Kanazawa attempts to attract more foreign tourists to the city. There is a Tourist Information Lobby in the station, with English speaking staff always present, where you can get free maps of the city and help with any questions you may have.
By bus
Kanazawa has a decent bus system to help you get where you need to go. There are three types of buses: city buses, a tourist bus, and community buses Furatto-Bus. The tourist bus makes a loop around the main sights in 15 minutes and costs ¥200 per trip or ¥500 daily. There are three community bus routes which make 15 minute loops around different districts of the city and cost ¥100.
By bike
Bicycles can be hired from JR Kanazawa station and due to the winding streets and plethora of traffic lights and one way systems are often the fastest way to travel around town.
On foot
As the central city is fairly compact, one of the best ways to get around at least when the weather is cooperative is simply walking, exploring the narrow side streets. From east Higashiyama to west Teramachi would take about an hour at a leisurely pace, though to see everything between them properly would take days.
By car
Driving in Kanazawa itself is not for the inexperienced. The old city in particular is a labyrinth of narrow twisting streets once you leave the main roads, and you need to be good at judging just how wide your vehicle is at times. Parking in the old city is also at a premium. However the newer areas on the outskirts are car-friendly, and parking is ample. For those using Kanazawa as a base to explore the Hokuriku and Hida regions, renting a car would be a good idea as public transport between some of the more far-flung areas is far and few between.
Remember that a valid Japanese or Geneva Convention International Driver's License must be carried at all times, and that driving while drunk results in at best some extremely stiff fines: up to ¥300,000 and instant loss of license. Driving without a valid license will set you back ¥100,000. Note that the official "drunk driving" blood-alcohol limit is 0.25 mg, but there is a separate "driving under the influence" which has no set minimum.