Hyakubangai is the collective name for the shopping and dining areas inside the Kanazawa Station building. There are three main areas: “Anto” on the south side of the station concourse, “Rinto” on the north side, and “Anto Nishi” on the west side of the station. Together these sections make Kanazawa Station one of the easiest places in the city to shop for local specialty foods, crafts, fashion, daily necessities, and station dining before or after a train journey.
The entrance to the Anto section of Hyakubangai
Table of Contents
Shopping at Anto
Shopping in the souvenir market
Anto on the south side of the station concourse is primarily a souvenir market. This is actually one of the best places in Kanazawa to find souvenirs because it brings many of Kanazawa’s major crafts, confectionery shops, food producers, and sake makers together in one spot. Many well-known local brands are represented in Anto, so just walking around and looking at the items on offer is an education in Kanazawa’s traditional craft culture. Kanazawa is particularly well known for confectionery, sake rice wine, goods decorated with gold leaf, kutani-yaki style ceramics, and shikki style lacquerware.
The range of lacquerware includes bowls, trays, cups, chopsticks, accessory boxes, and mirrors
Kanazawa “shikki” lacquerware is famous for its artistic ornamentation which can include inlaid gold, silver, or sea shells.
Gold leaf goods on display include ornaments, lacquerware with gold leaf inlay, and even (on the lower right) big round rice crackers decorated with flecks of gold!
Gold leaf production in Kanazawa dates back to the late 16th century. Gold leaf is used to decorate a variety of handcrafted vessels, ornaments, and accessories. It is also used to decorate food, and in Kanazawa tourists can easily buy a cup of tea with golden flecks, or ice cream cones coated in gold!
Kutani-yaki style pottery
Kutani-yaki is a variety of pottery unique to Kanazawa with a history that dates back to 1655. It is notable for its rich and varied coloring in deep shades of blue, red, purple, yellow, and green.
A colorful selection of sweets
Kanazawa has long been known for its traditional sweets, which developed along with the tea ceremony under the encouragement of the local nobility. The sweetness of the confectionery is meant to balance with the bitterness of the tea.
There is also plenty of tea to choose from!
For those who like something stronger than tea, Anto’s liquor shop has a fine selection of local sake brands and also a bar where you can sit and have a drink before you decide what to buy!
This sake shop also doubles as a bar
At the back of Anto, there is a dining section called “Ajiwai Koji” which literally means “Flavor Lane”. This area has branches of some of Kanazawa’s best known restaurants and has a fair selection of sushi, oden style stew, Kanazawa style curry, ramen noodles, and Chinese food. If you want to eat lunch here, it is best to go a little bit early, as many of the restaurants are popular and quickly fill up.
Ajiwai Koji
Opening hours:
Shopping: 8.30 – 20.00
Dining: 11.00 – 22.00
Some stores and restaurants have different hours.
Shopping at Rinto
Entrance to Rinto from Kanazawa Station’s main concourse
Rinto is on the north side of the station concourse and is Hyakubangai’s main fashion and lifestyle shopping area. The shop mix includes clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, cosmetics, interior goods, cafes, and food shops. Fashion and lifestyle stores include names such as Strawberry Fields, Kissora, Le Trio Abahouse, Urban Research, KBF, Lee, Francfranc, and Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, while Tully’s Coffee & Tea and other cafes give the area useful places for a break. There is also a souvenir shop area in Rinto, just across from the Tourist Information Center, which is handy for last-minute purchases before boarding a train.
Ladies’ wear at Strawberry Fields
Kissora sells leather bags at reasonable prices
Le Trio Abahouse sells men’s and ladies’ wear
Urban Research sells casual clothes and accessories for men and women
Tully’s Coffee & Tea
The souvenir section in Rinto sells a lot of local produce, including wine and beer
Opening hours: 10.00 – 20.00, with some stores operating different hours.
Shopping at Anto Nishi
The 1st floor entrance to Anto Nishi
Anto Nishi is the west-side section of Hyakubangai. It is more practical and everyday in feel than Anto or Rinto, with cafes, casual restaurants, a convenience store, a bakery, a drugstore, fresh food shops, and the 100ban Mart supermarket. Via Inn Kanazawa is also in this section, making Anto Nishi useful for hotel guests who want a quick meal, groceries, or daily necessities without leaving the station building.
A cafe in Anto Nishi and an escalator leading to the upper floors
There are restaurants and cafes across Anto Nishi, including options for bakery goods, coffee, ramen, soba, sushi, shabu shabu, grilled skewers, local food, and craft beer. The upper floors also include medical and dental clinics.
100ban Mart is a supermarket in Anto Nishi
Local craft beers at 100ban Mart in Anto Nishi
Opening hours: vary by store. Check the official Hyakubangai shop pages for individual store hours.
Many Kanazawa Hyakubangai stores accept major credit cards, electronic money including transport IC smart cards, and barcode or QR-style payments, though accepted methods can vary by store. Check at the register before paying if you are relying on a specific card or mobile payment service.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 26-May-2026.
