Historic Higashi Chaya District: Kanazawa’s Edo-Era Geisha Quarter

Kanazawa is a charming city on the northern coast of Honshu island, about 500 km away and a pleasant Shinkansen train journey from Tokyo.  Kanazawa is renowned for its castle, gardens, and three beautiful historic Edo-era geisha districts: Kazue-Machi, the smallest by the river; Naga Machi Buke, also known as the Samurai District; and the Higashiyama Higashi Chaya District, the largest.

Higashiyama Higashi Chaya is filled with small shops, sake tastings, delicious food, stunning lacquerware, and gold leaf.  Gold leaf is crafted to perfection on various items, and it’s even delightfully used on ice cream!

Stop by the remarkably well-preserved Shima teahouse, where geisha perform dances and play traditional Japanese musical instruments, carrying the same melodies from the Edo period.

Another lovely find is the Hakuza Gold Leaf Store—a shop selling gold leaf products.  Inside, a traditional Japanese warehouse has been converted into a tearoom, completely covered with gold leaf both inside and out.  This is only possible because Kanazawa produces nearly all of Japan's gold leaf.

Kanazawa, although small, for us has a more natural and local vibe than Gion in Kyoto, which at times felt too stiff and tourist crowded, turning the romanticism of the architecture into a theme park.  We truly wish we had stayed more time in Kanazawa.

The impressive Hazuka gold-leaf artisan boutique

ひがし茶屋街   Higashi Chaya District
 (81) 076.220.28001 
Higashiyama Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture 920-0831, Japan