Omicho Market
近江町市場
Kanazawa's 280-year-old fresh food market: Sea of Japan seafood, winter crab, and kaisendon rice bowls eaten in the stall itself
About Omicho Market
Omicho Market has operated in central Kanazawa since the mid-Edo period, supplying the city with fish, vegetables, and daily provisions for approximately 280 years. About 170 stalls and small shops cover seafood, fresh vegetables, tofu, pickles, and prepared foods across an indoor covered arcade and several alleyways. The seafood comes primarily from the Sea of Japan ports: fresh fish from Nanao Bay, winter snow crab (November-March), sweet shrimp (amaebi, year-round), sea bream, yellowtail, and sea urchin depending on season. Several stalls run kaisendon restaurants upstairs or in attached spaces: a bowl of rice topped with raw seafood, assembled from whatever the market just received that morning. Prices at the well-known stalls (Yutaka, Ushioya, Morimori) run ¥1,500-2,500 per bowl. The market is the practical lunch stop between Kenroku-en and Higashi Chaya, about 12 minutes' walk from the garden.
Essential Tips
Arrive before 11 AM on weekdays for the best selection and no queue at kaisendon restaurants. Weekend lunch has 20-40 minute waits at the popular counters
Winter (November-March) is the best season for snow crab. Ask for kani topping on your kaisendon, usually ¥500-1,000 extra and worth it
Morimori Sushi (upstairs, conveyor-belt format) opens at 11 AM and is the best value for sushi variety. Yutaka and Ushioya are better for a proper kaisendon with table service
Amaebi (sweet shrimp) are year-round and specific to the Sea of Japan coast. Order them raw (nama). The texture and sweetness are very different from cooked shrimp
The market stalls toward the back of the arcade (away from the main Musashi-ga-tsuji entrance) are less visited and have lower prices on fresh produce and takeaway items
Most stalls close by 5 PM. Do not plan a late-afternoon visit expecting full stalls; the market is a morning and lunch stop
The Kanazawa Loop Bus stops at Musashi-ga-tsuji (1 minute from the main entrance). A ¥500 day pass covers Kenroku-en, the market, and Higashi Chaya for one flat fee
Some stalls are closed on Sundays. The market is thinnest on Sunday mornings. Weekday mornings are the best time to visit
Don't Miss
Kaisendon (Seafood Rice Bowl)
Several stalls in and around the market run kaisendon counters where the seafood is drawn directly from what came in that morning. The standard bowl (¥1,500-2,000) has 5-8 types of raw seafood over steamed rice. Yutaka and Ushioya in the market building are the established names; Morimori Sushi on the second floor does a conveyor-belt version for ¥130-200 per plate. The seafood quality is higher than most Tokyo equivalents at lower prices because the source is Sea of Japan fish arriving fresh that morning.
Winter Snow Crab (November-March)
Zuwaigani (snow crab) is the premium seasonal product of the Sea of Japan coast, and Omicho Market is the best place in the Kanazawa area to see it whole, live, and freshly caught. The crab stalls display live specimens in tanks from late November through March. A single large crab costs ¥3,000-8,000 at the stalls for takeaway (prepared on request). Some kaisendon stalls add crab legs to rice bowls in winter for ¥500-1,000 extra.
Sweet Shrimp (Amaebi)
Kanazawa's amaebi (sweet shrimp, also called northern shrimp) is a year-round product and one of the better-value high-quality seafood options at the market. Raw amaebi are served in kaisendon or as sushi; the flesh is soft, translucent, and distinctly sweet, unlike the cooked shrimp familiar from most Japanese restaurants outside the Hokuriku region. Price per piece at sushi counters: ¥130-200.
What to Do Here
Market Browse and Lunch
Enter from the Musashi-ga-tsuji side for the main seafood section. Walk through the central arcade, past the fish stalls, vegetable vendors, and prepared food counters. On the second floor of the main building, Morimori Sushi runs a conveyor-belt sushi counter (open from 11 AM); downstairs, Yutaka and Ushioya serve kaisendon at counter seats. Return through the alley stalls toward the Katamachi exit, picking up any takeaway items (fresh mochi, Kanazawa sweet vinegar pickles).
Tips:
- Arrive before 11 AM to get a seat at the popular kaisendon counters without a long wait
- The stalls toward the back of the market (away from the main entrance) are less touristy and have lower prices
- Winter: ask for kani (crab) topping on your kaisendon; it is seasonal and worth the supplement
- Sweet shrimp (amaebi) are best ordered raw (nama amaebi): the texture is the point, so avoid the cooked version here
- The market has a small food court (Omicho Ichiba-kan, upstairs above the main arcade) with air conditioning and table seating
Kanazawa Afternoon Food and Culture
Combine Omicho Market with Higashi Chaya in a single afternoon. After lunch at the market, walk east 20 minutes (or take the Loop Bus, 5 minutes) to Higashi Chaya. Browse the preserved Edo-period teahouse streets, visit a teahouse interior (Shima or Kaikaro, ¥500-750), and stop at Hakuichi for gold leaf ice cream (¥891). Return to the station by Loop Bus.
Tips:
- The market-to-Higashi Chaya walk passes through the Hashiba-cho area, which has good independent coffee shops
- Hakuichi in Higashi Chaya is at 1-13-24 Higashiyama; the gold leaf soft-serve counter is on the ground floor facing the street
- Loop Bus from near Omicho to Higashi Chaya: Kanazawa Loop Bus clockwise to Hashiba-cho stop (3 stops, ¥200)
Plan Your Visit
Opening Hours
general
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (most stalls); some fish stalls open as early as 8:00 AM
restaurants
Kaisendon and sushi restaurants mostly open 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (last order 2:30 PM)
note
Some stalls close on Sundays or Wednesdays. The market never fully closes but is thinnest on Sunday mornings. Weekday mornings are the best time to visit.
Best Time to Visit
10:30 AM to 11:30 AM on weekdays: stalls are stocked, restaurants have just opened and queues are short. Arrive by 10 AM on weekends to beat lunch queues. Winter (November-March) for live snow crab displays.
Avoid:
Saturday and Sunday lunch (12-1 PM) when the popular kaisendon restaurants have 20-40 minute queues.
Nearby
Kenroku-en Garden
One of Japan's Three Great Gardens. 12-minute walk south. Standard sequence: Kenroku-en in the morning, Omicho Market for lunch.
1 km
Kanazawa Castle Park
Free public park and castle ruins adjacent to Kenroku-en. 12-minute walk from the market.
1 km
Higashi Chaya District
Preserved Edo-period geisha district. 10-minute walk east, or 5 minutes by Loop Bus.
0.8 km
21st Century Museum
Contemporary art museum by SANAA. Free permanent collection. 15-minute walk south.
1.2 km
Gallery
Omicho Market: approximately 170 stalls in the covered arcade, operating since the mid-Edo period
Kaisendon: assembled from morning deliveries, typically ¥1,500-2,500 at the market stalls
Winter snow crab (November-March): live specimens displayed at the seafood stalls
Amaebi (sweet shrimp): raw, year-round, and significantly better here than in most Japanese cities
History
founding
Omicho Market was established in the mid-Edo period, approximately in the 1750s, when it grew from informal street trading by farmers and fishermen near the main road through Kanazawa. The market supplied the city and the Maeda clan household through the feudal period. After the Meiji Restoration and the abolition of the clan system, the market transitioned to private ownership and continued to supply the growing city.
significance
Omicho Market is known locally as kanazawa no daidokoro, 'Kanazawa's kitchen.' It remains an active working market supplying restaurants and households across the city, rather than a tourist-only attraction. The market's longevity is tied to Kanazawa's geography: the city sits between the Sea of Japan coast and the Hakusan mountain range, giving it access to fresh seafood from Nanao Bay and Toyama Bay and high-quality mountain vegetables from the inland areas. This supply chain has not fundamentally changed in 280 years.
name Origin
Omicho (近江町) translates roughly as 'Omi Town,' a reference to the merchants from Omi Province (present-day Shiga Prefecture) who historically dominated wholesale trade in the Hokuriku region and established early market operations in Kanazawa. The ichiba (市場) suffix simply means market.
Getting There
Kanazawa Loop Bus from Station
Station: Kanazawa Station (Hokuriku Shinkansen)
Exit: East exit bus terminal
Walk: 1 minute from Musashi-ga-tsuji bus stop to market entrance
Loop Bus clockwise route to Musashi-ga-tsuji stop. Journey 8-10 minutes from the station. The ¥500 day pass covers travel between the station, market, Kenroku-en, and Higashi Chaya for one flat price.
Walking from Kanazawa Station
Station: Kanazawa Station (Hokuriku Shinkansen)
Exit:
Walk: 15 minutes east along Hyakumangoku-dori then north
A straightforward flat walk through the Katamachi district. Manageable in most weather.
Walking from Kenroku-en
Station: Kenroku-en Garden
Exit:
Walk: 12 minutes north
From the Kenroku-en north exit, walk north along Hyakumangoku-dori toward the market. The standard sequence for a Kanazawa morning is Kenroku-en from 7-9 AM, then Omicho Market for lunch at 10:30-11:30 AM.
Location
50 Kamiomicho-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0905
Nearest: Kanazawa Station (Hokuriku Shinkansen / JR Hokuriku Line) (15 minutes on foot; 8 minutes by Loop Bus to Musashi-ga-tsuji stop)
Book tours & activities near Omicho Market
via Klook
Find nearby hotels in Central Kanazawa (between Kenroku-en and Kanazawa Station)
Compare prices across booking sites
More Attractions
Senso-ji Temple
Tokyo's oldest temple: a 645 AD Buddhist site with a lantern-hung gate, 89-shop street, and 30 million visitors a year
Tokyo Skytree
634 meters of Tokyo: Japan's tallest structure with two observation decks and Mount Fuji visible on clear winter days
Meiji Shrine
A 175-acre forest in central Tokyo holding a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji, who opened Japan to the modern world
teamLab Borderless
Step into a surreal world where digital art comes alive around you
teamLab Planets
Walk through water, wade through flowers, and lose your sense of where the art ends and you begin
Shimanami Kaido
A cycling guide to Japan's greatest ride: 70km island-hopping across the Seto Inland Sea
Shibuya Crossing
The world's busiest pedestrian crossing, and Tokyo's most iconic spectacle
Shibuya Sky
Tokyo's best observation deck: open-air rooftop with nothing between you and the city
Ghibli Museum
The museum Miyazaki designed himself: no door sales, timed entry, no photography inside, and a life-size Robot Soldier on the roof
Imperial Palace & East Gardens
The emperor's residence at the center of Tokyo: free East Gardens on 400-year-old castle grounds, and a 5 km moat walking loop
Tsukiji Outer Market
Tokyo's greatest food market: fresh sushi, street food, and culinary chaos since 1935
Toyosu Fish Market
Tokyo's modern wholesale fish market: tuna auctions behind glass and sushi breakfast on the upper floors
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Three gardens in one: Tokyo's most celebrated park and its greatest cherry blossom destination
Tokyo Tower
Tokyo's original icon: cheaper, less crowded, and more romantic than the Skytree
Ueno Park & Museums
Tokyo's cultural centre: four national museums in one park, plus cherry blossoms that draw over 2 million visitors
Akihabara Electric Town
Tokyo's otaku hub: anime, electronics, retro games, and maid cafés stacked floor to ceiling
Tokyo Disney Resort
Two world-class theme parks: Disneyland for the classics, DisneySea for the most beautiful Disney park ever built
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Ten thousand vermillion gates winding up a forested mountain: Japan's most-visited Shinto shrine
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
A gold-leaf temple reflected in a mirror pond: Kyoto's most-reproduced image
Kiyomizu-dera
Kyoto's hilltop temple with a wooden stage that floats above the treetops
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
Five hundred metres of bamboo reaching 20 metres overhead, filtering light to green: free, open at dawn, packed by 9 AM
Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama
Wild macaques on a mountain overlooking Kyoto: the monkeys roam free and you're the one in the cage
Nijo Castle
The shogun's Kyoto stronghold: nightingale floors, golden screens, and 400 years of power politics
Nishiki Market
Kyoto's kitchen for 700 years, five blocks of pickles, tofu, and things you have never tasted before
Ryoan-ji Temple
Fifteen stones in white gravel, only fourteen visible from any angle, and no one knows what it means
Philosopher's Path
A 2-kilometer canal walk named after a philosophy professor who thought here every morning for 30 years
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Eight floors spiraling down around a Pacific Ocean tank big enough to hold whale sharks
Osaka Castle
Toyotomi Hideyoshi's fortress: the castle that unified Japan, surrounded by the city's finest park
Kuromon Market
Osaka's kitchen: a 200-year-old market where chefs and visitors eat the city's freshest seafood
Sumiyoshi Taisha
Japan's oldest shrine architectural style and its most striking arched bridge: a world away from the tourist trail
Universal Studios Japan
Super Nintendo World, the Wizarding World, and one of Asia's best theme parks: all in Osaka Bay
Nara Park
Over 1,200 wild deer roam freely: bow to them and they'll bow back for a cracker
Todai-ji Temple
The world's largest wooden building and a 15-metre bronze Buddha: scale that leaves you speechless
Kasuga Grand Shrine
Three thousand lanterns lining a forest path to the shrine that has protected Nara since 768 AD
Kamakura Great Buddha (Kotoku-in)
A 13th-century bronze Buddha, 11 meters tall, that has sat in the open air since a storm destroyed its hall in 1498
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
The shrine at the center of Kamakura: a 1.8-kilometer approach from the sea, two clan ponds, and yabusame horseback archery since 1192
Hasedera Temple
A 9-meter gilded Kannon statue, hydrangea season that draws thousands, and an ocean view that makes the climb worth it every day
Hokokuji Temple
Two thousand bamboo stalks, a tea house inside the grove, and a quieter alternative to Kyoto's famous bamboo
Enoshima Island
A 4-kilometer island with a three-part shrine, sea caves, a lighthouse, and more cats per square meter than almost anywhere
Nikko Toshogu Shrine
Japan's most extravagant shrine: 55 gold-lacquered buildings, 5,000 carvings, and the tomb of the shogun who unified Japan
Kegon Falls
A 97-meter waterfall from Lake Chuzenji, with a paid elevator to the base and a winter freeze that turns it into a wall of ice
Lake Chuzenji
A volcanic caldera lake at 1,269 meters, the source of Kegon Falls, and Nikko's best place for autumn foliage views over open water
Hakone Shrine
A 1,200-year-old mountain shrine on Lake Ashi, best known for a red torii gate that rises directly from the water
Owakudani
An active volcanic valley on the Hakone Ropeway, with sulfur vents, black eggs boiled in hot springs, and Mt. Fuji overhead on clear days
Kitano Ijinkan
Kobe's hillside district of 19th-century foreign residences: Victorian houses, consulate buildings, and the Weathercock House, from when Kobe was Japan's most cosmopolitan port
Arima Onsen
One of Japan's three oldest hot spring towns: two distinct spring types, 30 minutes from Kobe, with ryokans that have been operating for centuries
Nunobiki Herb Garden
A hillside herb garden above Kobe reached by ropeway, with views over Kobe Bay and the Kii Peninsula, plus Nunobiki Falls on the walk up
Meriken Park & Kobe Port Tower
Kobe's red drum-shaped tower, a quake-scarred wharf left exactly as 1995 left it, and a harbor that lights up at dusk
Cup Noodles Museum
The museum dedicated to instant noodles: design your own Cup Noodle, see the original 1958 kitchen where ramen was invented, and learn why Momofuku Ando changed how the world eats
Yokohama Chinatown
Japan's largest Chinatown: 200+ restaurants in one district established in 1859, with four colored gates and street food around every corner
Sankeien Garden
A 17-hectare garden in Yokohama containing historic buildings relocated from Kyoto and Kamakura, including a 1457 three-story pagoda from a Kyoto temple
Fukuoka Yatai Food Stalls
Fukuoka's open-air food stalls: sit at a counter under a canvas canopy, eat tonkotsu ramen or yakitori, and talk to the owner, Japan's most social street food experience
Kushida Shrine
The central shrine of Hakata: year-round, it holds a 10-meter festival float; in July, the Yamakasa race starts here at 3:59 AM
Ohori Park
A large lake park in central Fukuoka, built on the old castle moat, with a 2-kilometer circuit walk, rental boats, and 1,000 cherry trees
Kenroku-en Garden
Two centuries of Maeda clan garden design: 12,000 trees, the Kotoji-toro lantern, and the only place in Japan where pine trees wear snow ropes in winter
Higashi Chaya District
Kanazawa's largest Edo-period geisha district: a single preserved street of wooden teahouses, gold leaf workshops, and morning calm before the tour buses arrive
Hakone Open-Air Museum
An outdoor sculpture park where kids can run free, adults admire Picasso, and everyone soaks their feet
Hida Folk Village (Hida no Sato)
Over 30 traditional farmhouses from the Japanese Alps, relocated and preserved in one beautiful hillside museum
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
The ground zero of the atomic age, transformed into the world's most powerful argument for peace
Hiroshima Castle
The castle built by the Mori clan in 1589, destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945, and rebuilt in 1958, with a museum that covers both its feudal history and the destruction that ended it
Itsukushima Shrine
A shrine built on stilts over the sea, where the tide decides whether the great torii floats or stands on open sand
Korakuen Garden
Wide open lawns, a working tea field, and the black keep of Okayama Castle borrowed as scenery across the Asahi River
Rinno-ji Temple
Nikko's founding temple, where three 8-metre gilded deities stand in for the sacred mountains above the valley
Jigokudani Monkey Park
The only place on Earth where wild monkeys soak in a natural hot spring, at the end of a snowy forest trail
Zenko-ji Temple
A 1,400-year-old temple where the day begins at dawn and salvation is a metal key you find in total darkness
Matsumoto Castle
Japan's oldest surviving castle keep, black-walled and moat-ringed, with the Northern Alps stacked up behind it
Nagoya Castle
The keep is closed, and the real treasure is next door: a palace rebuilt plank by plank in hinoki and gold leaf
Ise Grand Shrine (Ise Jingu)
Japan's most sacred Shinto site, rebuilt from scratch every 20 years for 1,300 years so it is forever both ancient and new
Glover Garden
The mansions of Nagasaki's foreign merchants, gathered on a harbor hillside around Japan's oldest Western house
Tsutenkaku Tower
Osaka's retro tower in the Shinsekai neighborhood: 103 meters of 1950s neon nostalgia, the Biliken luck statue, and kushikatsu restaurants on every surrounding block
Shitenno-ji Temple
One of Japan's oldest Buddhist temples, founded 593 AD by Prince Shotoku, with a stone torii gate, a five-story pagoda, and the country's longest-running monthly flea market
Pola Museum of Art
A Western art museum embedded in Hakone's beech forest, with Monet, Picasso, and Renoir displayed in a building designed to disappear into the trees
Kanazawa Castle Park
The former seat of the Maeda clan, Japan's most powerful outside the Tokugawa: a free public park with an original 1788 gate, reconstructed towers, and a direct connection to Kenroku-en
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
A glass circle in Kanazawa with a free permanent collection including the famous Swimming Pool illusion, and a building that won SANAA the Pritzker Prize