Kanazawa Sweets & Snacks 2025: Top Local Delights, Must-Try Treats & Insta-worthy Desserts
Kanazawa is a city that developed from a castle town that flourished during the Edo period (the samurai era, 1603 to 1868). Even today, many historical and traditional spots remain, making it a popular destination for tourists from both domestic and international locations.
Kanazawa is also famous as a gourmet city, particularly renowned for its sweets. With numerous cafes and traditional Japanese confectionery shops, one of Kanazawa's recommended ways to enjoy the city is cafe hopping. This time, we'll introduce popular sweets and snacks in Kanazawa that you absolutely cannot miss when visiting this sweet haven in 2025.
Table of Contents
- Kanazawa's Representatives! 4 Must-Visit Recommended Sweet Shops
- 3 Recommended Spots to Enjoy Japanese Sweets in Kanazawa
- Perfect for Social Media! 3 Must-Visit Shops for Exquisite Sweets That Delight the Eyes
Kanazawa is Famous as Japan's City with the Highest Sweets Consumption
Kanazawa is the city with the highest sweets consumption in Japan. Traditional Japanese confections (wagashi) are particularly popular, and according to a survey by the Ministry of Finance, Kanazawa households' expenditure on fresh Japanese confections was 16,378 yen per household (2024), approximately 1.6 times the national average. The city also ranks third for Western-style fresh confections and confectionery in general, making it one of Japan's premier sweet destinations.
This time, we'll introduce sweet shops and traditional confectionery stores that enjoy high popularity in Kanazawa, where such sweet lovers gather.
Kanazawa's Representatives! 4 Must-Visit Recommended Sweet Shops
Kaikaro
Source:Tabelog
Kaikaro is a tea house located in the "Higashi Chaya District," which represents Kanazawa's tea house districts and is an area where historical architecture and streetscapes are richly preserved. Kaikaro is also housed in a building over 200 years old, offering a place where you can feel history in its calm atmosphere.
During the day, it operates as a cafe where you can enjoy tea and sweets in an atmosphere filled with historical charm. It's a place where you can spend special time while glimpsing Japan's traditional atmosphere.
This is recommended for those who want to experience traditional Japanese ambiance.
Recommended Menu:
- Nodaya Tea Shop's Premium Golden Matcha Parfait
A matcha and strawberry parfait topped with thin gold leaf. Gold leaf is one of Kanazawa's specialties and represents one of Kanazawa's distinctive flavors.
Detailed Information:
- Address: Higashi Chaya District, 1-14-8 Higashiyama, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa -Prefecture
- Business Hours: 10:00-17:00 Closed: Wednesdays (may change seasonally)
- Closed: Wednesdays (may change seasonally)
- Phone: 076-253-0591
- Official Website: https://www.kaikaro.jp/
Kanazawa Shitsurae / Sabo Yanagi-an
Source:Tabelog
Kanazawa Shitsurae/Sabo Yanagi-an is also located in the "Higashi Chaya District," a cafe where you can enjoy sweets in an old building. This attractive shop features menus that abundantly use seasonal fruits throughout the four seasons and local Kanazawa ingredients, along with luxurious Japanese-style sweets.
From the second floor, you can relax while enjoying a panoramic view of the tea house district with its traditional streetscape, including the large willow tree that serves as a symbol of Higashi Chaya District.
For me, this is the cafe where you can best enjoy Higashi Chaya District.
Recommended Menu:
- Cream Anmitsu
A dish featuring domestic agar, sweet red bean paste, matcha warabi mochi, and soft-serve ice cream topped with gold leaf. Each component has a different sweetness, and they complement each other perfectly.
Detailed Information:
- Address: 2nd Floor, 1-13-24 Higashiyama, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
- Business Hours: 10:00-17:00 (L.O. 16:30)
- Closed: January 1st
- Phone: 076-251-8899
- Official Website: https://kanazawa.hakuichi.co.jp/shop/yanagian.php
Moroeya Nishi Chaya Karyo "Ajiwai"
Source:Tabelog
Moroeya is an established Japanese confectionery shop from 1849 that has been beloved by Kanazawa people for over 170 years. With historical prestige, they continue to make traditional confections that are Kanazawa's famous sweets. While adhering to traditional manufacturing methods, they also provide confections adapted to modern tastes, allowing us to feel history while enjoying delicious flavors suited to contemporary palates.
This cafe is recommended for those who want to try traditional confections.
Cafe Recommended Menu:
- Uji Kintoki Shaved Ice
Matcha syrup shaved ice topped with sweet bean paste. The Japanese-style taste makes this shaved ice very attractive.
Shop Recommended Product:
- Hana Usagi (Flower Rabbit)
One of Kanazawa's traditional famous confections, these are small sugar confections. When you put them in your mouth, they melt and gentle sweetness spreads throughout your mouth.
Detailed Information:
- Address: 2-26-1 Nomachi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
- Business Hours: 10:00-17:00
- Closed: Tuesdays (the following day if it's a holiday)
- Phone: 076-244-2424
- Official Website: https://moroeya.co.jp/shop/
Horaido Cafe
Source:Kenroku-en
Horaido Cafe is a cafe located inside Kenroku-en. Kenroku-en is a massive Japanese garden famous for its beautiful scenery throughout the four seasons. At this cafe, you can enjoy a varied menu while taking in the beautiful views of Kenroku-en and the adjacent Kanazawa Castle. Here, you can enjoy not only sweets but also fried chicken made with local ingredients and famous Kanazawa sake.
This is recommended for those who want to enjoy beautiful scenery and delicious food.
Recommended Menu:
- Kenroku Frozen Drink
A cold drink with the "Kotoji stone lantern," which is also a symbol of Kenroku-en, drawn in powder. You can enjoy two flavors, hojicha and matcha, in this summer-limited menu item.
Detailed Information:
- Address: 1-18 Kenroku-machi, Kanazawa City
- Business Hours: 10:00-17:00
- Closed: Open daily
- Phone: 076-254-0866
- Official Website: https://kenrokuen.or.jp/chamise/houraidou/
When You Come to Kanazawa with Its Rich Food Culture, Make Sure to Also Enjoy Other Exquisite Foods
The Kanazawa Night Foodie Tour is a tour where you can fully enjoy Kanazawa's flavors by walking around the nighttime streets of Kanazawa and visiting three different restaurants. You can enjoy seafood dishes made with fish that are packed with umami and rich in fat (one of the local specialties), warm oden (traditional Japanese hot pot cuisine), and sake tasting.
Furthermore, it's a delightful feature that you can enjoy Japanese desserts as well. Another appealing aspect is that you can enjoy Kanazawa's traditional streetscapes while moving between locations.
This tour is recommended for those who want to thoroughly enjoy Kanazawa's gourmet food with explanations from local guides.
Tour Details:
- Meeting point: In front of the Korinbo Ramoda bldg
- Tour area: Kanazawa
- Start time: 18:00
3 Recommended Spots to Enjoy Japanese Sweets in Kanazawa
From here, I'll introduce three Kanazawa wagashi (Japanese confectionery) shops that I personally recommend as someone who absolutely loves Japanese sweets. Since all of these are small treats, I strongly recommend visiting all three shops.
Amanatto Kawamura
Source:Tabelog
Amanatto is a traditional Japanese sugar confection made by repeatedly boiling beans and soaking them in honey syrup for 4-5 days. Though the name is similar, it has no relation to natto, which is a uniquely Japanese food.
At Amanatto Kawamura, they sell attractive amanatto made without using bleach, coloring agents, or preservatives, bringing out the natural flavors of the ingredients, and crafted by hand rather than machine production. Another delightful feature is that you can choose from 10 different types of beans. Additionally, other menu items besides amanatto, including yokan (sweet bean jelly), are also recommended.
If you want to eat amanatto, one of Japan's unique food ingredients, in Kanazawa, this shop is the best choice.
Recommended Menu:
- Yokan: Two flavors of yokan are combined into one. The two flavors blend together, doubling the deliciousness of each yokan.
Detailed Information:
- Address: 2-24-7 Nomachi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
- Business hours: Weekdays 9:30-18:00 / Sundays & Holidays 9:00-17:00
- Closed: First Tuesday of the month (open in January and May), December 31 - January 3
- Phone: 076-282-7000
- Official website: https://store-kawamura.com/
Cafe MURAKAMI Main Shop
Source:Tabelog
Cafe MURAKAMI Main Shop is a cafe attached to the main store of "Murakami," a long-established wagashi shop. Located right next to the production facility, it was created with the concept of being able to eat freshly made wagashi immediately.
Menu items using sweet bean paste (an) are particularly popular, including zenzai (sweet soup made by boiling an) and ichigo daifuku (strawberries and an wrapped in mochi rice dough). Another attractive feature is that you can enjoy Western-style sweets like Mont Blanc, tiramisu, and tarts with Japanese-style touches.
This is recommended for those who want to enjoy high-quality sweet bean paste.
Recommended Menu:
- Mont Blanc: Japanese chestnut Mont Blanc is luxuriously placed on top of dorayaki, a Japanese confection. This is a main store exclusive menu item with a taste you can only experience here.
Detailed Information:
- Address: 1-4 Izumimoto-cho, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
- Business hours: 10:00-17:00
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 076-242-1411
- Official website: https://www.wagashi-murakami.com/user_data/shopinfo
Suzume
Source:Official website
Kanazawa is also famous as a region that produces delicious rice, and "Suzume" sells confections made from rice as the main ingredient. Suzume's parent company operates agriculture on the largest scale farms in Ishikawa Prefecture, processing rice they grow themselves into confections. The attractive feature is that Suzume's dedication goes into everything from raw materials to confection production.
This is recommended for those who want to eat rice-based confections or those who prefer salty flavors over sweet ones.
Recommended Menu:
- Salted Bean Daifuku: Rice-made mochi wraps salted beans and sweet bean paste. The sugar sweetness is modest, and the rice's natural sweetness matches perfectly with the salty flavor of the salted beans.
- Baked Rice Senbei: Japanese-style cookies made from rice with an extremely firm texture. They're seasoned with soy sauce and mirin, giving them a salty flavor.
Detailed Information:
- Address: 1-1 Kinoshinbo-cho, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, JR Kanazawa Station premises, Kanazawa Hyakubangai Anto
- Business hours: 8:30-20:00 (Cafe 9:00-18:00)
- Closed: According to Kanazawa Hyakubangai Anto schedule
- Phone: 076-221-5011
- Official website: https://suzume.shop-pro.jp/
Perfect for Social Media! 3 Must-Visit Shops for Exquisite Sweets That Delight the Eyes
To conclude, let me introduce three shops where you can enjoy sweets that are attractive not only in taste but also in appearance. All of these are absolutely adorable, and you'll feel your excitement rise the moment they're brought to your table. You'll definitely want to take photos and post them on social media!
Le Musée de H Kanazawa
Source:Tabelog
This café is located inside the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art. Their beautifully designed sweets are extremely popular, making this a perfect destination for the Kanazawa Sweets & Snack 2025 experience. What's also delightful is that they generously use local Kanazawa ingredients. They also offer a recommended course menu featuring original sweets (reservation required).
This is highly recommended for those who want to enjoy sweets that are as beautiful as works of art themselves - a true highlight of Kanazawa Sweets & Snack 2025.
Recommended Menu:
- Cela vie
A small gâteau featuring white chocolate mousse in a beautiful hexagonal shape. With berry flavoring, the cake's sweetness and acidity complement each other perfectly.
Detailed Information:
- Address: 2-1 Dewamachi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture (Inside the Prefectural Art Museum)
- Business Hours: 10:00～18:00 (Last Order 17:00)
- Closed: Irregular holidays (Open even on Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art closure days)
- Phone: 076-204-6100
- Official Website: https://le-musee-de-h.jp/shops/kanazawa.html
Fushigina Kakigori Cafe Kanazawa (Mysterious Shaved Ice Cafe Kanazawa)
Source:Tabelog
At this shop, you can enjoy special shaved ice topped with their signature yogurt sauce poured so generously that it overflows from the bowl. The ice used is also special - they use Kanazawa's premium brand ice with impurities removed to the extreme limit, making this a standout in the Kanazawa Sweets & Snack 2025 scene. After finishing the shaved ice, drinking the remaining yogurt sauce mixed with melted ice through a straw is also a truly blissful experience.
This shop offers the delightful feature of enjoying shaved ice year-round, not just in summer. They also have an extensive selection of seasonal limited menus, always providing shaved ice that matches the season using fresh seasonal fruits.
At this shop, you can enjoy special shaved ice that can only be eaten here - a unique gem in Kanazawa Sweets & Snack 2025.
Detailed Information:
- Address: 8-43 Nishi Kozaka-machi, Kanazawa City
- Business Hours: Weekdays 11:00-16:30 (LO 16:00)/ Weekends & Holidays 11:00-17:30 (LO 17:00)
- Closed: Tuesdays
- Phone: 076-255-0102
- Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fushiginakakigouri/
DORUMIRU.kanazawa
Source:Official website
This shop is a parfait specialty store, and its biggest charm is the visual appeal. Served in transparent containers, the beautiful side view creates a stunning presentation that epitomizes Kanazawa Sweets & Snack 2025.
Additionally, this shop sources fresh fruits directly from farms each season. Their commitment to ingredients is one of the shop's attractions.
Based on the concept of "cute, delicious, and beautiful," you can enjoy sweets that score perfect points in both taste and appearance - truly representing the essence of Kanazawa Sweets & Snack 2025.
Recommended Menu:
- P-can
Parfait packed in a transparent small bottle. Not only is the appearance adorable, but the fruits, fresh cream, chiffon cake, ice cream, sauce, and other ingredients create a wonderful collaboration of flavors.
Detailed Information:
- Address: 1-5-3 Hirooka, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Cross Gate Kanazawa 1F
- Business Hours: 11:00～18:00 (L.O.17:00)
- Closed: Mondays
- Phone: 050-5494-8668
- Official Website: https://r937000.gorp.jp/
When You Visit Kanazawa, a City Where Japanese Tradition and History Live On, Enjoy City Exploration Along with Food
The Kanazawa Half-day Historical Walking Tour is a 5-hour tour that visits major Kanazawa tourist destinations including Omicho Market and Kenrokuen Garden. The attractive point of this tour is that you can receive guidance from local guides at each tourist destination, allowing you to understand the appeal of each location much better than if you went on your own.
Additionally, this tour allows you to simultaneously enjoy Kanazawa gourmet food, perfectly complementing your Kanazawa Sweets & Snack 2025 adventure. At Omicho Market, a large marketplace, you can taste Kanazawa specialties including seafood, and experience traditional sweets (wagashi) and matcha tea.
Detailed Information:
- Meeting point: FamilyMart+Drug Komeya Kanazawa Musashi Store
- Tour area: Kanazawa
- Start time: 10:00
