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Higashi Chaya is the old geisha district of Kanazawa. Today, it’s a maze of streets lined with old wooden buildings full of shops, restaurants, and other tourist attractions. Dotted around these are some interesting shrines and other elements of Kanazawa life. Here’s our guide to the eleven things, big and small, that caught our eye.
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You don’t need a plan to enjoy Higashi Chaya. You can turn up, walk around the 15-20 streets that make up the area, and enjoy the pretty old buildings and the new shops and restaurants within them and still have a great day.
The first time I visited during my three days in Kanazawa, I arrived about 4 pm, and most of the shops were closing for the day. I came then as I wanted to see the area without crowds, and I loved just taking in small details and finding the shrines in the area with few people around.
Or, you might prefer to visit when everything is open and visit the museums, grab a meal, visit the shops with extravagant gold leaf carvings and decorations that populate this district – or find some fantastic souvenirs. Or, if you’re staying in Kanazawa for a few days, which I definitely recommend, do both. But, while you wander around finding your own favourite things, here are some of mine to look out for.
1. Hunt for Ninja at Utasu Shrine
This looks like quite a simple shrine when you first arrive, but look closer. There are two ninja figures hidden around the shrine building. Students put them there in 2016 to draw attention to Higashi Chaya’s samurai history.
The shrine here was the shrine of the Maeda family, one of the most important ruling families in Kanazawa’s history. They ruled the whole area between 1583 and 1869, and they made all their samurai live in the city – mostly in the Nagamachi area.
The Maeda family built Kanazawa Castle and Kenrouken Garden, but they were also powerful patrons of the arts. They are one reason Kanazawa is known for performing arts like Noh theatre and beautiful objects like dishes and pottery – much of which you’ll find sold in the shops around Higashi Chaya.
Note that this isn’t the Ninja Temple you might have heard about. That’s nearer the Nishi Chaya area of Kanazawa.
Also note the well at the back of the shrine. It’s boarded up now, but it used to be filled with sake-infused water, which it’s claimed could cure children of illness.
Utasu Shrine is also the central place to celebrate Setsubun in Kanazawa. In this ceremony, soy beans are thrown to dispel bad luck and evil spirits, but at Utasa Shrine, the act is not performed by the priest but by local geisha (or geiko as they are known in Kanazawa). The geiko also perform dances at the shrine. It takes place on February 3rd if you’re lucky enough to be here to see it.
Talking of geiko.
2. See a Geiko Perform
Forty geiko still live and work in Kanazawa, but it’s virtually impossible for a normal tourist to visit the teahouses where they work. However, on many Saturday lunchtimes throughout the year, you can go to a special performance in either Higashi-Chaya, nearby Kazemachi Chaya, or Kanazawa’s third geiko area, Nishi Chaya.
See more details, check the exact dates and locations and make a booking – which is essential. The performances sell out, so book as early as you can if you want to participate. See more at the Kanazawa City website.
3. Get Creative at Bikazari Asano
This handicraft shop in the middle of Higashi Chaya was where I tried my hand at adding gold leaf to a pretty black box.
It only takes about 30 minutes, but you’ll be left with an everlasting souvenir of your time in Kanazawa. See more about it my longer review on the Gold Leaf Experience in Higashi Chaya.
4. Notice the Corn Cobs
When you’re walking around Higashi Chaya, one small thing you might notice is the corn husks hanging outside the front of many buildings.
These aren’t any old corn cobs; they come from a festival held at the nearby Kannon-in temple. Blessed at the temple, it’s said that hanging one of these outside your home or business will give you luck for 46,000 days – that’s over 125 years.
5. Meet the Happiness Dog
Sugawarajinja is a shrine a few steps away from Utasa Jinja. It’s dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, a famous poet and scholar, but it’s also said to have other abilities.
It’s said that if women touch the male guardian dog, they will receive blessings and happiness. Or, if you walk from the red pine tree on the right-hand side of the tori gate at the shrine’s entrance to the black pine tree on it’s left side, you’ll make a good match in marriage.
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6. Play the Shamisen
Peer into the windows of the traditional Fukushima Sangen Musical Instruments Shop to see shamisen, the instrument traditionally played by geisha.
If you’re musically inclined, you can also book an experience to play the shamisen yourself.
It costs 500 yen and is available between 1 and 4 pm when the shop is open.
See more about it on their website. They don’t take bookings but check the opening and closing days of the shop to make sure they’ll be available.
7. See an Original Teahouse
Most of the old teahouses in this area are now turned into modern day cafes, bars, restaurants or shops, but Geisha House Shima has been kept as it used to be and now has a small display of geisha memorabilia like musical instruments and hair decorations.
There’s also a pretty garden in the building.
It’s not the most exciting museum in the world, but it’s nice to see inside an original teahouse in this area.
Geisha House Shima is open seven days a week from 9.30 to 5.30. It costs 500 yen for adults and 300 yen for children.
8. Seek Out More Shiny
Kanazawa produces most of Japan’s Gold Leaf, and there’s a lot of it in Higashi Chaya, from stores selling ostentatious artworks covered in layers of shine to food topped with edible gold.
The longest queue in town is for Hakuichi Higashiyama Store soft serve ice cream that comes wrapped in a layer of gold leaf, but wander around town and you’ll find gold dusted cake, pudding with shiny sprinkles, ice pops that look like shiny light sabres.
When I visited, you could also have gold-dusted takoyaki and curry, but both those places have closed down – but it shows that while ice cream might get the queues, there are all sorts of edible gold leaf opportunities in Higashi Chaya.
My favourite is this fantastic wall at Hakuza Hikari-gura. There’s also a gold-threaded tatami mat in Kaikaro tea house, which offers gold leaf desserts. Cafe patrons can tour the house for an additional fee. You’ll also find some fantastic gold statues and more portable souvenirs in the Sakuda Machiya Store.
Find all these locations and more, plus lots more shiny pictures, in our guide to gold leaf in Kanazawa (coming soon).
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9. Visit The Rice Rebels
The small temple of Jukyogi is a little way out of the main touristy area of Higashi Chaya, but it’s worth a visit to see this small display of statues located outside.
The story goes that in 1858 the price of rice had risen so high people couldn’t afford to eat. A group of 2000 angry citizens stormed the castle – they got their way, rice prices were reduced, but the seven ring leaders were executed. These statues were carved by locals to remember them but also to pray for their souls – they each hold a rice plant in their hand.
If you’re here when the temple itself isn’t open, you’ll need to peer inside the windows of the slatted building outside to see the statues. It took me a while to work that out! If the temple is open, they will also open the slats.
10. Rent a Kimono
You can do this all over Japan, but one benefit of doing it in Higashi Chaya is that there are usually fewer people around than in Kyoto, making it easier to get pictures.
While the main streets of Higashi Chaya can get busy in the middle of the day, there are still small backstreets and alleys that the tour groups don’t go down because there aren’t any shops. Head over the river to the small Kazemachi Chaya area, and you’ll find another very pretty backdrop with few people around.
There are a few kimono hire shops in Higashi Chaya so turn up on the day and see what’s is available, or you can book in advance here.
11. Kazemachi Chaya
This area is just across the river from Higashi Chaya and it’s another old geisha area. Here, the roads are smaller, and you can get some great pictures – especially during Golden Hour. It’s also very atmospheric at night when the small bars and restaurants that fill this area open up.
The most photographed spots here are the small alleys and old staircases in the far south of the small area—use the Kikynoya Hotel as your marker for one alley; the other is to the east, just past a restaurant called Ichirin on the map.
These are the things that stood out for me in the Higashi Chaya area, but you could walk around here and see 11 more, completely different, but equally fun or fascinating things in the shops or beautiful buildings—so use my guide for inspiration, but don’t forget to make your own adventure while you’re here.
If you’re looking for more ideas of things to see, take a look at our guide to the Top Ten Sights in Kanazawa for First Time Visitors.