Kanazawa Overview Back to all places Kanazawa is what we like to call the Goldilocks city: “just right” in every possible way. Connects with Japan KyotoWhoosh into Kyoto’s futuristic central station on the bullet train and you’ll be greeted by karaoke bars and concrete, not Zen gardens and mysterious shrines. But don’t let that fool you. Japan TakayamaIt’s best-known for its picture-perfect preserved town centre and elaborate spring-and-autumn festivals, but if you ask us, Takayama’s real treasures are found in the surrounding alpine countryside.