Higashi Chaya District

It is one of Kanazawa's representative tourist attractions. The townscape with its beautiful Degoushi (latticed window) and the stone pavement has been selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government.
It was originally founded in 1820 when Maeda Narinaga, the 12th lord of the Kaga Domain, built a teahouse district by grouping teahouses scattered around the castle town.
Today, traditional buildings from the Edo period still stand side by side. Cafes and stores selling Japanese sweets, traditional crafts, and miscellaneous goods are scattered throughout the town, and visitors can enjoy shopping and dining in the elegant atmosphere of the townscape. At dusk, the eaves of the houses are lit, creating another atmospheric atmosphere. No matter where you cut off the lights, the picturesque scenery continues, making it fun just to take a stroll.

Incidentally, a teahouse is a place where wealthy merchants and men of the town gathered at night in the Edo period to enjoy the entertainment of geisha dancing and shamisen playing. Kanazawa's teahouse culture has a tradition of "no first-time visitors," Even today, except for a few facilities that are open to visitors, no one is allowed to enter without an introduction.