Kanazawa's Higashi Chaya District not only has an old-fashioned atmosphere throughout the town, but the decorations of the buildings are also beautiful.

This time, we will introduce you to a townhouse with an atmosphere that suits kimonos.

● Kanazawa "Higashi Chaya District"

It is one of Kanazawa's most famous tourist spots. The streets, with their beautiful latticed windows and stone-paved streets, have been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government.

Important Groups of Traditional Buildings are primarily the preservation of historic settlements and townscapes that remain throughout the country, such as castle towns, post towns, and temple towns. In the midst of urban development that accompanied Japan's rapid postwar economic growth, traditional buildings rapidly disappeared, and historic townscapes and landscapes were lost.

Due to a sense of crisis about this situation, areas with historical integrity that include traditional buildings and the trees, gardens, waterways, stone walls, etc. that are closely related to them have been designated as Traditional Building Preservation Districts, and efforts are being made to preserve them. These were originally established with the aim of breathing new life into the lives and occupations of the areas through preservation.

The government receives applications from municipalities and selects those areas that it judges to be of great value to Japan as Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings. There are other districts in Kanazawa that have been selected, but Higashi Chaya District was one of the first to be selected.

Located on the east bank of the Asano River, this area was formed in 1820 and is the largest of the remaining teahouse districts in Kanazawa. Even today, the old streets with their beautiful latticed windows known as kimusuko (wooden cages) remain, preserving vestiges of the past.

There are plenty of shops and cafes selling Japanese sweets, traditional crafts, and miscellaneous goods, so you can enjoy shopping and dining in a charming townscape. Traditional Japanese clothing is perfect for the old-fashioned teahouse district, so it's also nice to rent a kimono and enjoy walking around the town.

At Shima, a designated important cultural property where buildings remain exactly as they were in the Edo period, you can visit an old-fashioned teahouse and see the shamisen from that time on display. Why not try some matcha tea while admiring the garden?

Occasionally, you can hear the sounds of shamisen and kouta lessons being held. If you want to get a better feel for the atmosphere of a teahouse, we recommend taking a look around the shop to see the walls in Kanazawa-style colors and the luxurious interior.

The gold leaf soft serve ice cream is sure to look great on Instagram! There are also other products with gold leaf, such as coffee and lotion. You can enjoy the luxuriousness of Kanazawa in many ways.

The largest teahouse building in Kanazawa, "Kaikaro" is still closed to first-time visitors and has a "one guest, one pavilion" style room, but it is open to the public during the day and visitors can enjoy the teahouse with its gold leaf woven tatami mats, the Wajima lacquer staircase, and Kaga Yuzen. On some days, "Enyukai" events are held, where you can experience teahouse entertainment.

On the first floor, there is a cafe and a shop called "Kura" that sells original products. There is also the "Higashi Chaya Rest House," which is the station for the Kanazawa volunteer guide "Maido-san," so it is a good idea to ask for guidance here.

Kanazawa City does not have trams or subways, so please use various route buses and shuttle buses to get to major tourist spots. Kanazawa Station has two main entrances: the West Exit (Kanazawa Port Exit) and the East Exit (Kenrokuen Exit).

Both have bus terminals, but the most convenient way to access major tourist sites is from the East Exit, where the Motenashi Dome and Tsuzumimon Gate are located. There are bus terminals and taxi stands on both sides of the Motenashi Dome.

There is also a transportation information center directly under the dome where you can purchase IC cards, round trip passes, express bus tickets, etc. To access tourist spots in Kanazawa city, there is no need to take a regular route bus; tourist buses are sufficient.

The approximate location of the Castle Town Kanazawa Loop Bus and the Kenrokuen Shuttle Bus can be confirmed on the bus stop monitors or on the dedicated website. It is about a 15-minute walk from Kenrokuen, so if you have to wait more than 5 minutes for the bus, it may be quicker to walk.

What did you think? This time, we introduced Higashi Chaya District, a perfect place for sightseeing in Kanazawa, where women in traditional Japanese clothing look gorgeous. Why not give it a try?

If you are considering renting a kimono, we recommend VASARA Kimono Rental.

We have two stores in Kanazawa and are popular with people of all ages.

Kimono Rental VASARA Kanazawa Station Store
Kimono Rental VASARA Kanazawa Kenrokuen Store