Ishikawa

The opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen route between Nagano and Kanazawa, Ishikawa’s capital, in March 2015 has skyrocketed Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県, Ishikawa-ken) up the list of popular Japanese tourist destinations; now, Kanazawa can be reached in just under two and a half hours from Tokyo by bullet train.

This means that the breathtaking Kenroku-en is more easily accessible, as is Myoryu-ji (also known as the Ninja Temple).

The view of the Senmaida (1000 Rice Fields) adjacent to the Sea of Japan is absolutely fabulous, while Ishikawa is also home to Mount Maru (one of the Three Holy Mountains of Japan), delicious seafood, and relaxing hot springs, as well as many ski slopes in the winter.