Higashi Chaya District Guide: Kanazawa's Largest Geisha Quarter, Full of Cafes, Crafts, and Sweets

Two Hundred Years in the Kaga Castle Town: A Guide to Higashi Chaya District, Kanazawa’s Living Geisha Quarter

Higashi Chaya District is Kanazawa’s most famous geisha quarter, and a destination for many who travel to the city.

The teahouse culture that flourished in the castle town of the wealthy Kaga Domain still lingers strongly here. Step onto its streets, and you are wrapped in an atmosphere that only Kanazawa offers.

Many of the traditional teahouse buildings lining the street are still working shops today. Beyond the noren curtains lie pleasures unique to Kanazawa.

This article introduces the highlights of Higashi Chaya District.

Higashi Chaya District

Higashi Chaya District, located in Higashiyama, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is the largest of Kanazawa’s three chaya (geisha) districts. Its streetscape of two-story teahouse buildings is designated a nationally Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

The Streetscape of a Kaga Geisha District, Lined with Red-Ochre Lattices

Higashi Chaya District is the largest and liveliest of Kanazawa’s three chaya districts.

Lining both sides of the street are two-story teahouse buildings where geisha (called geiko in Kanazawa) once entertained guests. The reddish-brown houses, their ground floors covered in fine red-ochre (bengara) lattices, stretch on and on, filling the street with the atmosphere of a Kaga geisha district.

Many of the teahouse buildings are still working shops. Souvenir stores selling Kanazawa crafts, cafes housed in former teahouses, and restaurants stand side by side, and the street is always bustling with visitors. You will also see people strolling in kimono.

About 140 teahouse buildings remain in the preservation district. The rows of houses continue not only along the main street but also into the side lanes.

Lantern-Lit Streets: A Magical Evening Scene

After sunset, the street lamps and shop lights come on across Higashi Chaya District. The rows of red-ochre lattice houses are bathed in soft light, offering a magical atmosphere quite different from the daytime.

Since most shops close around 18:00, few people remain. An evening stroll, quietly taking in the teahouse buildings glowing in the light, is also well worth it.

The History of Higashi Chaya District

Officially established as a geisha district by the Kaga Domain two hundred years ago, the history of Higashi Chaya District dates back to the late Edo period.

Kanazawa’s teahouses were originally scattered here and there across the castle town. The Kaga Domain brought them together and officially recognized them in 1820, in the late Edo period. In the same year, the “Higashi” (east) teahouse town was established east of the Asano River, and the “Nishi” (west) teahouse town west of the Sai River.

In time, the value of this streetscape came to be recognized nationally. In 2001, Higashi Chaya District was designated a nationally Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. As a chaya district, it was the second in the country to receive the designation, after Gion in Kyoto. The geisha district born in the Kaga castle town is preserved and passed down by the whole community.

Geisha, called geiko in Kanazawa and skilled in dance, song, and music, are still active in Higashi Chaya District, carrying on their art. The teahouses where they entertain guests traditionally admit only visitors with an introduction, a custom known as ichigen-san okotowari, so those without one enjoy the townscape from the street.

Four Recommended Shops in Higashi Chaya District

Higashi Chaya District is home to many restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops. Here are four of them that are especially worth a visit.

Tamakushige

Tamakushige is a shop that gathers works by craft artists based mainly in Kanazawa. From accessories and small items such as wallets and pouches, to all kinds of cups including teacups, to tableware such as plates, a wide variety of handmade pieces line the shelves.

Many of the items are one of a kind. Since no two pieces are ever the same, you can choose vessels and trinkets found nowhere else.

Here you can truly encounter distinctive, captivating works.

Hakuza Hikarikura

Hakuza Hikarikura is a shop dealing in vessels and accessories adorned with gold leaf. It sells items made with Hakuza’s original pure gold-platinum leaf, a blend of pure gold and pure platinum.

The leaf has a pale yet deep hue, unlike either gold or silver. Vessels that glow quietly in the light fill the shelves.

Here, truly everything that meets the eye is beautiful.

Incidentally, about 1 km (0.6 mi) away, a 12–13 minute walk, is the Hakuza main store, home to a gold tea room said to be worth 100 million yen. It, too, is a spectacular sight.

Koizumiya Kanazawa

Koizumiya Kanazawa is a shop dealing in handcrafted sake vessels, glassware, and bells.

There are glasses that ring with a beautiful tone when you clink them in a toast. If every toast sounded this lovely, you would want to raise your glass again and again.

There are also wind chimes with a pleasant tone and charming, modern-Japanese colors. It is a delight that they would suit a Western-style room too.

Many other items with lovely sounds are on sale here as well.

Every piece is beautiful in both look and sound, and you will want them all.

Maccha House Kanazawa Higashi Chaya District

Maccha House is a cafe where you can enjoy matcha sweets and drinks. Using matcha from Morihan, a long-established tea shop in Kyoto, it serves freshly whisked matcha lattes, parfaits, warabimochi, and more.

The interior, decorated with kumiko latticework, has a calming, modern-Japanese design.

The recommendation is the matcha kuromitsu latte. The gentle flavor of the latte, the sweetness of the black-sugar syrup, and the mild bitterness of the matcha soak into a tired body. It is the perfect cup for a relaxing moment.

A Shiromuku Bridal Procession, If You Are Lucky

At Utasu Shrine, close to Higashi Chaya District, Shinto wedding ceremonies are held. After the ceremony, the bride and groom sometimes take part in a bridal procession, walking through the streets of the district still dressed in shiromuku (white bridal kimono) and montsuki (formal kimono).

Led by the bride in a tsunokakushi (bridal headdress) and shiromuku, the procession is followed by the groom in montsuki and the guests. The line in traditional dress moves slowly along the red-ochre lattice street.

If you happen upon this scene, you will witness a perfect pairing: the age-old Japanese setting of a geisha district together with shiromuku and hakama. It is a truly lucky encounter.

Stroll the Streets, Browse the Shops: A Kanazawa Chaya District with Plenty to Enjoy

Higashi Chaya District is the largest of Kanazawa’s three chaya districts, with the most shops and the most to see.

Browse the craft shops while taking in the red-ochre lattice streetscape, pause for a break at a Japanese-style cafe, and savor some Japanese sweets. Walking, shopping, and tasting, you can enjoy all sorts of things throughout the day.

It is about 15 minutes by bus from Kanazawa Station, and close to Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle, making it the heart of any tour of Kanazawa.

This is the geisha district where you can spend the richest day of your Kanazawa trip. Be sure to pay a visit to Higashi Chaya District.