The historic precinct of Higashi Chaya is a well-preserved geisha district where geisha used to entertain their customers with singing and dancing at the ‘chaya’ or teahouses. Kanazawa boasts several ‘chaya’ districts, with Highashi Chaya being the largest. This district was created in 1820 as the daimyo was reorganizing the city to prevent more insurrections. He grouped the tea houses together into 3 areas and carefully monitored who went in and out of the districts. The geiko(local term for geisha) culture that was cultivated here flourished thorughout the rest of the Edo period with the last tea house stopping operation in the 1920s. Today there are still dozens of geiko spread throughout the three districts but they are rarely out in public. Walk around, enjoy the traditional atmosphere of the teahouse district as you learn about the history, eat sweets and drop into all the interesting shops.

Traditional buildings including well-preserved chaya dominant the precinct, with most now converted to other uses including cafes, restaurants and shops.  Two teahouses – Shima Tea House and Kaikaro Tea House – remain to public, allowing you to see the spaces in which geisha once lived and applied their trade. If you want to see the inside of one of the Edo period buildings for free, the Higashichaya Rest House is a place where you can relax in a period house and even ask questions to local volunteer guides. You will definitely notice the hills around the district, this is called Utatsuyama. It was where many temples were located for the 300 years of the Edo period and are still around to this day. If you climb the up to the top you can what is considered the best city view of Kanazawa. In the back of the district near the hills is Utasu Shrine, which was the original resting place of Maeda Toshiie, the first daimyo of Kanazawa, before it was transfered to Omiya Shrine. Finally, on a more somber note, try to find the 7-jizo or Buddhist angels. These represent the martyrs who sent a petition to the daimyo due to unfair rice taxes. Subsequently there was a massive riot and those who names that were on the petition were executed. This history of this beautiful and traditional area is complex and gets more and more interesting as you dive deeper.

Many other chaya have been converted into cafes and various shops. One of the more interesting is Hakuza Gold Leaf – selling all sorts of Kanazawa gold leaf items. There is a golden room inside this shop which is a bit surprising when you stumble upon it. If you are still interested in the history of gold leaf, the Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum where you can see many beautiful historical artifacts and understand better how the gold leaf is made. Often missed by foreign tourists, Jiyuken is the large stone building in the main square. It was built in 1909 and is considered one of the best old style Japanese-Western fusion restaurants with its omurice, European style pork steaks, hayashi-rice and cream croquettes. In the district you can also take a ride in a jinrikisha or rickshaw if you want to take it easy as you see the area.

Kanazawa is quite friendly for those who are walking around the city and there are many sites that are within a 5-25 minute walk of the Higashichaya Teahouse district. It is near Kanazawa Castle, which then directly adjoins Kenrokuen Park at its entrance. The daimyo villa of Seisonkaku and Ishiura shrine, famous for its pond and tunnel of torii gates, are both excellent places to visit. The Higashichaya Teahouse District, Oyama Shrine, DT Suzuki Museum, 21st Century Museum, and Kazuemachi Geisha District are all also within a nice walk and help you dive even deeper into this fascinating city.

Are you interested in a guided tour around this beautiful city? See the Higashichaya Teahouse district and many of the other sites mentioned above and all in one day!

KANAZAWA MAIN SIGHTS TOUR / all year round

1 Day Tour

1-Day Tour from Kanazawa: Samurai, Matcha, Gardens and Geisha
Period	All Year Round
Time	09:00 – 17:30
Meeting Place	Kanazawa Station
Adult Rate	¥17,800
Child Rate	¥11,000

This tour has you walk in the same streets as those from times past. Walk the streets the samurai of the Kaga clan and see a warriors house from the Edo period. Relax and enjoy maccha in a tea house overlooking a beautiful garden next to the impressive castle walls. Stroll through the Kenroku-en garden like the daimyos of the Edo period and admire the artistry of the landscaping of not just the land but of the trees as well. Finally, walk through Higashi Chayamachi, the old geisha district, where you can shop, snack and take a tour of a former tea house that was used by actual geisha in the past.