Feb 28, 2017 - 1 min read

East Teashop District, Kanazawa

Stroll through this elegant tea district

By Shozo Fujii

Community writer

Translated by Illaura Rossiter

Community writer

The most attractive street in the East Teashop District

Overlooking the street from the second floor of the cafe Sabo Motoshin

Shima Geisha House, an Edo era national heritage site, open to the public

Another view from the second floor of the cafe Sabo Motoshin

Overlooking Asano River and Ohashi from the Higashiyama Riverside Green Space

Across the Asano River lies the East Teashop District

Futokoro-hanaro, a long established teashop

In the East Teashop District of Kanazawa, you can experience the feeling of being in old Japan as, having escaped the air raids of the second world war, many of the buildings in this area are the same as they were 450 years ago. With many Edo-era buildings, I stopped and took one, two breaths in the alleyway, and soaked up the unmistakable raindrop-like sound of a modern geisha's shamisen coming from one of the townhouses.

The East Teashop District's townhouses are home to many new cafes and restaurants. However, unlike in Kyoto, these townhouses are used for business, so it's necessary that they be maintained in good condition. As such, it is important for there to be more visitors who appreciate the old-style architecture and want to see it preserved.

The shops were full of mugwort-flavored wheat gluten cakes. I purchased one and headed home, eating it with my evening beer as I thought about the day and felt glad.