is surrounded by natural parkland. The many park facilities include a rest house, a dock and tennis courts. The park is a good spot for bird watching and the traditional art of crucian carp fishing with hera rods. Various projects have been undertaken to clean up Kibagata Lagoon.

A watercourse, constructed in April 2000, starting from the Dainichi River leads water directly into the lagoon, the Seseragi water channel, and a "water and greenery" park, where aquatic plants that clean the water by absorbing nutrients. The vast  surrounding nature in the park makes it popular with visitors.

Contact

Tel: 0761-43-3106

After river improvement works were conducted on the old bed of the Kakehashi River, the area was left unused. The site was turned into Suehiro Park, a wooded area.

Containing a large forest and 2 ponds, the park is a popular place for visitors to take walks and bird watch. Families can enjoy the Wanpaku and Fureai areas, as well as barbecue facilities.

Contact

Tel or Fax: 0761-24-4558

Have fun all year round with skiing and snowboarding activities in winter, and hiking from Spring to Autumn.

Only a 25 minute drive from the city, the park is popular for its beautiful nature.

Opening hours may change depending on the  weather conditions
Cosmos Festival (Late Oct)

The kabuki play Kanjincho has made the Ataka-no-Seki Barrier famous across Japan. Eight hundred years after it was erected, the stone signpost of the checkpoint still stands discreetly in the pine forest overlooking the Sea of Japan. Beside it, the bronze statues of Benkei and Yoshitsune, and the barrier keeper Togashi are exposed to the sea breeze. Here visitors can get a taste of the romance of bygone days.

On the grounds are Ataka-no-Sekisho Hall, with many historical records and treasures on display, and the Kanjincho-no-Sato Ataka View Terrace rest house, from which you can get a bird's-eye view of the Sea of Japan. It is a good place to turn your thoughts to the distant past over a cup of coffee.

Contact

Tel: 0761-21-6734

Komatsu Tenmangu Shrine (also known as Bairin-in) is a quarter scale model of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto, and enshrines Sugawara Michizane, an ancestor of the Maeda family. 

In the olden days, the North East direction was known as the kimon, and was considered bad luck. Temples and shrines were often built facing the kimon to ward of the bad luck. Atago Yofukuin Temple (which no longer exists) was built in the kimon direction from Komatsu Castle, as was Komatsu Tenmangu Shrine.

Komatsu Tenmangu Shrine houses a guardian deity that was very important to the Kaga clan. A stone tablet inscribed with Matsuo Basho's haiku can be found on the grounds.

Contact

Tel: 0761-22-2539

In the Heian period, Hotokegozen traveled from Karumigo, Kaga (present-day Hara Town) to Kyoto, where she became renowned as an expert dancer and received the patronage of Taira no Kiyomori. However she feared for the safety of Gio and Gijo, who had previously served Kiyomori and had been abandoned by him. She would end up leaving Kiyomori to visit Gio and Gijo. This tale has been immortalized in The Heike Monogatari. Hotokegozen's grave and the remnants of her villa still exist today.

The cave entrance is flanked by a pair of Deva statues. Even in summer, the interior remains chilly, and as you venture further in, you will be greeted by the many statues that depict a ghastly scene of hell.

Leaving the cave, you will enter a park where a reclining Buddha statue can be found.

The second generation chief priest, Mr. Hakuma Tsugata is currently attempting to make the largest Buddha statue in Japan, of which the head has already been completed.

Contact

Website: Hanibe Cave （Ryumyoji Town）

Tel: 0761-47-3188

A famous temple of the Shingon sect. It is believed to have originated in 717 when the monk Taicho placed a thousand armed Kannon statue (Senju Kannon) in a rocky cavern. The temple was reconstructed in the Edo period by the third lord of Kaga, Maeda Toshitsune. Matsuo Basho would later pay homage at the temple on his visit to Komatsu where he composed a famous haiku. In the fall many people go to the temple on family outings to enjoy the fall foliage.

Contact

Website (Japanese): Nata-dera Temple （Nata Town） 

Tel: 0761-65-2111

Surrounded by nature, Yunokuni-no-mori is a craft village where visitors can experience making traditional Ishikawa crafts such as Kutani ware, Wajima lacquerware and Kaga Yuzen dyed silk, as well as Japanese -style sweets and Kaga cuisine.The studio buildings are old houses that have been moved from their original sites and reconstructed for your enjoyment of Kaga culture.

Contact

Tel: 0761-65-3456

Website (Japanese):Yunokuni-no-Mori （Awazu Onsen）

From classic cars from all over the world, popular Japanese cars, popular foreign cars to famous cars, about five hundred cars are exhibited at this museum.

The museum also has a restaurant and a shop. The museum also collects toilets from all over the world.

Contact

Website:Motorcar Museum of Japan （Futatsunashi Town）

Tel: 0761-43-4343

The only aviation museum in the region. Displays include both real and model planes. Exhibits explaining the history of flying and the aircraft mechanisms can be found as well.

Contact

Tel: 0761-23-4811

Website: Aviation Plaza (Hei 92 Atakashin-machi）

Discovered in 718 by the monk Taicho, who founded the Hakusan Shrine, Awazu Onsen is the oldest of the Kaga hot springs at 1,300 years old. Almost all of the inns have their own water source, and the hot spring contains rich minerals. It is the perfect place to refresh the mind and body.

Osshobe Festival (26-28 Aug)

Contact

Website: Awazu Onsen （Awazu Hot Springs）

Tel: 0761-65-1834

 Otabi Festival ~City of Kabuki~

Held every year in May, the Otabi Festival is one of the three greatest festivals of Ishikawa, along with the Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Festival and the Nanao Seihaku Festival.

Highlights include the magnificient Hikiyama floats from eight towns around the city and the children's Kabuki performed on two of those floats.

The excitement and beauty of the festival reaches its peak in the evening. Children Kabuki performances are held throughout the festival.

Osshobe Festival (Awazu Onsen)

Around the end of August, the Osshobe mass dance is held to the melody of the Awazu folk song: Osshobe-bushi. The teams, which each have their own dance uniforms, come from the many towns around the city and even the local inns to show off their dancing. In the evening, when the beautiful festival lanterns are lit, the festive mood takes over the entire city.

Don-don Festival (Komatsu City)

The Don-don Festival got its name from the large taiko drums that are often played during.

The festival represents the desire of the citizens to better understand their traditional culture and to create new culture in order to develop the city in all its aspects.

Akuma-barai Ceremony (Mukaimotoori-machi, Hakusan Shrine)

Every year on September 16, an exorcism ceremony held on the night of Hakusan Shrine's Autumn Festival.

Two performers, one in a demonic looking male mask and another dressed as a pregnant lady dance madly in the light of the moon in this very powerful and moving scene.

Ataka Festival (Ataka Town)

Held every October, the Ataka Festival is a prayer for good health and a bountiful fishing season. Beautiful portable shrines (mikoshi) are paraded around the town, with the highlight of the parade being a large float in the form of a boat carrying the Seven Foutune Gods.

As the skies darken, young women dressed up traditionally in beautiful red kimono dance around in the circle. Traditionally, the women dancers are unmarried and about 20 years of age. It is a striking spectacle, not to be missed.