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The Kanazawa Station (Kanazawa-eki) is a railway station in Kanazawa-shi (Kanazawa City), Ishikawa-ken (Ishikawa Prefecture) operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and the private railway operators Hokuriku Railway, and IR Ishikawa Railway. The station serves the Hokuriku Shinkansen line (currently operating between Tokyo, Nagano and Kanazawa). The station averages about 22,700 boarding passengers per day.

The station has a Midori no Madoguchi (みどりの窓口, literally "green window") with a MARS (マルス Marusu, which stands for Multi Access seat Reservation System) capable of selling reserved seats throughout the entire JR system.

The departure melody used on the Hokuriku Shinkansen platforms was composed by songwriter and producer Yasutaka Nakata, who was born in Kanazawa. The station has numerous rental car offices on both the east and west sides. It also serves as a bus station hub.

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The Togi Hassaku Festival is held on <> each year.

"Masuhoga-ura Beach in the Togi area of Shika Town is known as one of three beautiful beaches with many small shells (nitidotellina nitidula) that have drifted ashore. Once upon a time, a male god who drifted to Masuhoga-ura Beach was rescued by the female god of Sumiyoshi Shrine, and they became a couple. However, since the male god could not endure the sound of rough waves, he moved to another shrine (Togi Hachiman Shrine - MapCode: 471 223 866*44). Subsequently, the male god on the portable shrine started visiting Sumiyoshi Shrine (MapCode: 471 192 289*63) to meet the female god once a year on the first day of August by the lunar calendar. This is the origin of the festival.

On the first day of the festival, about 30 kiriko lanterns parade around to see the male god on the portable shrine. The scene of the kiriko lanterns pushing the audience aside in order to rush into the shrine is the highlight of the festival. It is as if each kiriko is competing against the others to be the most elegant, and each portable shrine carrier is trying to be the bravest. After completion of the ritual performance in the precincts of the shrine, the male god on the portable shrine sets off to Sumiyoshi Shrine to see the female god. The portable shrine travels the two kilometers to the shrine at night, as drums and gongs play a distinctive rhythm. The first day of the festival closes with excitement. On the second day, the portable shrines are the heroes of the festival. The male god’s portable shrine and regional portable shrines gather at Masuhoga-ura Beach. The procession of 11 portable shrines on the white sandy beach is quite a sight."

Source: "Kiriko Festivals in Noto"

This festival (#17) is one of 29 Noto Kiriko Matsuri ("Float Festivals") held each year in the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture, the most for any area of Japan.

For additional background and historical details click the link to the festival website above.

Peak times: Saturday - 22:00; Sunday - 14:30.
Recommended arrival times: Saturday - 19:30; Sunday - 14:00.
Recommended parking: Old Togi Elementary School parking - MapCode: 471 193 764*22.

Note that the Togi Hachiman Shrine is at MapCode: 471 223 866*44;
the Sumiyoshi Shrine is at MapCode: 471 192 289*63; and
there is also parking near the Masuhoura Beach at the Togi-Umikaido Michi-no-Eki at MapCode: 471 192 431*77.