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Add to SafariWhen comparing Kanazawa vs Ise, the Slant community recommends Kanazawa for most people. In the question“What are the best cities to visit in Japan besides Tokyo and Kyoto?” Kanazawa is ranked 3rd while Ise is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Kanazawa is:
The local fish market has affordable, fresh sushi shops. There are also dozens of high-end sushi restaurants that people from all around Japan travel to Kanazawa to eat at.
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Some of the best-quality sushi in Japan
The local fish market has affordable, fresh sushi shops. There are also dozens of high-end sushi restaurants that people from all around Japan travel to Kanazawa to eat at.
Pro Beautiful gardens and Edo-period architecture
Comparable, if not more beautiful than Kyoto's famous shrines, temples, and gardens. Since there are less people, the scenery if more peaceful.
Pro Home of the highest ranking Shinto shrine
The Ise Grand Shrine is unique in Japan as being the top of the hierarchy of Shinto shrines connecting to Japan's imperial house. It is taken down and completely rebuilt every 20 years.
Pro Ise lobster
Despite being a small town, Ise is home to the Ise lobster, which is well-known throughout Japan for its culinary applications. There are entire traditional course meals using the Ise lobster at Ise's traditional inns.
Cons
Con Less English-friendly
Since Kanazawa is a popular destination for Japanese people, and foreigners tend to go to Kyoto, many of the attractions in Kanazawa are less language-friendly to English-speakers. That being side, most signs are in English, and many of the main attractions still offer pamphlets and directions in English.
Con Not a lot to do after a few days
Ise is a small town, so there's a fairly finite number of attractions in Ise. Ise is best for 2-day-1-night trips.
Con No direct bullet train to Ise
If traveling from Tokyo, travelers must transfer from Nagoya onto the local rail system to get to Ise.
