For a luxurious winter getaway in Japan, Ishikawa Prefecture’s Kaga Onsen and crab are the perfect choice!

Ishikawa Prefecture’s Kaga region is recommended for those seeking undiscovered Japan—its local tourist spots, souvenirs, and gourmet cuisine. Following our previous feature on Kaga’s gastronomic tourism, this second installment introduces lodgings and Onsen where you can savor winter delicacies like crab.
Winter in Ishikawa’s Kaga region offers abundant charms: Onsen, fine dining, and snowy landscapes. Be sure to check it out.

The charms of Kaga in winter are Onsen, crab, and snowy landscapes

Ishikawa Prefecture, located in the Hokuriku region along the Sea of Japan coast. South of Kanazawa lies an area rich in charm—its traditions, history, culture, and cuisine—known as “Kaga no Kuni,” derived from the ancient province of Kaga.

Sightseeing in Kaga-shi interchange mechanism

And when it comes to winter specialties in the Kaga region, think Onsen, crab, and snowy landscapes.
Home to three distinctive, historic Onsen towns—Katayamazu Onsen, Yamashiro Onsen, and Yamanaka Onsen—guests at these inns can savor winter’s delicacy: snow crab. Why not indulge in a luxurious Onsen getaway, surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of snow piled high during the Hokuriku region’s harsh winter?

A chance to enjoy delicious snow crab at a great price

Additionally, a key recommendation is that this season boasts an exceptionally bountiful snow crab harvest!
The snow crab fishing season opened on November 6, 2025. According to the Ishikawa Prefectural Fisheries Cooperative, just one month after opening, the preliminary catch volume reached 236.9 tons—already approaching about 50% of the 509-ton quota. With stable supply, prices are reportedly about 30% lower than usual.
With prices at their lowest in the past five years, now is the perfect chance to enjoy delicious snow crab at a great price! It’s definitely one of the best choices for a winter travel destination.

© Ishikawa Prefectural Tourism League

Not only for its affordability, but at the first auction held on November 6th at the Ishikawa Prefecture Fisheries Cooperative Kanazawa General Market and its Kaga Branch, it was certified as the highest-grade Kanou crab brand “Kagayaki” and sold for ¥4.5 million, the second-highest price ever recorded.
We introduce unique Kaga inns and Onsen where you can enjoy crab dishes, a quintessential Japanese winter tradition.

Yamashiro Onsen / Kaga City

Yamashiro Onsen is the oldest Onsen in the Hokuriku region, boasting a history of 1,300 years. Legend holds that it was discovered by the Japanese Buddhist monk Gyoki. The Old Public Bathhouse is a restoration of the Meiji-era bathhouse. Visitors can experience not only the exterior, stained glass, and Kutani ware interior, but also bathing methods that evoke the atmosphere of that era.

Recommended Inn: Yunokuni Tensho

Yamashiro Onsen, located in the Kaga Onsenkyo hot spring region of Hokuriku, is a hot spring inn where you can enjoy the atmosphere of a traditional hot spring town with a history of approximately 1,300 years. We offer a variety of guest rooms, from spacious Japanese-style rooms to suites with private open-air baths. In our three large bathhouses, which operate on a gender-rotation system, you can enjoy 18 different baths featuring our skin-beautifying hot spring water from our own source and water piped in from Yamashiro Onsen.

Katayamazu Onsen / Kaga City

Located on the shores of Lake Shibayama, overlooking the sacred Mount Haku, this Onsen is one of the Kaga Onsenkyo in the Hokuriku region. Its waters are sodium-calcium chloride springs. Known for their heat retention properties, they help prevent the body from cooling off quickly after bathing and are said to be effective for cold sensitivity, a condition common among women.

Recommended Inn: Katayamazu Onsen Soyu

The public bathhouse features two distinct baths: “Lake Bath” and “Forest Bath.” From the windows of the Lake Bath, the water surface of Shibayama Lake stretching out before you blends seamlessly with the bathwater, creating a fantastical sensation as if you were immersed in the lake itself. It also boasts a modern glass-walled exterior and a café offering panoramic lake views.

Yamanaka Onsen / Kaga City

Yamanaka Onsen is one of Japan’s Three Great Hot Springs, praised by Matsuo Basho, Japan’s foremost haiku poet, for its waters that penetrate to the core of the body, nourishing both body and soul. The Soyu and Kiku no Yu bathhouses, named after Basho’s verse, have been cherished by many throughout the ages at the same location unchanged for 1,300 years since the hot springs were first discovered. You can stroll through the beautiful town enjoying seasonal events, or savor sweets at Ice Street.

Recommended Inn: Yamanaka Onsen Hanamurasaki

Hanamurasaki, nestled in Yamanaka Onsen—one of Japan’s most renowned hot springs praised by Basho. Every guest room faces the valley, allowing guests to experience the beautiful seasonal shifts of nature throughout the day. Contemporary art, crafts, and antiques displayed in the gallery, tea room, and library within the inn satisfy the traveler’s curiosity.

Shiawase no Yu / Nonoichi City

This day-trip Onsen draws high-quality water directly from a source 1,300 meters underground. In the open-air bath and private bath (family bath), you can enjoy unadulterated, free-flowing spring water—no circulation, dilution, or heating. As a chloride spring, bathing leaves a characteristic salt residue on the skin. This coating provides moisturizing effects, making it ideal for dry skin. Also known as “Hot Spring of Warmth” due to its slow cooling properties, it is particularly popular among seniors. Furthermore, its strong antibacterial effects have earned it the name “Healing Spring for Wounds.”

Recommended Inn: Manten no Yu / Michi no Yado

Two large bathhouses with distinct atmospheres, “Hakusan no Yu” and “Tedori no Yu,” change daily, and you may visit them in your room wear. Both bathhouses also feature saunas. Within the facility, you’ll find dining areas, body care services like reflexology, and a barber shop, allowing you to spend a leisurely day.

Awazu Onsen / Komatsu City

Awazu Onsen, born in the second year of the Yoro era (718) under the guidance of the great master Taicho, who received an oracle from the Great Deity of Mount Hakusan, is renowned as the oldest Onsen in the Hokuriku region, boasting a history of approximately 1,300 years. It has even been registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the “world’s oldest Onsen.”
Its spring water is a 100% pure magnesium sulfate spring, renowned for its excellent vasodilatory effects. Since ancient times, it has been celebrated as a famous Onsen effective for cuts, burns, and detoxification. It remains a traditional Onsen resort where old-world charm lives on.

Recommended Inn (1) : Houshi

Houshi, the oldest inn in the Hokuriku region. Established alongside the discovery of Awazu Onsen, it celebrates its 1306th anniversary this year and remains a popular lodging for tourists. It holds significant historical value, featuring the wooden structure ‘Enmeikaku’, designated as a National Registered Cultural Property, and a garden registered as a National Registered Monument (scenic site category) in 2022. Guests can enjoy matcha while taking in the scenery from the Japanese-style lobby “Shofu”, which faces the garden.

Recommended Inn (2) : Notoya

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A prestigious Onsen inn with over 700 years of history, located in Awazu Onsen, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture—Kanazawa’s hidden retreat. Enjoy seasonal kaiseki cuisine featuring fresh crab and seafood, and relax fully in the large bathhouse and open-air baths fed by natural hot spring water.

Tatsunokuchi Onsen / Nomi City

Tatsunokuchi Onsen is nestled in the foothills near both the Sea of Japan and the foot of Mt. Hakusan, beloved as the closest Onsen resort to Kanazawa. Boasting a history of approximately 1,400 years since its discovery, its sodium-rich waters soothe physical fatigue. The Tatsunokuchi Onsen Soyu Satoyama no Yu (Nomi City Onsen Exchange Center) is open to everyone, allowing visitors to enjoy the Onsen on a day-trip basis. Additionally, the footbath is located along the walking path connecting the public bathhouse to the Onsen town. From this path, visitors can enjoy the charming scenery of Tatsunokuchi Onsen’s streetscape and lush greenery.

Recommended Inn (1) : Tagawa Ryusen-kaku

Tagawa Ryusen-kaku is an Onsen inn renowned for its mixed-gender open-air bath “Tanbo no Yu,” where guests can enjoy six different bathing experiences. Here, you can savor the seasonal landscapes of the satoyama countryside: in spring, young rice seedlings sway in the breeze; in summer, the fresh greenery glows brightly; in autumn evenings, red dragonflies flit over harvested fields; and in winter, snowy vistas are enveloped in rising steam.

Recommended Inn (2) : Matsusaki

Founded during the Edo period (17th-19th century), this historic Onsen inn is renowned for its natural spring open-air baths and kaiseki cuisine featuring local ingredients. It is also known as an inn associated with the Meiji-era (1868-1912) literary master, Izumi Kyōka, and served as the setting for his novel “When the Sea Sings.” Boasting an elegant garden, it is also famous for offering views of the changing seasons from its covered walkway, with the autumn foliage being particularly stunning.

Kawakita Onsen “Fureai no Yu” / Kawakita machi

Enjoy a relaxing time soaking in the abundant, high-quality hot spring waters in our spacious main bath. The second floor features a library, dining area, and large rest room, making it a perfect facility for people of all ages and tourists alike to soothe tired bodies. Furthermore, heart-shaped illuminations light up the grounds until around late February.

Recommended Souvenirs : Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Beer (Wakuwaku Tezukuri Farm Kawakita)

Wakuwaku Tezukuri Farm Kawakita handles everything from barley cultivation to brewing and sales. In recent years, they have also focused on developing region-exclusive products sold locally. Their “Pale Ale” is a beer made with Ishikawa Prefecture-grown six-row barley, featuring a pronounced hop bitterness. It pairs well with any meal, from sushi to Japanese cuisine. It’s a local beer you’ll want to enjoy during your travels.

Spend a luxurious moment in Kaga no Kuni this winter

For Japanese people, winter luxury is incomplete without Onsen and crab. With snow crab in season now, why not stay at an Onsen inn in Ishikawa Prefecture’s Kaga region?
Winter’s breathtaking snowy landscapes, delicious crab dishes, and Onsen that warm both body and soul. This will undoubtedly be a luxurious trip where you can fully savor the Japanese winter.

▼For more details on Kaga no Kuni tourism information
https://allkaga.com/?lang=en