Capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, Kanazawa lies on the Sea of Japan coast between the Sai and Asano rivers. Maeda Toshiie founded Kaga Domain here, and after Sekigahara the Maeda holdings grew to about 1.2 million koku, by far the largest domain outside the shogunate's own lands; the wealth fed a crafts tradition called Million-koku Culture. The city was spared Second World War air raids, so Edo-period districts such as Higashi Chaya survive. It produces about 99% of Japan's high-quality gold leaf, and the Hokuriku Shinkansen has linked it to Tokyo in roughly 2.5 hours since March 2015.
Nights sit around 13°C and afternoons around 22°C, though some days reach 26°C.
Kanazawa has real seasons: summer afternoons sit around 29°C, winter ones around 8°C.
Some summer days reach 35°C.
It rains all year: about 24 days in 30 in December and 11 in May, so there is no dry stretch to aim for.
Wind is rarely an issue; most months sit between calm and a light breeze. Air quality is worth watching: April averages an AQI of 59, while December clears to 28.
Days stretch to about 14.5 hours of light in June and shrink to 9.5 in December — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
No month in Kanazawa matches what you're after, so come for the place rather than the weather. Expect fast internet (188 Mbps) and a moderate cost of living (about €1300 a month).
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