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The Nagamachi area of Kanazawa is the area where the Samurai used to live – here’s what to check out while you’re there.
The first thing you notice when you walk around Nagamachi is how different the buildings are from the other tourist areas in Kanazawa – Higashi Chaya, Nishi-Chaya and Kazuemachi are old entertainment areas lined with welcoming old wooden buildings. Come to Nagamachi and you’re greeted by buildings with high, thick stone walls, no windows and access only via big wooden gates.
These are buildings designed to keep you out, not welcome you in!
Image: Kanazawa Media Library @Kanazawa City
Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
This is the first sign that the area where you are now used to be the home of the upper-to-mid-ranking samurai and their families, who were brought there by the Maeda clan, which ruled Kanazawa for many years.
Many of these houses, called bukeyashiki, were destroyed, but those that are left now welcome uninvited guests in a way that would make their former residents fear for their safety!
Here are some of the main sights to see while you’re here.
1. Kanazawa Shinise Memorial Hall
Occupying a building that used to be an old pharmacy, it’s now a museum that aims to show the life of the Kanazawa people. This means this place has a bit of everything; you never know what’s in the next room. Will be a mock-up of the old Nakaya family pharmacy, a tea ceremony space or traditional garden, some dolls and kimono or my favourite bit – the candy tree?
Yes; it’s a tree made of sweets. Finished in 1995, this took nine months to complete and the 13,000 petals on the branches are made of rice flour, sugar and gelatin. I was fascinated.
I really liked the feel of this place and all its surprises. The staff are also super lovely and like to have a chat with you when you walk in. Do not miss it.
The Kanazawa Shinise Memorial Hall is open six days a week and is closed on Monday. Its opening hours are 9.30 am to 5 pm. It costs a bargain 100 yen to get in, and if you want to go to our next stop, you can buy a joint ticket for 360 yen.
2. Maeda Tosanokami-ke Shiyokan Museum
Weapons, armour, and other less warlike exhibits are among the 9000 exhibits in this museum that show the life of the Maeda family.
The majority of the exhibits are letters and other documents. Direct English translations aren’t given, but English signs have now been added explaining at least what the document is about, etiquette, and other matters related to the writings. If you’re keen on Japanese history, you’ll be fascinated.
However, while it’s sometimes described as the Samurai Museum, please don’t go here expecting it to focus on the lives of these warriors; this is very much about the Maeda family’s history, so while there is some armour and weapons, they aren’t the focus of the exhibition.
The museum costs 310 yen to enter alone, or you can buy a joint ticket with the Kanazawa Shinise Memorial Hall for 360 yen. It is open from 9.30 to 5 p.m., six days a week, and is closed on Monday.
3. Cafe Murakami
By the time I arrived in Nagamachi, I was a bit tired. I’d already explored the fantastic Ninja Temple, explored a few fun shrines, checked out things like the Doll Museum in Nishi-Chaya and wandered around Kanazawa’s bar district deciding whether to go back later – and all just on an egg sandwich!
Something was needed to get me through the next few hours, and that something was to be gold leaf ice cream!
As I mentioned in our guide to Kanazawa’s Higashi Chaya area, many people queue up for this is one of the stores there, but you can buy it in this cafe in Nagamachi – and bonus, there’s no queue, there’s a place to sit down – and they even have a stand for your to rest your ice cream on so you can take it’s photo without it dripping on your hands!
They also sell a gold leaf-topped mochi.
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4. Try Kaga Jibuni
If you’d prefer to dine somewhere a bit more traditional, you could also stop in for a matcha tea and a wagashi sweet or an ice cream wafer at the family-run Kayuan, a few doors away.
However, if you’re here around lunchtime, this is one of the places in Nagamachi where you can try the traditional samurai dish Kaga Jibuni.
Image: Kanazawa Tourism Media Library ©Kanazawa City
This is a hot pot-style dish of duck (or chicken) with vegetables served in a slightly sweet broth thickened with flour. If it’s too early for lunch when you reach Kayuan, another place to try the dish is Gyohan on the far east of the area.
Kayuan is open 10 am to 5pm, five days a week. It’s closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Gyohan is also open five days, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. But it serves lunch from 11 am to 2 pm and dinner from 5 pm to 9 pm. You can also order some large, course-type meals at Gyohan if you want to try some other elements of Kaga cuisine.
5. The Waterways
Two waterways flank the Samurai area. Today, these are merely pretty waterways dotted with flowering trees, but when built, they were essential lifelines for the city, transporting goods and powering waterwheels that allowed for the processing of seed oil and rice in Kanazawa.
The eastern canal is also lined with small shops that make up the Seseragi-Dori Shopping Street and you can walk down the side of the canal toward the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art.
8. Takada Family Residence
If you want to see what’s left of this old samurai home (stables and a garden) do so before you go further into the actual Nagamachi area, otherwise, you will wind your way out through the cobbled streets to other side – and totally forget that it was ever on your list of things to see (ahem).
As such, I have no pictures to show you the inside of the Takada Family Residence!
However, I can tell you that it’s free to enter and open six days a week from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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9. Nomura-ke Samurai Residence
One of the best-preserved residences in Nagamachi belonged to the Nomura family, one of the highest-ranking followers of the Maeda clan.
You can wander the tatami mat-lined rooms, but make sure you read the leaflet they give you in English when you go in, or you’ll miss things like the lack of nails in one area of the house.
I also didn’t spot the drawings of tortoises on one of the screens in the house, which is believed to be the best example of painting by the landscape drawer Sasaki Senkei. This is one of Japan’s most respected art pieces! But I totally missed them because I didn’t read the leaflet until I got back to my hotel.
The garden here is also particularly pretty, with koi carp flapping around in the pond. It also contains a myrica tree, which shouldn’t grow well in this region. This one obviously didn’t get the memo, as it’s still thriving after more than four hundred years.
10. Wander the Area
As I said, Nagamachi has a totally different feel from the other historic areas in Kanazawa. It’s fun to walk around the cobbled streets surrounded by slightly imposing yellow walls.
Suddenly, you’ll see a gate—if it’s open, peer inside, and you might find a teahouse, cafe or restaurant or, more often than not, a shop selling ceramics. This ornate, bright-coloured style is known as Kutani ware. The wine glasses sold here are particularly unique.
So, there you have it, our guide to the Nagamachi samurai area. It will take you 2-3 hours to see everything here. It’s easily combined with a trip to the Nishi Chaya geisha area and the Ninja Temple.
If you’re not too exhausted, you could finish your day at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art – especially if it’s one of its late-opening evenings. Remember, if you want to see the iconic The Swimming Pool exhibit, you need to book a time, so do that online earlier in the day so you know what time you need to make it to the museum. We have more information on how to do this in our guide to Kanazawa’s Top 10 sights.
Who Writes This Blog?
My name is Helen Foster, and I’m a journalist and author. My travel articles have appeared in publications including The Australian, Escape, RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, Sainsbury’s Magazine, and more.
I’ve traveled to Japan eight times before – solo and with my partner and visited over 25 towns and cities. My last visit was November 2024 so, everything here is pretty up to date.
