Kaga is a city of 80,000
people located in the
southern part of
Ishikawa Prefecture, in the Hokuriku
region. The
area\'s
beautiful scenery includes an interesting coastline and abundant greenery; it is an
ideal place to
enjoy Japan\'s
four seasons.
In the
Edo period,
the city flourished as
the castle town of the Daishoji clan, and many cultural and artistic activities were fostered. In addition to the
tea ceremony, an art that expresses the Japanese
aesthetic of \"wabi-sabi\", these activities included crafts such as Kutani
ware — the overglaze porcelain which created various decorating techniques such as aote and akae, and Yamanaka lacquerware, which has sophisticated
shapes and an
elegant texture created by
wood turning techniques.
Kaga\'s three
hot spring areas each have a different atmosphere, and in the festival period, the city attracts many revelers. The
hot springs are said to make the
skin beautiful, and to be beneficial for conditions such as neuralgia and skin diseases, as well as to
ease both the physical and mental fatigue of
travelers.
Another attraction of Kaga is its abundant seasonal
delicacies, which include
snow crab and deep-
water shrimp from the sea, and wild vegetables and fruit from the mountains. And please enjoy our many
famous sakes,
brewed using
ground water from the majestic Mt. Hakusan in the southern part of Kaga, as well as our Japanese-style confections — small \"edible works of art\" that developed
along with the tea ceremony.