Kaga is a city of about 72,000 people in Ishikawa Prefecture, tucked between Komatsu and Fukui on the Sea of Japan coast. It's well off the usual tourist trail, which is part of its appeal — you'll experience everyday Japanese life here without the crowds.
The real draw is the trio of hot spring towns collectively known as the Kaga Onsen: Yamashiro, Yamanaka, and Katayamazu. Each has its own character — Yamashiro is the historic centre with the restored Kosoyu bathhouse, Yamanaka sits in the Kakusenkei gorge along a river path lined with maples, and Katayamazu lines a brackish lagoon a stone's throw from the sea.
Inland, Natadera Temple clings to a honeycomb cliff and turns brilliant red in November. The old castle town of Daishoji preserves an Edo street grid worth an unhurried hour on foot. The city has a long-running twin-city relationship with Dundas (now part of Hamilton) in Canada, established in 1968; visiting Canadians are often the only foreigners in town. The Shioya district has a pleasant sandy beach facing the Sea of Japan.