What this area is like
Yamanaka, Yamashiro, Katayamazu and Awazu form the Kaga hot-spring towns. Yamanaka has the Kakusenkei Gorge walk; Yamashiro has a public bathhouse in the town centre.
Kagaonsen Station is on the Hokuriku Shinkansen; inns often run shuttle buses.
Choose your next step
Places to see in this area
Natadera Temple
A temple of rock caves, moss and maples, with halls built into a white stone cliff. The poet Basho visited in 1689.
- Access
- CanBus sightseeing bus from Kagaonsen Station (Hokuriku Shinkansen) to Natadera.
- Hours
- 9:15–16:00.
- Fee
- Adults ¥1,000; elementary ¥300. Special viewing of the study and garden +¥200.
- Address
- Yu-122 Nata-machi, Komatsu, Ishikawa
Autumn leaves peak around mid-November and draw large crowds.
Yamanaka Onsen & Kakusenkei Gorge
A hot-spring town with a 1.3 km riverside trail through Kakusenkei Gorge, crossed by the cedar Korogi Bridge and the S-shaped Ayatori Bridge.
- Access
- City bus from Kagaonsen Station to Yamanaka Onsen. The Onsen Express bus also runs from Kanazawa.
- Hours
- The town and trail can be walked at any time.
- Fee
- Free to walk. Public baths and inns charge separately.
- Address
- Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga, Ishikawa
Yuge Kaido, the main street, has Yamanaka lacquerware and Kutani pottery shops.
How to plan your time here
- Kaga Onsen is a group of four hot-spring towns. Base yourself in one, ride the CanBus to Natadera, and walk the gorge in Yamanaka.
- Kagaonsen Station is on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, about 25 minutes from Kanazawa, and Komatsu Airport is about 30 minutes away.
Information checked 26 October 2026. Plans are JapaLens editorial suggestions, not on-site reviews. Hours and fees can change; check the official page before you go.