Wajima City

What to know

Wajima City (輪島) is the largest settlement in the Okunoto area, covering the northern half of the Noto Peninsula. The city clusters around a sheltered harbor on the Sea of Japan coast and is best known for its morning market and lacquerware craftsmanship.

The Wajima Morning Market (Asaichi in Japanese) is the city's top attraction, with a history believed to span over a thousand years. Every day from 8:00 to 12:00, the pleasant pedestrian street in the city center fills with stalls selling fresh seafood, produce, and local goods. Elderly women bringing farm-fresh items from nearby villages add to the market's authentic charm.

Lacquerware, known locally as Wajima-nuri, is also sold at the morning market. This traditional craft is prized for its durability, achieved through extra layers of coating. Creating a single piece involves numerous specialized artisans and dozens of steps. Two museums showcase this local specialty: the Wajima Nuri Kaikan and the Wajima Museum of Lacquer (Urushi) Art.

A short walk from the morning market, the Wajima Nuri Kaikan has two floors; only the second-floor museum charges an entrance fee. The first floor is a shopping area with a wide selection of lacquer products. The Wajima Museum of Lacquer (Urushi) Art, a bit outside the city center, displays a broader range of lacquerware in a serene setting ideal for appreciating the works.

Another fascinating stop is the Kiriko Hall, a museum dedicated to the massive illuminated festival floats called kiriko. These floats are used from July to September during summer and autumn festivals on the Noto Peninsula. The Kiriko Hall features several rooms with festival exhibits, but the main draw is the floats themselves, displayed in the central hall. Some kiriko reach up to 15 meters tall, typically with kanji on one side and a dramatic illustration on the other.

Wajima no longer has a railway connection. Instead, take the bus from Anamizu (30-50 minutes, 760 yen, hourly departures), the terminal station on the Noto Railway. Direct buses from Kanazawa to Wajima are also available (about 2 hours, 2300 yen one way).