Tsuruga is a large port city on the Japan Sea coast which is easily reachable from Kanazawa Station and has a variety of attractions that can make for a pleasant day’s sightseeing.
Tsuruga’s Main Attractions
Kehi Jingu Shrine which is believed to date from the year 702. The shrine’s tori gate is one of the three biggest in Japan at 11 meters tall and is a designated Important Cultural Property. The famous haiku poet Matsuo Basho visited this shrine in 1689 and so you will find on the grounds a statue of the poet, and a memorial stone carved with his poetry. There is also a sacred spring in the shrine which first appeared in 702, and its waters are believed to give drinkers a long life.
Kehi Jingu Shrine
Tsuruga Symbol Road runs between Tsuruga Station and Kehi Shrine and has along its route bronze statues of figures from two popular anime series: Galaxy Express 999 and Space Battleship Yamato. The statues were placed here in 1999 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Tsuruga Port’s opening.
Kanegasakigu Shrine was founded in 1890 and rebuilt at its present location in 1906 after being destroyed by fire. It is known as a “shrine of love” where couples pray for success in romance. The shrine is also famous for its spectacular cherry blossoms in the spring.
The Tsuruga Red Brick Warehouses are two preserved historical buildings built in 1905 that house the Diorama Hall in the north building and the Restaurant Hall in the south building. The Diorama Hall has a 27-meter diorama of Tsuruga port and its railway lines as they appeared in the mid-20th century, complete with running model trains, and a museum shop selling original items and railway goods.
The Port of Humanity Tsuruga Museum is a museum celebrating both the early history of Tsuruga Port and its role as Japan’s only landing port for Polish orphans in the 1920s and Jewish refugees carrying “visas for life” in the 1940s. The Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara was stationed in Lithuania during World War II and issued visas that helped thousands of Jewish refugees escape. The museum recounts his story as well as the stories of the people who passed through Tsuruga’s port.
Kehi-no-Matsubara is a large pine grove along Tsuruga Cove with around 17 thousand red and black pine trees. A place of great scenic beauty it has many walking trails and its white sand beach is very popular in the summer. A fireworks display is held here every August 16th while lanterns are floated on the sea.
How to Get There
The most convenient way to get to Tsuruga from Kanazawa is by taking the Hokuriku Shinkansen, but it is also possible to get there by conventional train services or by car. Let’s take a look at these alternatives.
The Limited Express Shirasagi stops at Tsuruga Station, where travelers from Kanazawa arrive by Hokuriku Shinkansen.
By Train
The easiest and most direct way to get to Tsuruga Station from Kanazawa Station is to take the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Direct services such as Tsurugi will get you to Tsuruga Station in roughly 40 to 60 minutes, depending on the train. The regular adult one-way fare from Kanazawa to Tsuruga is 4,950 yen for an unreserved ordinary seat on Tsurugi, or 5,480 yen for an ordinary reserved seat.
The Thunderbird and Shirasagi limited express trains are useful for onward connections from Tsuruga toward Kyoto, Osaka, Maibara, and Nagoya, but the direct Kanazawa-Tsuruga leg is by Shinkansen. If you want to save some money you can take local or rapid services operated by IR Ishikawa Railway and Hapi-Line Fukui. These conventional trains are much slower than the Shinkansen and route details vary by train, so check through-service and transfer information before you travel. For background on the regional rail corridor, see our article on the Hokuriku Main Line. The adult one-way fare is 2,730 yen, and the journey takes around 2 to 2.5 hours depending on the train and transfers.
By Car
Tsuruga can also be reached by car via the Hokuriku Expressway. The journey should take around 1 hour and 28 minutes, with toll fees varying by interchange, vehicle class, and ETC discounts. Of course this does not include the cost of renting a car. For more information on local driving check our article on Car Rental in Kanazawa.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 04-Jun-2026.
