The historic precinct of Higashi Chaya is a well-preserved geisha district where geisha used to entertain their customers with singing and dancing at the ‘chaya’ or teahouses. Kanazawa boasts several ‘chaya’ districts, with Highashi Chaya being the largest.

Traditional buildings including well-preserved chaya dominant the prescient, with most now converted to other uses including cafes, restaurants and shops.  Two teahouses – Shima Tea House and Kaikaro Tea House – are remain to public, allowing you to see the spaces in which geisha once lived and applied their trade.

Many other chaya have been converted into cafes and various shops. One of the more interesting is Hakuza Gold Leaf – selling all sorts of Kanazawa gold leaf items.