Guide to Sightseeing Higashi Chaya District: A beautiful townscape with a history that embodies traditional culture and emotion

The Higashi Chaya District flourished as a chaya or “tea house” district, with tea houses lining its streets. Ochaya tea houses are not places for drinking tea or selling it, however. They are venues where affluent men of the Edo period enjoyed entertainment such as geisha dances and shamisen performances. Even today, there are five operating ochaya houses in the Higashi Chaya District.
In Kanazawa’s ochaya houses, there is a cultural practice known as ichigensan okotowari, which means “first-time visitors not allowed.” This means that one cannot enter a house without being introduced by someone who is already a patron. However, there are ochaya house buildings open to the general public for viewing, so even if you cannot actually enjoy geisha entertainment, you can still visit the architecture.

The tea house, built in 1820, is located on the Higashi Chaya-Gai District and is open to the public in its original state.
It is a valuable facility for tourists to learn about tea house culture, as Kanazawa's tea house culture has a tradition of "No first-time visitors" and even today, visitors are not allowed to enter without an introducer.

Located in the Higashi Chaya-Gai District, which is designated as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, this 200-year-old teahouse is the largest teahouse building in Kanazawa.
Because of its atmospheric appearance, the building was designated as a Kanazawa City Preserved Building in 1991.
The building is open to the public during the daytime, and visitors can see the vermilion-lacquered staircase decorated with traditional Wajima lacquerware and the vermilion-lacquered room where "Ozashiki Asobi (Authentic Geisha Dinner Experience)"-is still held.

While maintaining the typical structure of an ochaya house, the first floor of this establishment exhibits tools filled with Kanazawa’s traditional craftsmanship. Built in 1820, this ochaya house holds significant historical value.
The second floor serves as a guest room for enjoying the entertainment of geishas. The walls are painted in vermilion and ultramarine colors, creating a delicate and beautiful ambiance.
On the first floor, visitors can also admire luxurious hair ornaments and the painting on lacquerware. Take a moment to appreciate the tools used by townspeople and imagine the lives of people during the Edo period.

Kureha, located in the Higashi Chaya district, a famous tourist spot, is a gallery and café run by an old kimono shop. The first floor features a gallery selling Kaga Yuzen dyed goods and local artisans' crafts, while the second floor houses a café overlooking the Higashi Chaya district.
Founded in 1776, the long-established kimono shop "Eritora" operates the venue. Besides showcasing and selling handicrafts, they also offer authentic Kaga Yuzen kimono rentals, starting at 5,500 yen per hour.

This tea café specializes in Hojicha, roasted green tea, and is directly managed by Maruhachi Seichajo, the famed tea maker behind Kaga-bocha and other Japanese teas. In addition to the café on the first floor, there’s a gallery and shop where you can purchase artisan wares, as well as a coworking space on the 2nd floor.
At the café you’ll find hojicha (800 yen) and seasonal treats (400 yen) await.

This sweet shop is produced by a long-established Japanese confectioner that has been in business for more than 80 years and is so well-known to locals that it is known as 'Nakadaya for its kintsuba'. Here, visitors can taste sweets made from high-quality Noto Dainagon azuki beans (red beans) from Oku-Noto, which are known as 'red jewels'.
One of the most popular sweets is the tart with a moist green tea dough (JPY 495 for a single item). The rich custard cream is combined with four types of beans, including Noto Dainagon azuki and chickpeas, for a refined taste. The roll cake (440 yen) is made simply with fresh cream and Noto Dainagon azuki beans, allowing you to enjoy the flavor of the ingredients.

Fumuroya, a Kaga Fu manufacturer with a history of over 150 years since its establishment in 1865, continues to uphold traditional methods, flavors, and skills while creating new gluten-based products. They produce various Fu dishes and gluten-based confectioneries.
Their "Oyatsu Fu" (snack-style gluten confectionery), is particularly popular.

This is a shop operated by Hakuichi, which was built on the site of "Higashi-yu", a public bath that was popular in Higashi Chayagai. The shop has an atrium from the days of public baths, and you can enjoy shopping in an open atmosphere.
The store sells a variety of crafts, including acrylic coasters "Tsuyabi" (2,200 yen) fully decorated with gold leaf, and "Chisuji Ginjo Glass" (8,800 yen), which is handmade one by one. The lineup also includes other original cosmetics such as "Gold Leaf Cosmetics," which are popular overseas, and food products such as "Gold Leaf Gateau Chocolat" (1,620 yen) and gold leaf coffee (540 yen), which are recommended as souvenirs.

A townhouse that used to be the workshop of a fixture store founded in 1938 (Showa 13) was renovated and opened as a shared atelier & store in 2013. 2020 also saw the renovation of the space, making it more fashionable.
On the 1st floor, there is akashu, which sells tableware, ceramics, and antique miscellaneous goods made by the owner who is also a ceramic artist from the United States and young artists, and virus sleeper, which sells an antibacterial fragrance mist using Noto Hiba. ”, and “Hakowotsumu”, which explores new uses, possibilities and fun of boxes.
On the second floor, there is also "Higashiyama Art School," which offers a one-day experience of Japanese-style painting (3,000 yen) and drawing, and "amaretto design," which offers hands-on embroidery classes and brooch making (from 2,200 yen) by reservation only, offering various experiences in one location.

The area has a calm atmosphere with narrow alleys and Senbongoushi lattice fences along the Asanogawa River. It has been selected as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. The name of the town comes from the residence of Kazue Tomita, who was ahead of the Hitomochi clan (a position related to clan administration as a chief retainer of the clan) with a stipend of over 10,000 Goku (over one billion dollars) in the Edo period, and whose wife was the grandson of the first lord of the Kaga clan, Maeda Toshiie. Incidentally, the town often appears in the works of the great writer Izumi Kyoka.

Nishi-Chaya-gai was one of the Hanamachi(areas where Ochaya and geisha-houses were clustered) streets officially licensed by the Kaga Clan in 1820. The name "Nishi-chaya-gai" comes from its location to the west, as seen from Kanazawa Castle. Lined with beautiful two-story Chaya buildings: traditional and unique structure architecture) It is a pleasant place to stroll while stopping at cafes and stores with protruding latticework. It is the place where you can feel Kanazawa, the town of traditional entertainment, the most in Kanazawa's Ochaya district, and at dusk, you may see Geiko dressed up in gorgeous costumes.