Luxury holidays in Kaga

A trinity of onsen towns is likely your reason to dip into Japan’s west-coast Kaga region — although bathhouses are not its only draw. Edo-period ruins and enchanting temples in Daishoji, plus a seafood scene in Haitate, salt the local waters. A painterly landscape that shifts with the seasons ensures that Kaga’s artistic credentials are both storied and thriving, with its museums and makers primed for cultural top-ups.

When to go

Kaga’s colour wheel offers enticing seasonal saturation from Sakura's soft pastels for spring to autumn’s fiery canopy hues. December to February sees lower temperatures and fewer visitors, along with the arrival of delicious snow crab on regional menus.

Getting there

  • Planes

    Tokyo’s Haneda Airport is the obvious transit point for international arrivals wishing to make the one-hour flight to Komatsu Airport, a short drive away in Ishikawa Prefecture. New Chitose or Fukuoka airports are your further-away connecting options.

  • Trains

    Kaga Onsen Station is served by the speedy JR Hokuriku Shinkansen in just three hours from JR Tokyo station (with city rail connections from Haneda airport).

  • Automobiles

    Rail tops the podium for travel in this well-connected region, but wheels will come in handy if you want to explore Ishikawa’s coastline, peaks and gardens.