Hakusan City

What to know

Hakusan City (白山市, Hakusan-shi) takes its name from Mount Hakusan, the highest peak in the region. Located just south of Kanazawa, the city spans from a densely populated coastal area along the Sea of Japan to rural valleys and the summit of Mount Hakusan. Most tourist attractions are in the mountainous areas, offering hiking trails, ski resorts, museums, and hot springs.

The city's main draw is Mount Hakusan, a 2,702-meter dormant volcano on the border between Ishikawa and Gifu prefectures, far from the city center. It is one of western Japan's tallest mountains and one of the country's "three holiest mountains" (alongside Mount Fuji and Mount Tateyama). Its scenic hiking trails attract nature lovers in summer and autumn.

Shiramine Onsen is a small hot spring town at the base of Mount Hakusan, featuring hotels, ryokan, and minshuku clustered around a large public bath. The renovated bath offers a traditional atmosphere with wooden indoor baths and a small stone outdoor bath for each gender. Shiramine Onsen is the last sizable village on the road to the hiking trails, making it a convenient base for climbing the mountain.

Further north toward the city center, several small ski resorts mark the entrance to the Hakusan Super Rindo, a winding toll road that leads through high mountains to Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture. Open from mid-June to mid-November, the road offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.

Many of Hakusan City's smaller attractions are near Tsurugi Station, the last stop on the Hokuriku Railroad (Hokutetsu) connecting Hakusan City to Kanazawa. About a 20-minute walk from the station is the Ishikawa Insect Museum, an excellent insectarium with live exhibits and hands-on experiences with Japanese insects. The museum also has an extensive collection of mounted insects from around the world and a beautifully designed butterfly house.

A few minutes further down the road lies Shirayamahime Shrine, the main shrine of the powerful Kaga Domain that ruled the region during the Edo Period (1603-1868). The shrine is dedicated to Mount Hakusan (Shirayama is an alternate reading of Hakusan), which has long been an important religious symbol. Shirayamahime Shrine has a satellite shrine (Okumiya) at the summit of Mount Hakusan.