While Kanazawa may not be quite as sprawling as Tokyo or Kyoto, it can be easy to forget to stop by some of the shops selling local goods dotted around the city. It can also be a bit confusing knowing where to go to buy specific crafts. As Kanazawa has more than 30 traditional crafts, it's hard to keep track of each thing.
Thankfully, the Ishikawa Local Products Centre offers a range of options that are all produced locally. Located just a short walk from Kenrokuen Garden, the Local Products Centre is easy to reach from most of the city's central locations like Oyama Shrine, Kanazawa Castle and Omicho Market.
Products
The Ishikawa Local Products Centre offers both a selection of souvenirs and local crafts - ranging from socks with the Tsuzumimon Gate at Kanazawa Station or keychains referencing the geisha culture from the Higashi Chaya Tea District to expensive, hand-painted ceramics.
There are also a variety of edible options. These are mostly sweets, as traditional Japanese sweets called wagashi are another source of local pride.
Experiences
There are also several experiences which can be enjoyed at the products centre. Of course, gold leafing can be done here. There are also matcha-drinking experiences, sandblasting glass, painting traditional dolls called "Okiagari" and making even making a tiny drum out of real leather and wood.
The most popular and accessible experience at the Local Products Centre, though, is the wagashi-making experience.
The wagashi experience is very popular with couples and families. A professional confectioner walks participants through making a series of three seasonal sweets. Each sweet builds on the techniques you used in the previous but the difficulty ramps up! It's a great experience and the sweets are a great pairing with tea to relax at the end of the day.
Visiting the Products Centre
The Local Products Centre has plenty to offer visitors to Kanazawa, but a common hurdle is that there are no English-speaking staff available to help with the experiences.
If you are interested in trying the wagashi experiece, why not consider our "Experience Gold Leaf, Japanese Sweets and Ninja Stars" tour? This tour, running all year round, includes the traditional sweet-making experience as part of the itinerary. Your guide will be able to take you through the experience step-by-step and can also help with taking pictures and videos so you have some lasting memories from your time in Japan!
Highlights:
- Decorate with gold leaf, Kanazawa's most famous traditional craft
- Make your own traditional sweets.
- Throw real ninja stars and learn the secrets and history of the elusive shinobi!
