EXPLORE KOMATSU

What's New

Why Komatsu ?

Komatsu City sits upon the southwestern plains of Ishikawa prefecture. On one side lies the Sea of Japan, and on the other the sacred Mt. Hakusan. These natural resources contribute to the rich nature and have influenced the local history and culture. Symbolic of this culture are the living traditions of Kutani ceramics made from Komatsu stone, and children’s kabuki performed at yearly festivals.

PLACES & EXPERIENCES

Places

Experiences

WATCH VIDEO

Plan Your Trip

Gourmet

gourmet

Facebook

Explore Komatsu

Explore Komatsu

Explore Komatsu

Instagram

🌸The cosmos at the end of the double rainbow🌈🌈

This lovely shot by @gakuoo1 is getting us excited for cosmos season 😍
We recommend this spot at Tsubakura-machi, a local effort at creating the prefecture's largest cosmos field❣️

Right next to the exit from Awazu IC (Tsubakura Higashi junction)
This p(l)ot of pink and white is a little hard to find so DM us for directions! 😉

If festivals are not your thing, here's something

If festivals are not your thing, here's something more chill to do near Ataka: Yoga by (or in!) the sea! 🌅🧘‍♂️

Nothing is more zen than yoga to the backdrop of sunset 😌

Now we really feel like joining one of @lys.yoga classes 😆 Thanks for sharing with us such soothing scenes!

📸: @lys.yoga

A serene end to the 3-day Ataka Festival! (see pre

A serene end to the 3-day Ataka Festival! (see previous post)

But the Ataka lighthouse shines on as it has for the past 30 years,
a beacon for the local residents and voyagers.

Hope to celebrate Ataka Matsuri with you all as well next year!
(keep 7~9 Sept in your calendars)

@kantaro0124 captures the mood perfectly as always 🤗

The local spirit burns on at the Ataka Festival! 🔥

The Ataka Matsuri (7-9 Sept) began as a local prayer for abundant catch and safe voyage, and continues today as a celebration of Ataka's romantic past as a flourishing port 🌊

This year is no exception, albeit on a more intimate scale with small performances around the neighborhood for the local folk.
But smaller certainly doesn't mean weaker, as we certainly felt the warm passion of the locals more keenly than ever 💪🥰

It is times like this that makes us all the more grateful to witness moments of community bonding 😌

Swipe to the end to catch some lively action! 🤩

Thank you for 65 years of memories, Sei-chan❣️

Thank you for 65 years of memories, Sei-chan❣️

It's been a week since 90-year-old Sei-chan closed the doors to his 65-year-old shop 🥺 The pioneer of Komatsu's locally beloved dish, shio yakisoba, and the first to bring gyoza to the Hokuriku region 🤯

We are sad but touched by the outpouring of love, as fans from near and afar rushed down to give their thanks and savor Sei-chan's dishes overflowing with both fragrance and passion 😌

It may be the end of his business, but his legacy lives on through the many shio yakisoba successors he's inspired, including younger brother Katchan! 🤗
So do visit them for the authentic Komatsu taste when you get the chance!
(we've compiled a list @explorekomatsu.com/gourmet/shio-yakisoba/)

Thank you @rnrt_takeshi for these lovely captures!

No better way to send off summer than with some ch

No better way to send off summer than with some cheery sunflowers! 🌻
We can't wait to see how this local project, turning unused plots into sunflower fields, further evolves next year 🤗 @ja_komatsushi
Keep Seiryo-machi's Himawari no Oka (aka Sunflower Hills💛) on your to-visit list for next August! 😉

After the storm, comes the sun! 🌞 In the case o

After the storm, comes the sun! 🌞
In the case of Seiryo-machi, an idyllic hamlet tucked within Komatsu's mountains, it's a whole field of sunflowers 🌻
It's no showy flower park, but has a humble backstory: a local initiative to give new life to abandoned farm plots.
We think there's nothing more suited to the task than cheery sunflowers! 🥰

This hidden plot of gold is not the easiest to find, but you can search ひまわりの丘 on google maps or DM us for the location!

Expected to peak this week (usually early to mid-Aug), but even if you can't catch it this time, we hope this dreamy cinematic by @foresight.vr conveys the joy our sunny friends bring 🤗

Cool down under a shower of stars! 🌟 At Akaze

Cool down under a shower of stars! 🌟

At Akaze Dam 赤瀬ダム, just 20 mins by car from Komatsu's city center. Where on a lucky day, you may catch the Milky Way with the naked eye! 🌌
(depending on cloud conditions and lunar calendar)

We feel refreshed just looking at this amazing shot by @kantaro0124 😍

How can you enjoy summer when it's so hot? 🥵 Ou

How can you enjoy summer when it's so hot? 🥵
Our advice: Wait for sunset! 🌅
When you can admire soft rays and breathe cool air 😌

Another advice:
Ataka Beach @ataka_cafe & Fureai Kenko Park (ふれあい健康広場)
are particularly spectacular sunset spots, with vast unobstructed views.
You'll know it's a promising day if you see all the locals gathered there 😉

Thanks to our neighbor @visit_kaga_area for the visit and these amazing photos 🤗

Puzzled by the snaking queues at every possible wa

Puzzled by the snaking queues at every possible wagashi shop today? 😮
That's because it's a special day in Ishikawa: Himuro Manju Day! 🤗

Himuro stands for "ice houses" used to store ice, back when fridges did not exist ❄️
Ice were precious goods then, and the lord of the Kaga Domain (as Ishikawa was known) would carry them to the Edo capital on 1 July every year, as an offering to the shogun ruler.
In turn, the townsfolk would make these steamed sake buns called Himuro Manju and offer them at shrines to pray for the safe delivery of the ice 🙏And of course eat them, since they are thought to ward off illness.

The eating part is pretty much the only aspect still practised, but it remains a great source of excitement for all.
They traditionally come in green, pink and white, and are filled with red bean paste, but have gotten more colorful in recent years, some even coming with sweet potato, matcha or chestnut fillings! 🤤

Almost every wagashi shop in Ishikawa offer their own versions, so we recommend having a tasting party with friends and family! 🥳 Here are just some of our Komatsu favorites from ①@tokuda_seikado ②@okashidokoro_marunishi & ③④@kouda__futaba

We know what we're manjing on later! 😋

Need some motivation to keep up your runs in this

Need some motivation to keep up your runs in this heat? The sight of these irises at Lake Kiba will do just the trick! 😋

Whether you choose to do the full 6.4km loop or cut straight to the irises at the park's south zone, remember to stay hydrated 🙌

🏗️Scaling New Heights🏗️ We don't blame y

🏗️Scaling New Heights🏗️
We don't blame you if you never realized that Komatsu Ltd. came from Komatsu City 🤯
That's what happens when you're the birthplace of such a world-famous machine-maker! 😋

But did you know that Komatsu Ltd's former headquarters, right behind Komatsu Station, was turned into a memorial park called Komatsu no Mori? And that just yesterday, this park was reopened in celebration of the corporation's 100th anniversary? 🥳

Accompanying the 930E giant dump truck (930 standing for it's weight of 930,000 pounds) as the park's icon is now the equally humongous PC4000 (400 ton) power shovel! 🤩 Both are the largest and only of their kind found in Japan (but of course active all over the world).

Not only do you get to witness these towering metal beasts up close, but even climb right on and let your imagination take you on a lil' expedition in the driver's seat! 🤠 Open to adventurers of all ages, Tues to Sat 10am-11am & 3pm-4pm.

Afterwards, cool down at the refreshed history museum, modelled after the original head office and detailing the company's milestones in English and high-tech panels!

What glows bright in summer?
Nope, not just the 🌞, but also the fireflies!
@kantaro0124 captures these dainty dancers beautifully against the Milky Way 😍
The kind of summer lights you can enjoy without a sweat 😆

💫 New Tradition 💫 Kutani ceramics have been

💫 New Tradition 💫

Kutani ceramics have been crafted in Komatsu for over 200 years 🤯 But if you were to ask what defines this traditional craft, the best answer is perhaps, it's ever-evolving definition.

Take CERABO KUTANI, a Kutani facility opened just 2 years ago, that transformed an over 60 year old clay factory into a futuristic ceramic laboratory (hence the name CERABO).
And CERABO's latest project: launching 2 new Kutani brands that incorporate our new ways of living into functional Kutani ware.

You can lay your eyes and hands on these fresh creations at CERABO's new exhibit launched just last weekend! 🤩 @kutani_ceramic_lab

The 2 brands:
1️⃣ 福LUCKY reimagines traditional Japanese lucky icons into Kutani motifs. For its first line of products, the hyotan gourd has been reborn as a cheeky mascot dancing across plates or even materializing as a gourd-shaped vase 🤪 @manjyuverymuch

2️⃣ On the other hand, ETHNI9 features simple yet elegant crockery for a new normal of home-based meals. Komatsu locals will be delighted to know its first product line caters specially to their love for Chuka Chinese cuisine 🤤 So ramen and gyoza can still be enjoyed in style and comfort at home 🥟🍜 @shingo_kurono

Exhibition until 28 Jun. CERABO is closed Wed, admission 300 yen.

🌹The Fellowship of the Rose 🌹 The roses of

🌹The Fellowship of the Rose 🌹

The roses of this garden bloom as resiliently as the friendship they commemorate:
with Vilvoorde in Belgium, our sister city of 47 years!

The "V" Road Friendship Rose Garden can be found at Komatsu Sports Park in Suehiro-machi.
V for the garden's V-shaped rose hedges, and yes, Vivoorde.

DM us if you need directions, but we're sure you won't miss these vivid beauties while they are in bloom! 😉