If your luggage is too heavy or you are just too tired, then why not take a taxi? Taxis are easy to find in Kanazawa, and if there are two or more people in your group they can also be economical for short hops.
Ordinary taxis in the Ishikawa fare area use an approved fare band rather than one single universal fare: the first 1.22 km is generally 660 to 700 yen, and the meter then rises by 100 yen for each additional 226 to 240 meters, depending on the taxi company’s approved fare.
From Kanazawa Station, very short trips such as Omicho Market may be around 700 yen, while major sightseeing areas such as Kenrokuen Garden, Higashi Chaya District, and Nishi Chaya District are more often around 1,300 to 1,400 yen before late-night surcharges or traffic delays.
The taxi rank at Kanazawa Station’s east exit
Taxi Fares
For a quick estimate, the Kanazawa City Tourism Association publishes sample taxi times and fares from Kanazawa Station to major sightseeing areas. These estimates are for ordinary taxis and do not include late-night or early-morning surcharges. Actual fares can change with the route, traffic, one-way streets, vehicle type, and the taxi company’s approved fare. Late-night and early-morning rides from 22.00 to 5.00 are subject to a 20% surcharge.
You should also remember that taxi fares increase with the size of the taxi. There are three basic sizes in Japan: small (kogata 小型), medium (chugata 中型), and large (ogata 大型). Basically the bigger the taxi means the higher the fare. A small kogata taxi can seat four people, but if you have more people in your group you will either need a bigger taxi or another vehicle.
The taxi rank at Kanazawa Station’s west exit
Where to Get a Taxi
There are two main taxi stands at Kanazawa Station: the Kenrokuen Exit (East Exit) taxi stand and the Kanazawa Port Exit (West Exit) taxi stand.
The east-side stand is best for major sightseeing areas such as Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle Park, Omicho Market, and Higashi Chaya District.
The west-side stand is useful for the Ishikawa Prefectural Government Office, Kanazawa Port Cruise Terminal, Ikiiki Fish Market, and the Ono and Kanaishi districts.
At other locations it is easy to hail a taxi on the street. At taxi ranks, the taxis line up and customers board them in the order they become available. For this reason, when boarding at a taxi rank, you cannot choose a particular taxi company. This probably won’t be a problem, but when hailing a taxi on the street, you might want to pick out the better companies. Two taxi companies in Kanazawa that we have always found to have reliable, polite, and helpful service are Fuji and Kintetsu.
A Fuji taxi at Kanazawa Station
Fuji taxis are easy to spot because of their bright yellow color. Kintetsu taxis are white with a blue lamp on top.
A Kintetsu taxi at Kanazawa Station
Both Fuji and Kintetsu offer sightseeing taxi services, and both operators ask visitors to confirm details by inquiry or reservation. Fuji says it can provide sightseeing planning and foreign-language-capable drivers by inquiry. Kintetsu says it has some English-speaking drivers and can arrange language-capable staff by inquiry. For guided sightseeing taxis, the Kanazawa City Tourism Association gives example rates of 6000 yen per hour for an ordinary taxi, 7700 yen per hour for a large taxi, and 8000 yen per hour for a special large or jumbo taxi, but prices can vary by course, vehicle, and operator.
Basic Taxi Etiquette & Payment
- Hailing a taxi is easy. Just raise your hand and wave for a taxi as you would in your home country. If there is a green light in the passenger’s side window, the taxi is already occupied. If there is a red light, then the taxi is available. At night, a light on top of the taxi shows that the taxi is vacant.
- Most taxi drivers cannot speak English. It’s a good idea to show them a map to your destination, or to have the address written down in Japanese.
- Don’t open or close the doors! In Japan the rear doors of taxis open and close automatically. You don’t need to open and close them yourself. In fact it is better not to.
- Trust your driver! All taxi cabs have meters, and taxi drivers are generally honest, so you don’t need to worry about being cheated.
- Don’t tip! Tipping is unusual in Japan and if you try to tip you will probably confuse your driver. Simply pay the fare shown on the meter.
- Cash is useful, but many taxis and taxi apps support cashless payment. If you are paying in the taxi, check with the driver before the journey begins if you need to use a specific credit card or electronic payment method. Ride-hailing or app-based taxi services such as Uber and Go Taxi are also available in Kanazawa and can make destination entry and app payment easier.
An available Kintetsu taxi at night
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 26-May-2026.
