Oyama Shrine to Myōryū-ji, Kanazawa: free self-guided walking tour
Quick answer. A free self-guided walking tour from Oyama Shrine to Myōryū-ji: 6 stops, about 4.7 km, about 65 minutes of walking plus about 34 minutes of listening. Start at Oyama Shrine, dedicated to Maeda Toshiie, under its 1875 gate with stained glass. Walk on to Kanazawa Castle, home of the Maeda for fourteen generations, and cross to Kenroku-en, one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Then come two museums: the round glass 21st Century Museum, opened in 2004, and the D. T. Suzuki Museum. End at Myōryū-ji, the “ninja temple” of hidden stairs; it is visited only on guided tours booked in advance by phone.
- Stops:
- 6
- Distance:
- about 4.7 km
- Walking:
- about 65 min
- Listening:
- about 34 min
Two ways to do this walk
Kanazawa with Mappu
Walk Mode, in the free Mappu app
It knows where you are, tells you about everything you pass between the stops, answers your questions and keeps you on the route. Your phone stays in your pocket.
A 2-hour live walk, €4.99.
50 credits from the Starter pack. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Self-guided audio walk. No guide accompanies you. Not affiliated with the sites.
Free: the audio guides
Listen to each stop’s audio guide in your browser and find your own way between the stops.
Walking directions in Google MapsOyama Shrine to Myōryū-ji, Kanazawa: how long does the walk take?
About 99 minutes in all: about 65 minutes on foot over about 4.7 km, plus about 34 minutes of audio at the 6 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Oyama Shrine to Myōryū-ji, Kanazawa: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Oyama Shrine, Kanazawa Castle, Kenroku-en, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, D. T. Suzuki Museum, and Myōryū-ji Temple. The longest stretch between two stops is about 1.5 km, about 20 min on foot.
Route and map
Indicative route. While you walk, watch where you're going, mind the traffic and follow local signs and rules. The map is an aid, not a safety guide. Terms
Follow Mappu’s map: the route runs along the streets from stop to stop, and the stories keep playing as you walk.
Google Maps opens up to 5 stops at a time on a phone, so the route comes in parts: each part starts where the last one ends.
Stop 1
The shrine of Maeda Toshiie, first lord of Kaga, moved here in 1873, behind a three-story gate of 1875 that mixes Japanese, Chinese and Western styles.
about 5 min of audio
Next stop: Kanazawa Castle · about 0.9 km, about 12 min on foot
Stop 2
Seat of the Maeda lords of Kaga from 1583 to 1869, mostly rebuilt after many fires; the Ishikawa Gate of 1788 is one of the buildings that survive.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Kenroku-en · about 1.0 km, about 13 min on foot
Stop 3
The Maeda clan’s strolling garden, one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, open to the public since 1874, with the two-legged Kotoji lantern by its pond.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa · about 0.7 km, about 9 min on foot
Stop 4
A round glass building by SANAA, opened in 2004, with no front door and Leandro Erlich’s Swimming Pool; a closure for repairs is planned from May 2027.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: D. T. Suzuki Museum · about 0.7 km, about 9 min on foot
Stop 5
A quiet museum opened in 2011 for the Buddhist philosopher D. T. Suzuki, born in Kanazawa, designed by Yoshio Taniguchi around a water mirror garden.
about 5 min of audio
Next stop: Myōryū-ji Temple · about 1.5 km, about 20 min on foot
Stop 6
The “ninja temple”, an outpost of the Maeda defences: two storeys outside, four inside, with 23 rooms and 29 staircases; guided tours only, booked by phone.
about 6 min of audio
The stop stories are AI-generated audio guides and can contain mistakes. Check opening hours and tickets on the official sites.
Planning a trip to Kanazawa?
Get your plan
Mappu sketches your days free in the chat, no account needed. Then take the full plan with you:
- Weekend trip, €9.99: Your day-by-day plan plus 2 live walks
- Save your trip’s free guides on your phone in the Mappu app: they play with no signal
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: the walking route between stops, from OpenStreetMap, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
Useful for your visit
Tickets, tours and practical extras for this trip, from Mappu's partners.
- Oyama Shrine and more: guided tourViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
- Kanazawa Castle and more: guided tourViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
Partner links (Airalo, Amazon, Booking.com, GetYourGuide, Klook, Tiqets, Trip.com, Viator, Welcome Pickups): if you book or buy through them, Mappu may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Route checked by Mappu on November 1, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.