The Kanazawa Railway Hub - Where Tradition and High-Speed Meet in Japan

Kanazawa's iconic railway station entrance, built to resemble a stylized Shinto shrine. The creation of architect Ryuzo Shiraie has won many awards. The station has been modernized repeatedly. Today it's one of the most architecturally interesting stations in Japan. The gates to the platform are typical of Japanese railways. And here you can still buy a classic platform ticket. Since 2015, high-speed Shinkansen trains have been coming to Kanazawa. A route that's a bit like a roller coaster. We're in western Japan, traveling on the railway route between Kanazawa and Toyama. And we're making a detour on the branch line from Takaoka to Himi as well. Kanazawa is a city with a population of more than 450,000 residents. It's a regional capital as well. Connecting to the Shinkansen train network was a boon to the city's economy. Every major Japanese city would like to have high-speed train service. The high-speed system is constantly expanding. The deputy manager of the train station, Masao Miyazaki, is proud of his station. Some 120 railway workers work here in Kanazawa station. Kanazawa is the center of the Hokuriku region. Even within Japan, our area is a very famous region for visitors. That's why guests come from all over Japan and even from abroad. They arrive here at our Kanazawa station. Since the Hokuriku Shinkansen railway route opened, the number of visitors from Tokyo has clearly risen. We had to drastically increase the number of Shinkansen trains running here to meet demand. Modern Japanese stations no longer have any open platforms. Safety standards are continually being tightened. Another safety measure, double checking using gestures, is a common practice in Japan. It helps ensure nothing gets forgotten. These trains are special, a little different from the others in the Shinkansen series. The big difference between the two series is that the W7 is better equipped for lots of snow. The Tokaido Shinkansen in the east doesn't encounter much snow. So there, they're set up to reach the highest possible speeds. But when it snows, they can't go fast. The Shinkansen here in Hokuriku, by contrast, reach high speeds even in the snow. That's because of two special features. The cars have devices that help them go through snow, but the most important is the sprinklers on the rails. Thanks to this equipment on the rails and the cars, even when there's lots of snow on the tracks, they can either be cleared or melted. The W7 series also offers viewers a special aesthetic. Yes, that colour scheme over there, for example, there's a blue line on it. The blue is exactly the same blue used in the villa in the Kenrokuen Garden, one of the three most famous gardens in Japan. The seats and the car's interiors have been decorated with the traditional handicrafts of Kanazawa in mind. The ultramarine blue room in the Seizenkaku Villa. This rare and costly blue was used to convey the power and wealth of the imperial family. The villa dates back to the 19th century and is part of Japan's cultural heritage. The floorboards were designed to squeak, a sort of early alarm system. The building is spacious but spare, in sharp contrast to palaces and villas in Europe. Not far from the villa is the Ishiura Shrine. It's the oldest Shinto shrine in Kanazawa. The Tunnel of Desires. Each ribbon is marked with a specific wish. What most seek, it seems, is lifelong love. The shrine is said to have been founded 1,500 years ago. The building, however, is only around 200 years old. The Kenrokuen Garden is nothing less than perfect. And the criteria for the perfect Japanese garden are very clear. Flowing water must be featured. The garden must unify tradition and skill. What's more, it should be both spacious and isolated. Beautiful views are a must. Only three gardens of this calibre are said to exist in Japan. The gardeners are always on the job. When you leave the centre of Kanazawa and travel into the suburbs, rail traffic changes. Here, it's almost leisurely. The trains rumble along between vegetable gardens, rice paddies and single-family homes. The houses are very close to the railway. Of course, there's a fish market in Kanazawa. It's somewhat smaller than those in Tokyo or Osaka, but the selection leaves nothing to be desired. In the morning, chefs arrive from the restaurants to stock up. People buying fish for their evening meals come in the afternoon. Fish is brought in daily. For customers, freshness is paramount. The vendors compete for business. Only the highest-quality fish is sold here. Kanazawa's old city is well-preserved. That's something special in Japan, where nearly all major cities were bombed in World War II. Kanazawa was spared. There are still narrow lanes and courtyards here. This is where small businesses and traditional workshops can be found. The contrast to the modern districts is enormous. The old city seems something like an open-air museum. But here, beyond the tides of visitors, daily life and business goes on apace. People like wearing kimonos here. Metalworking crafts are typical for the region. Back in the day, samurai swords from this area were famous. Today, bells are a main attraction. They're made in a small factory outside the city. Casts are created from wax and silicon. It's a little bit hard to get the wax out of the mold so that the pattern remains perfectly intact. The bell is shaped like a thistle. The casting furnace is filled with bronze. And the casts are placed inside. After only a few minutes, the small bells are ready. Finishing work is done by hand. Polishing is very important. Sometimes you have holes about the size of a pinpoint. I need to fill them. That's rather painstaking work. Skilled workers who have mastered the regional tradition of metalworking have become rare here. In recent years, Kanazawa has grown in importance. Not least thanks to the Shinkansen network link. The city is dominated by sober, practical buildings like many Japanese cities. Traffic takes up a great deal of space here too. The railway is part of the cityscape. The tracks are often laid on concrete trestles that wind through the whole city. The routes are elevated for space and safety. The sections built on stilts are designed to withstand earthquakes. At the beginning of 2024, the region was once again shaken by a powerful quake. The main station's railway yard. We're in the narrow gauge section of the main depot. Here, narrow means 1067 millimeters. Most of Japan's railway network uses this gauge, a total of more than 22,000 kilometers. Japan's standard gauge, high-speed network, is around 3,000 kilometers long. Most of the traffic is a mix of freight, express and local trains. The trains are punctual and reliable. The most modern limited express train that travels between Kanazawa and Osaka is named Thunderbird. Starting in 2030, the entire route to Osaka will be taken over by the Shinkansen. In the meantime, the train will travel a shorter route from Tsuruga. The elevated driver's compartment and the blunt nose are typical for one end of the train. When two trains are coupled together at the flat ends, it creates a walkway for passengers. Long-distance traffic is increasingly being shifted to the Shinkansen. But there are still many limited express trains running on the smaller gauge routes. Wearing face masks is common in Japan. If you have a cold, politeness requires you wear a mask. Here you can see the slightly more rounded nose of the Thunderbird. The train's different ends don't seem to pose any problems. Here, technology is implemented in a playful way. This is a shahokobi ningyo, a doll that serves tea to guests. You can see these dolls as the predecessors of modern robots. Francis Xavier, a famous 16th century missionary, brought watches to Japan as presents during his missionary trips. The watch's mechanism inspired the Japanese. They started making dolls with similar mechanisms to surprise and delight people. A wide range of figures with a wide range of abilities are on display at the Museum for Wind-Up Dolls. They entertained the nobility. They were sophisticated creations. The more functions a doll had, the more prestigious it was. Many original toys can be seen at the Museum. Replicas are there too, so you can try them out yourself. There's even a model steam engine from the 19th century. The modern wooden building that houses the Museum is an architectural attraction in itself. We're now heading towards Toyama on the shinkansen. On the high-speed train, this is a short ride. It's not easy to see a shinkansen on the move. The tracks often descend into tunnels or are elevated on concrete stilts. But the Japanese are big railway fans, and they want to see their front runners moving at full speed. That's why this place is here. It's the shinkansen photo spot. Of course, there's a schedule for the railway fans. It's a good place for a picnic too. A comfortable spot to watch as one of the famous trains flashes by every few minutes. Toyama. The 3,000-meter peaks of the Tatayama mountain range form its dramatic backdrop. You need about half an hour to get here with the shinkansen. But first, we'll continue on a local train to Takaoka. Even outside of peak periods, these trains are busy. The railway is a primary means of transportation. The new rails for the shinkansen are up ahead. They follow a stretch that's similar to the old one, just elevated and straight as a die. It's a real kick to look over the engineer's shoulder as you're approaching one of the large river bridges. We've reached Takaoka. The city of 160,000 residents is famous for its large bronze statue of the Buddha. But the real attraction is the 17th century Suiju temple. The temple complex has an unusual shape, as Doko Yotsuya, the high priest of the Suiju temple, explains. When you look at the main gate, which you see behind me, it becomes clear. The gate style does not really fit a temple. It's more like a gate for a castle or a samurai's residence. The castle of the Meda clan had to be torn down here due to a regulation that said each prince was only permitted to put up one castle. But the one in the Kanazawa stayed. Instead of a castle, a temple was built here. The main temple of the Meda clan. The temple wasn't just about religion. It was also an expression of power. Today, the entire complex is part of Japan's official cultural heritage. Here in the inner courtyard, there's a lawn that's surrounded by a 250-meter long interior corridor. There are meditation rooms on both sides. And the kitchen is on the opposite side. In the middle, you find the Butsuden, the main hall with Buddha's statue. The architecture plays with a broad range of perspectives. The Tateyama mountain range is ever-present. The mountains also play a decisive role for our next train. They've provided its name. The train is called in French. Why French? That's something only the marketing department knows. The Japanese just call the train Berumonta. The train travels between the sea and the mountains. Now it's on its way from Takaoka to Himi, a beach town with a rail connection. Here on the coast, a couple of rail lines run right along the water. Train operation along the shore isn't completely trouble-free. The threat of tsunamis looms. The mountain panorama from across the bay draws visitors who want to take the Berumonta to Himi. The old locomotive car has been given a facelift inside and out. Now fine drinks and food are served here. That's to say, sake and sushi. Everything is made fresh on the train. The bay of Toyama is famous for its tasty fish. The bay is 1,000 meters deep and fed with fresh, nutrient-rich waters from the nearby mountains. A local folklorist is singing about these waters. The train stops at the most scenic spots, an opportunity to ask the sushi master what the biggest challenge is when it comes to working on a train. The toughest part is all the shaking and rocking. It makes it really difficult to get the right balance between the rice and the other ingredients. But what about the famous sharp Japanese knives? Sharp objects aren't permitted on trains, so we prepare everything ahead of time in the restaurant. The Berumonta starts up again, rocking and shaking its way along the coast. Whether visitors board a special excursion train with sushi or just take a standard local one, the rides along the coastal routes are never just about getting from A to B. They're an experience that's fresh every time.