We want to support Ishikawa Prefecture!　With this one thought in mind, our editorial staff went to Kanazawa to volunteer, and also enjoyed some sightseeing afterwards. We would like to introduce the beautiful satoyama and townscapes we saw everywhere we went, with more photos than usual.

I would be happy if you read this and think, "I want to go to Kanazawa!". As is typical of our blog, we will focus on free Wi-Fi!

Of course, I used the Japan Wi-Fi auto-connect , the standard travel companion.

Japan Wi-Fi auto-connect | Automatic Connection App For Free Wi-Fi
https://ntt-bp.net/jw-auto/en/index.html

If you're going now, the Shinkansen is the way to go!　Even on weekdays, there are many passengers on the KAGAYAKI!

Although I could have flown, I decided to go on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, which was the center of attention due to the extension of the Kanazawa-Tsuruga line. It was a weekday in April, just a little before Golden Week, which is probably the busiest season, but even so, the train was full of people.

To my surprise, almost half of the passengers were foreigners. They were carrying bags, presumably on vacation, and could be seen looking out the window and chatting amiably with each other. The other half of the passengers were mostly businessmen, but they got off at Toyama Station as if they were showing each other. It seems that the destination of the foreign travelers was the same as ours.

Free Wi-Fi is available on the Shinkansen.
But the line is often in mountainous areas, so depending on when you use it, it may not perform as well.

A little trivia here: the Hokuriku Shinkansen has different Wi-Fi depending on which train you take: the E7 Series has JR-EAST_FREE_Wi-Fi, and the W7 Series has JR-WEST_FREE_Wi-Fi. The JR-EAST_FREE_Wi-Fi also supports Japan Wi-Fi auto-connect.

Arrival at Kanazawa station!

As soon as you arrive at Kanazawa Station, you will find some free Wi-Fi available.

KANAZAWA FREE Wi-Fi

We were able to use it in the station concourse, tourist information center, and Kanazawa Station East Plaza (Motenashi Dome). Motenashi Dome is a giant torii-like structure that was created based on the concept of "offering umbrellas to people who get off at the station" in Kanazawa, where it rains and snows frequently.

Kanazawa City's free Wi-Fi, KANAZAWA FREE Wi-Fi, is available not only at Kanazawa Station, but also at all of Kanazawa's tourist attractions, making it a very reassuring ally. It is very convenient because the connection is automatic as long as you use Japan Wi-Fi auto-connect.

When I connected without using the app, the login screen was still in disaster mode.

JR-WEST FREE Wi-Fi

It was available at Shinkansen waiting areas and other places.

100bangai_Free

It was available at Kanazawa Station commercial facilities, Kanazawa Hyakubangai Rinto and Anto. You can connect almost anywhere in the building.

There are several free Wi-Fi access points available in the station, but each access point is different, so it is best to use the one with the strongest signal.

After a stop at a reliable tourist information center, we set off on our bicycles!

I found myself not thinking of a single sightseeing plan. There were so many places I wanted to go, but I was at a loss as to what to do, and to my surprise, there was a very nice tourist information center right in front of me.

Local Ishikawa crafts were on display at the information desk

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I have visited many tourist information centers in the past, but I don't remember many on such a large scale. It is very reliable. I'm going to get some information right away.

Since I was here, I decided to rent a bicycle and take the "standard course" that was listed in the guidebook I received at the tourist information center. To use the bike rental service, I needed an app, but since KANAZAWA FREE Wi-Fi was available, I was able to download it in no time at all.

Free brochures were active.

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Higashi Chaya District（ひがし茶屋街）

First, get on a bicycle and head to Higashi Chaya District. It takes about 10 minutes from Kanazawa Station. At the bus stop at the entrance to the town, we suddenly caught KANAZAWA FREE Wi-Fi! I was able to upload the photos I took after stopping my bicycle several times to take pictures of the atmospheric streets with a sense of harmony.

To fill our stomachs, we had some oyaki with Kanazawa's character "Hyakuman-san" and headed to our next destination with great satisfaction.

Sotobori Park - 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa（外濠公園～二十一世紀美術館）

A further 10 minutes on the bike took me to the famous sightseeing spot, Kenrokuen Garden ......, but this was still Sotobori Park. It was so beautiful everywhere I went that I mistook Sotobori Park for Kenrokuen. It seems that a strange tourist also made the same mistake, so it seems to be a "common" thing. By the way, Wi-Fi was also available at this Sotobori Park, and if you use Japan Wi-Fi auto-connect, you can connect if you have KANAZAWA FREE Wi-Fi, so there is no hassle. I was surprised at the high quality and perfect communication speed.

Kenrokuen Garden is right in front of me, but since it was my first visit, I wandered around not knowing where the bicycle parking lot was. In hindsight, I should have looked it up on my phone since there was free Wi-Fi available. ......, but once there, I went to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, which I had wanted to visit.

I enjoyed numerous works of art and the "pool that is the album cover of L'Arc-en-Ciel" for those in the know. It was so large that the sun would have gone down in no time if we had a good look at it. It was a very luxurious and wonderful time to see the works of art in an open and beautiful space. The KANAZAWA FREE Wi-Fi was also doing its job well here, and as someone involved in Wi-Fi, I was very happy to see it.

The chairs casually placed in the garden are also artistic

Kanazawa Castle Park - Kenrokuen Garden（金沢城～兼六園）

The next place I visited was Kanazawa Castle Park. This place, which was built on the site of the former residence of the Maeda family of the Kaga Clan, is lined with buildings that have been faithfully reproduced so that the appearance of those days can be seen floating in the air. As I have said in every place, the scenery is just great!

Although some of the routes are inaccessible due to the earthquake, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery and experience history firsthand. At Gyokusen-an, they also offer matcha green tea and fresh sweets. It would be great to take a leisurely stroll through the garden, and when you get tired, take a break with something sweet.

Kenrokuen Garden, one of the three most famous gardens in Japan, was breathtakingly beautiful. Just walking around and enjoying the scenery was a purifying experience. Perhaps it was because it was a weekday before the consecutive holidays, but there were so many tourists, especially foreigners, that I almost felt as if I was on a trip abroad.

Most people passing by are foreign tourists

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I was told that the garden is lit up at night, and a fantastic garden can be seen, but due to time constraints, I gave up crying and went to my next destination.

Omicho Market - Prefectural Office（近江町市場～県庁）

I did not intend to spend a long time on each one, but it was already 16:00. There are so many sights to see that it is impossible to enjoy them all in a single day, even when riding a bicycle like this. With the limited time we had, we slipped in and headed for Omicho Market.

According to the information I checked on my phone, the market closes at 17:00, but by the time I arrived at 16:30, most of the products were sold out and many stores were already closed. If you plan to visit, please incorporate it into your schedule early.

In Omicho Market, free Wi-Fi is available near the bus stop at the entrance on the Musashi side. If you need high-capacity communication, this is the place to do it. KANAZAWA FREE Wi-Fi does not reach inside the market, and it is crowded even on weekdays, so it is safe to refrain from using your phone on the street. Some restaurants offer their own Wi-Fi, so take advantage of it while taking a break.

A spacious and comfortable space inside.

I bought a large amount of seafood as souvenirs and for myself ....... There were many seafood and agricultural products from Noto. We went way over our budget, but if this is what it takes to support the cause, then what the heck.

With only a small gap of time left, we headed to the prefectural office. We were told by the tourist information center that "there is an observation floor from which you can see a beautiful sunset.

The sunset over the Sea of Japan was really beautiful. It's strange that there are sunsets even in the places where we usually live.

I used my visit as an excuse to do a lot of shopping, eat delicious food, and enjoy myself to the fullest. The abundance of nature gave me power and made me feel refreshed. Sightseeing is one way to support Ishikawa Prefecture. I encourage everyone to visit Kanazawa, which has become even more accessible and is showing signs of excitement.

KANAZAWA FREE Wi-Fi is very active!

KANAZAWA FREE Wi-Fi is available at all of the major sightseeing spots introduced so far. Not only at tourist spots, but also at JR Kanazawa Station and bus stops along the main street. It is a reliable source of information that "if you are in trouble, just head to the bus stop and you can use the Wi-Fi".

KANAZAWA FREE Wi-Fi is also impressive for its very high speed, with downstream speeds exceeding 160 Mbps in unobstructed areas. 25 Mbps is enough to watch YouTube, so it is quite a comfortable speed to use.

Sometimes there are stickers like this

For more information about KANAZAWA FREE Wi-Fi, please visit the following website.

金沢市公衆無線LAN「KANAZAWA FREE Wi-Fi(ワイファイ)」|金沢市公式ホームページ いいね金沢
https://www4.city.kanazawa.lg.jp/sangyo_business/toshikeikaku_machizukuri/4/14051.html

I recommend Japan Wi-Fi auto-connect.

When I think back on my itinerary, this Japan Wi-Fi auto-connect really worked everywhere. Please try to use it when you travel to Kanazawa.

In a strange place, you don't have time to pay attention to the availability of Wi-Fi spots. This app's "auto-connect" feature really comes into its own when you are traveling in an unfamiliar place. Not only does it connect automatically, but it is also convenient to be able to search for nearby Wi-Fi spots on a map or list.

Although there is free Wi-Fi, there are surprisingly many Wi-Fi spots without stickers or other markers. Even here in Kanazawa, there were a number of places where I would not have noticed Wi-Fi without the app.

Japan Wi-Fi auto-connect can connect to many other Wi-Fi services besides KANAZAWA FREE Wi-Fi. Please remember this when you travel.

Related links: Japan Wi-Fi auto-connect | Free Wi-Fi auto-connect application
https://ntt-bp.net/jw-auto/en/index.html