Kanazawa Station is JR West Railway's major station located in Kanazawa. The reconstruction of the surrounding area is making progress for the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (a high-speed railway line) to Kanazawa in 2014. There is a glass dome called "Motenashi (Welcome) Dome," which looks like a huge umbrella, at the east entrance of Kanazawa Station. The dome has a wooden gate called "Tsuzumi-mon," which symbolizes a traditional Japanese instrument called tsuzumi (hand drums). The underground of the dome serves as an information corner and event space.
In recent years, the area has become a busier shopping quarter with the construction of large-sized shopping buildings.