2025 Nanao Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in May)

Through the large glass windows, we gazed at the countryside scenery outside as the train quickly took us to Wakura Onsen in Nanao City, just an hour's drive from Kanazawa. Wakura Onsen boasts over 1200 years of history, with its spring water being tasteless and colorless, making it perfect for first-time visitors or families. While the spring water at Wakura Onsen may seem ordinary, the unbeatable ocean views of Nanao Bay are sure to leave you in awe. The most traditional ryokan at Wakura Onsen is Kagaya. If you wish to enjoy a private onsen with ocean views, consider staying at a seaside ryokan. Thus begins our 'one night, two meals' onsen journey. At sunset, enjoy a private bath with ocean views from your room; for dinner, savor traditional Japanese kaiseki cuisine. Wakura Onsen mainly attracts local tourists, and the onsen street is not overly commercialized, making it perfect for those who enjoy tranquility and nature. Shirasagi no Yu Noto Kaishu 📍Address: 31 Bu, Wakuramachi, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture 💰Average Cost: JPY 30,000

Finally, I stayed at the famous inn "Kagaya", which was ranked "best in Japan overall" in the 100 best Japanese inns selected by professionals! The atmosphere inside the inn is so impressive that it feels like a museum, and the hospitality is wonderful. From the entrance, you can feel the extraordinary atmosphere that is different from other inns. The food, which uses plenty of ingredients from the Hokuriku region, is also excellent! I had always wanted to stay there, and one of my dreams has come true 😌 ■Facility information Wakura Onsen Kagaya 80 Yobe, Wakura-cho, Nanao-shi, Ishikawa-ken 926-0175 #Luxury hotel #Beautiful view hotel #Hot spring inn #Hot spring

#KanazawaTourism Cherry blossom season is here again. Komaruyama Castle was actually the first castle built by Maeda Toshiie. Not in Kanazawa, but in Nanao, a prosperous city in the Hokuriku region at the time. The cherry trees and flowers are magnificent, and there is also a sumo ring. The Nanao area and Noto are also famous for sumo, and are the birthplace of Showa era Yokozuna Wajima Taishi.

\Summary of hot spring inns with amazing views that I've stayed at♨️/ ⁡ ⁡ I've been asked a lot lately, so I've compiled a list of my favorite hot spring inns with amazing views! 🙆‍♀️ ⁡ They're all wonderful and highly recommended, so please check them out! ⁡ ① Kagaya ▶︎ 80 Yobe, Wakura-cho, Nanao-shi, Ishikawa ⁡ ② AMANE RESORT SEIKAI ▶︎ 6-24 Shoningahama, Beppu-shi, Oita ⁡ ② Umehibiki ▶︎ Nishioyama, Oyama-cho, Hita-shi, Oita ⁡ ② Kanigoten ▶︎ 316-3 Oura Otsu, Tara-cho, Fujitsu-gun, Saga ⁡ ③ Hoshino Resort #Oirase Keiryu Hotel ▶︎ 231 Okuse Tochikubo, Towada-shi, Aomori ⁡ #Luxury Hotel #Anniversary Hotel #Breathtaking Hot Spring Inn

* ＊ Kanazawa Adult Girls Trip ＊ 20221206-1208 [Wakura] Seirinji Temple The autumn leaves are so beautiful🍁 The head priests taught us the position and angle, so we were able to take great photos♡ #NotoPeninsula #NotoPeninsulaDrive #NotoFoodFestivalMarket #NotoGourmet #NotoTourism #IshikawaTrip #IshikawaPrefecture #IshikawaTourism #IshikawaGourmet #Wakura #WakuraOnsen #Temple #Seirinji Temple #AutumnLeaves

* ＊ Kanazawa Adult Girls Trip ＊ 20221206-1208 [Wakura] Le Musee de H Wakura Store Everything looked so delicious I couldn't choose one in front of the showcase🙈 ☑︎Saison de Gateau ☑︎Croissant ☑︎Assam Straight Cake I want to try all of them😁 #Noto Peninsula #Noto Peninsula Drive #Le Musee de H #Le Musee de H Wakura #Noto Gourmet #Noto Tourism #Ishikawa Trip #Ishikawa Prefecture #Ishikawa Tourism #Ishikawa Gourmet #Tsujiguchi Hiroaki #Tsujiguchi Hiroaki Museum of Art

* ＊ Kanazawa Adult Girls Trip ＊ 20221206-1208 Day 2. Driving around the Noto Peninsula in a rental car🚗 Bad weather🙈 To the roadside station Noto Shokusai Market. At Satoyama Satoumi Koji, located inside the market, We'll grill some Noto oysters♡ I want to eat some Noto oysters😆 You can bring them in and grill them at the roadside station This time ☑︎ Shokusai Market Set ☑︎ Grilled Oysters and Kombu ☑︎ Non-alcoholic beer♡ Enjoyed♡♡♡ I drove all the way from Kanazawa But the power of the Sea of ​​Japan was so great I was screaming in the car lol Fukuoka is also on the Sea of ​​Japan side But the winter level was so different🙈 #NotoPeninsula #NotoPeninsulaDrive #NotoShokusaiMarket #NotoGourmet #NotoTourism #IshikawaTrip #IshikawaPrefecture #IshikawaTourism #IshikawaGourmet

I've always wanted to go to this super old-established inn in Ishikawa, and it was amazing... ⁡ This old-established hot spring inn has been chosen as the "best in Japan" for 36 consecutive years in the "Top 100 Japanese Hotels and Inns Selected by Professionals"! ⁡ The entrance is very impressive, and the food was delicious! ⁡ It's a long way from Ishikawa, an hour by express train, but I'm really glad I went🥹 ⁡ I chose the in-room dining plan at Notonagisa Bettei, and it was really good🙆‍♀️ ⁡ The building is spacious and has many buildings, so I recommend checking it out if you're staying there! ⁡ For a more detailed report, see the link in the profile ⁡ [Access] ・About an hour by express from Ishikawa ・A large bus shuttle to the nearest station (no reservation required) ⁡ [Bath] ・The open-air bath with a view of the ocean is the best ・The bath is large because it's an indoor bath ・There's also a free juice corner after the bath ⁡ [Facilities] ・The historic building is impressive from the entrance! ・The Hiten lobby with a view of the ocean ・The corridor is really impressive ・They also did a tour of the art works in the building ⁡ [Dinner] ・We were able to relax with the in-room dining plan ・Super luxurious with crab and abalone! The seasoning is also excellent ・Each dish is served one by one, making it extremely luxurious ⁡ 【Breakfast】 ・This is my personal No.1 breakfast, the seasoning is excellent ・Ishikawa specialty Noto milk is also included ⁡ 【Service】 ・Amazing welcome and farewell from many staff members ・The assistant manager came to our room to say hello ・The person in charge ran to the bus on the way back and gave us a candy ⁡ ⁡ 👩‍🎨 #Kagaya 80 Yobe, Wakura-cho, Nanao-shi, Ishikawa ⁡ Room▶︎Noto Nagisatei (room service) Reference budget▶︎2 meals included, 2 people, 1 room, 1 person, ¥38,000~ ⁡ Open-air bath/large bath/sauna/free shuttle ⁡ ✈︎---------------------- ⁡ #Ishikawa #IshikawaHotel #AnniversaryHotel #RewardHotel #HotelStay #HotSpringInn

#hotspring Wakura Onsen is located in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Celebrity Nanao is also an ambassador. The hot spring also has a history of 1200 years. The inside was spacious and clean, and the foot bath near the entrance is free, so many people were using it.

This izakaya is recommended by locals and is located near Wakura Onsen Soyu. Noto is a place where you can eat fresh local fish, but the thickness of this sashimi is incredible. I'm happy that it's reasonably priced for that! The taste is also excellent!! There was a recommended menu for the day, and I had salt-grilled rockfish. The owner of the restaurant was also very friendly, and the atmosphere was very fun. #WesternJapan#Izakaya#WakuraOnsen#Noto

The most anticipated thing when staying at a Japanese hot spring hotel is dinner time This evening is also the dinner and award ceremony for this competition tour When you come to a hot spring hotel, of course you want to have the famous kaiseki cuisine~ Tonight's menu is looking forward to a variety of kaiseki dishes. This is the type of food you should eat when you come to Japan. It's like Japanese food! Finally it's time to eat. Super hot spring hotel dinner. Every dish is very exquisite. This is just a part of it. I have been looking forward to eating this live abalone since the beginning. It is soft, chewy and has no fishy smell. It is really delicious. I really like the freshness and sweetness of this flavor There are also small hot pots available. Basically, this amount is enough to fill you up. #Japanese food #Japan

*Tadaya, located a little uphill from Wakura Onsen town, has an outstanding view. From the lobby, which is completely made of glass, you can see the scenery of Nanao Bay, which is rich in nature. *The hot spring was a very rare transparent salt hot spring! *The food was also very delicious! ! [Accommodation] Tadaya Room type: Sea-facing Japanese-style room ...

Address: 31 Wabe, Wakura-cho, Nanao-shi, Ishikawa-ken 926-0175 Atmosphere/Facilities: There are many types of hot springs, and the open-air baths where you can enjoy the view are a great way to spend time✨ Recommended points: There is a cave bath that reminds you of the inside of a cave, a steam foot bath, and a sauna. The bathing area for men and women is changed at different times, so you can enjoy it twice as much✨ The Japanese kaiseki cuisine is also delicious, so it's a recommended inn✨ Average price: 40,000 yen Budget per person: 20,000 yen Rating: Overall rating ⭐4.2 #gourmet #gourmettrip #breathtakingview

Address: 31 Wakura-cho, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, 926-0175 Atmosphere/Facilities: This is a hot spring theme park inn where you can enjoy a large natural open-air bath, three private open-air baths, and an indoor open-air bath✨ It's only been a year since it was last inn, so you can relax in a clean room☀️ Recommended points: Breakfast and dinner are fresh fish and wild vegetables from Nanao Bay right in front of you, so you can enjoy locally produced cuisine✨ Average price: 40,000 yen Budget per person: 20,000 yen Rating: Overall rating ⭐4.2 #gourmet food #gourmet trip #great view #open-air bath in guest room

Address: 13-6 Wabe, Wakura-cho, Nanao-shi, Ishikawa Atmosphere/Facilities: Located opposite the Wakura Onsen Soyu, this is a great place to come after a hot spring bath. The interior is decorated with pop art and large milk bottles, and the exterior is designed to be photogenic. There is a milk bottle wall and you can try making milk soap, so many young people visit the store. ✨ Recommended points: Noto beef milk has a refreshing taste, but is rich when made into ice cream. The yogurt drink I bought as a souvenir is also a great drink to have after a bath, so I recommend it. ✨ Average price: Up to 999 yen Budget per person: 1,000 yen Rating: Overall rating ⭐4.0

Address: 61 Wakura-cho, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, 926-0175 Admission is 500 yen per person☀️ There are other experiences available, which can be experienced for an additional 1500 yen☀️ What to see: This is a place built as a resting place for Emperor Taisho when he visited Wakura✨ At the time, it was normal to demolish the building after a few days of stay, but there are three remaining in the country, and Seirinji Temple is one of them☀️ It is built entirely of cypress, and the garden seen from the Gobengden is reflected on the table, which has no fingerprints, creating a fantastic atmosphere✨ This is a historical building that is highly recommended as a hidden spot✨ #Breathtaking view #Registered tangible cultural property

Address: 31 Wabe, Wakura-cho, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, 926-0175 About 5 minutes by car from JR Noto Railway Wakura Onsen Station Atmosphere/Facilities: We were guided to the best seat, the glass-fronted horizontal table in the first photo ✨ It feels like you spend about an hour relaxing and eating the Japanese food prepared for you while looking out over Nanao Bay ✨ Recommended points: Three types of grilled fish, seaweed tsukudani, miso soup with a gentle taste that contains fish broth, and dessert were also delicious ✨ Average price: 45,000 yen Budget per person: 22,500 yen Rating: Overall rating ⭐4.2 #Breathtaking view #Gourmet trip

Address: 31 Wabe, Wakura-cho, Nanao-shi, Ishikawa-ken 926-0175 Atmosphere/Facilities: Wooden floors, and aperitif sake and sea urchin tofu are served at the table☀️ Recommended points: You can enjoy elaborate dishes little by little, and you can enjoy kaiseki cuisine that uses plenty of seafood and mountain produce✨ The sake went so well with it that I ordered three cups of local sake🍶 It's also highly recommended to soak in the private open-air bath early in the day, have a meal, and then relax in the indoor open-air bath in your room✨ Average price: 45,000 yen Budget per person: 22,500 yen Rating: Overall rating ⭐4.2 #gourmet trip #gourmet

Address: 122-53 Mukouda-machi Notojima Nanao-shi Ishikawa 926-0211 Time required: 15-75 minutes Parking available Glassblowing experience (from 3,000 yen) Sandblasting experience (from 1,000 yen) Accessories experience (1,500 yen) Glassbead experience (from 1,200 yen) Glass drawing experience (1,200 yen) Tax not included, and since you can't take it home right away, it will be shipped to your home, so I've written "shipping not included"✨ There was also a product display area, and there were many beautiful glass tableware with intricate craftsmanship✨ The glassblowing experience was half fun and half nervous about the 1600℃ glass, but it's a place I would definitely recommend if you visit Notojima☀️ #glasscrafts

Address: 122-14 Mukouda-machi Notojima Nanao City Ishikawa Prefecture Atmosphere/Facilities: This restaurant serves not only seafood bowls, but also teppanyaki in the Hamayaki style over gas☀️ Infection prevention measures are taken with plastic sheets☀️ Recommended points: The fresh fish caught at the fishing port that day is best eaten simply, grilled on the beach and sprinkled with salt☀️ The seafood bowls are popular, so they may sell out depending on the time of day, so if you absolutely want to eat them, we recommend coming early✨ Average price: 1,000 yen to 1,999 yen Budget per person: 2,200 yen Rating: Overall rating ⭐3.3 #gourmet #gourmet trip

I went to Notojima Aquarium on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, one of only four aquariums in Japan that keeps whale sharks. 🐠 Don't underestimate this aquarium just because it's a local one! It has the largest tank on the Sea of ​​Japan side, with 1,600 tons of water needed to keep whale sharks. 🌟 It was my first time seeing a real whale shark, and it was bigger and more impressive than I imagined! It swam around the blue tank so comfortably that I could have watched it forever. In addition to the usual shows like the dolphin show, Notojima Aquarium's original shows, like the Sardine Big Wave and Red Sea Bream Sound and Light Fantasia, were also fun! Apparently, many of the fish on display here were caught in the nets of local fishermen. The big aquariums in the city are nice, but I also recommend the local Notojima Aquarium! 📍15-40, Notojima Magarimachi, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, 926-0216 #aquarium #ishikawatrip #trip2022

It takes about an hour from Kanazawa Station on the local IR Ishikawa Railway Line 🚃 I took a stroll along the Ipponsugi-dori Shopping Street, a road with over 600 years of history in Nanao on the Noto Peninsula. It is a shopping street lined with old-fashioned shops, and is famous for its bridal curtain tradition. There is a bus to Wakura Onsen from Nanao Station, so it is a perfect stopover when you go to the hot springs ♨️ 📍〒926-0806　 Ipponsugi-cho, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture #IshikawaTrip #trip2022

When I went on a trip to Ishikawa Prefecture, the weather forecast said it would rain, so I gave up on sightseeing in nature and went to Notojima Aquarium instead. I went there to enjoy the projection mapping, but I also enjoyed the dolphin and sea lion shows, so I was able to enjoy Noto even in the rain. It was very crowded, probably because there were a lot of people like me. #themepark

I went to a sushi restaurant in Nanao, a town in Ishikawa Prefecture. In an alley just a short walk from the station, there is a row of bars full of Showa-era retro vibes. It takes a bit of courage to enter these alleys, but the retro vibe is refreshing. #retrotownscape

I went to a long-established soy sauce shop in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture. I bought some dashi soup and soy sauce. Unfortunately, we couldn't tour the inside because of COVID-19, but the shop is in an old building and has a nice atmosphere. By the way, the shop is a storehouse-style building built in the Meiji period and is a nationally registered tangible cultural property. 29 Ipponsugi-cho, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture Torii Soy Sauce Shop #Retro Townscape

Nanao Castle, a famous castle from the Sengoku period. Known as one of the five great mountain castles in Japan, the summit at an altitude of about 300m offers a spectacular view of Nanao Bay and the Noto Peninsula. It once flourished as the base of the Hatakeyama clan, who ruled Noto, and was also the site of a historical attack by Uesugi Kenshin. Today, stone walls and moats remain, giving a glimpse of the past. If you climb as if you were hiking, the view from the top will be even more impressive! 🚶♂️✨ Recommended for history lovers and those who want to enjoy the spectacular views. #NanaoCastle #FiveGreatMountainCastlesofJapan #IshikawaPrefectureTourism #SengokuPeriod #SpectacularSpots #HistoryRomance #CastleTour #0YenTravelFebruary2025

In fact, the normal departure time of this Pokémon train from Nanao to Wakura Onsen should be in the afternoon, but for some reason I set off in the morning and accidentally took this Pokémon train which was not on the timetable. It was an unexpected surprise. Although many attractions on the Noto Peninsula are closed due to the earthquake, it is far away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist area. For those who like quietness, it is a good place to visit on holidays.

Notojima Aquarium was closed for about half a year due to the earthquake, but reopened in July. I visited it on a trip to Kanazawa and Noto before the earthquake. It seems that the earthquake has still had an impact, such as the dolphin and sea lion shows not being resumed, but it has been restored and is entertaining customers every day, so I would like to write a review with a feeling of support! We had a trip to Kanazawa for the first night and Noto for the second night, so we rented a car and headed from Kanazawa. 🚙 It is about an hour and a half by car from Kanazawa. First of all, when we entered the aquarium, we were greeted by two whale sharks!! I thought that if I wanted to see whale sharks, I had to go to Okinawa... but on this day I realized that I was wrong...! I can't believe there are two in one tank! What's more, you can see it from above and from the side, and the sight of it swimming leisurely and powerfully is a highlight✨ But sadly, this whale shark died during the earthquake disaster. But what a surprise! A new whale shark will be coming from October 2024! It seems that you will be able to see the whale shark, which has been absent for about nine months, again at Notojima Aquarium!! When you enter the main building of the aquarium, you will be instantly transported to a fantastical space. Part of the acrylic tank is dome-shaped, and you can enter it, so you can feel even closer to the fish! It feels like you are swimming with them✨ When you enter the jellyfish area, the jellyfish floating in the cylindrical tank are illuminated by the light, making it mysterious and you can watch it forever. Go through the main building and head to the dolphin area! There was a tunnel tank where we could see cute dolphins and other fish swimming freely from below and from the side! It was like taking a walk in the ocean♪ However, it seems that the dolphins were evacuated to other aquariums for a while after the earthquake. However, it seems that they will also be returning to Notojima Aquarium one after another from November 2024! ... We were able to see them from a very close distance, and the talented seals were just too cute ♡ They smiled, waved, played soccer, and showed us all sorts of other tricks ✨ Notojima Aquarium is home to so many cute animals and fish that we can't even list them all here We were close, and had a very exciting and fun time. I think it will take some time for the aquarium to fully recover, but I definitely want to go again! There are already many sightseeing spots in other areas of Noto, so I'd like to go sightseeing again♪ ■Aquarium admission fee (tax included)■ *Special price until the dolphin and sea lion shows resume General (high school students and above) Normal: 1,890 yen Special price: 1,000 yen Junior high school students and below (3 years and above) Normal: 510 yen Special price: Free ■Location■ 40, 15be, Notojimamagarimachi, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, 926-0216 TEL: 0767-84-1271 (main) FAX: 0767-84-1273 #Noto #Notojima #Ishikawa Prefecture #Notojima Aquarium #Domestic Travel Record