My wife and I decided to visit Kanazawa last spring. We were excited to visit Kanazawa's sightseeing spots such as Kenrokuen Garden, Nagamachi Samurai District, Higashi-chaya District and Kazue-machi.
However, this trip was with our newborn daughter — only nine months old at the time. It was no longer a honeymoon. We had to think carefully about travelling with a baby—things like changing diapers and feeding—so we could enjoy together as a family.
We discovered a great indoor play area in Omicho Market. This 'Kids Square' (Chibikko Hiroba) inside Omicho Cultural Plaza is open to all families with little children. We enjoyed taking a break (yes, we definitely needed to take breaks) while watching our daughter having fun. There are two available play areas here: the Elephant Room is for babies aged 2 or below, while the Giraffe Room is for toddlers from age 3.
I was surprised to see the size of both areas, and saw that other children/families could enjoy their time here – luckily not so busy on a weekday. Moreover, I was impressed to hear from a staff member that all visitors from outside of Kanazawa city were welcome as long as they sign up upon their arrival. It is common to see that these types of facility only open to local families. Thanks to Kanazawa City, this facility is open to everyone, including foreign visitors.
Kids Square opens at 10am and closes at 6pm. It is located on the third floor of Omicho Ichiba-kan building in front of the Musashiga-tsuji, Omi-cho Market bus stop. The Ichiba-kan was built during the renewal of Omicho Market in 2008. There are more than 70 shops and restaurants in this building: fresh seafood and produce stores, restaurants, general stores and drug stores.
Getting there
From the east exit of Kanazawa station, board the Kenrokuen Shuttle (S) from Terminal 6, or the Left Loop bus (LL) from Terminal 7.
Get off at Musashiga-tsuji, Omi-cho Market bus stop (S1 or LL1). If you are coming from Kanazawa Station, Omicho Ichiba-kan building is in front of the bus stop.
