Kanazawa,
Japan
Kanazawa is one of Japan's best-preserved historical cities, with a wonderful samurai quarter, fascinating geisha district, all kinds of traditional crafts and one of the top three (if not the top one) landscape gardens in Japan.
From the mid-16th century, Kanazawa was
the seat of the Maeda Clan, who ruled
the city and prefecture of Ishikawa for
nearly three centuries. Recently
dramatised for TV, the story of the
Maeda Clan is one of wealth, excess,
violence, and (perhaps incongruously)
extensive patronage of the arts. Such
was their prosperity that the period of
their rule became known as the
Hyakumangoku period, meaning "one
million bushels of rice" - a measure of
extreme wealth. Today the samurai may be
long gone, but the legacy of the Maeda
clan can still be seen in modern day
Kanazawa - for example in the
Hyakumangoku Festival, Kanazawa's
biggest, which features a column of
dancers several kilometres long.
Kanazawa prides itself on its refinement
and heritage - and since it was spared
bombing during World War Two many of its
historical buildings and artifacts have
been preserved to this day. A wander
into any of the city's three tea
districts (Higashiyama, Nishichaya-gai
and Kazue-machi), the home of Kanazawa's
geisha, will transport you into another
world where you can slip into a teahouse
and enjoy a few moments' rest and
relaxation. In Nagamachi you can visit
earthen-walled residences in one of the
best-preserved samurai quarters in
Japan, while at Kenrokuen you can spend
a couple of hours strolling in what is
perhaps the country's most beautiful
landscape garden - a stunning sight in
any season.
In addition to its historical districts,
Kanazawa is known for the high quality
of its traditional crafts, and in 2009
it was recognised as a city of crafts
and folk art by UNESCO. Kutani pottery,
kaga-yuzen silk dyeing, lacquer ware and
gold leaf are still practised in small
workshops across the city, and in some
cases you can try your hand at these
ancient arts for yourself. It's even
possible to order an ice cream topped
with gold leaf if you like!
Furthermore, the arts enjoyed by the
Maeda clan are still very much alive.
With a history stretching back over 600
years, Kanazawa is one of the few places
where Noh drama still flourishes. So
ingrained is it within the culture of
Kanazawa that gardeners in Kenrokuen are
traditionally reputed to sing Noh chants
whilst trimming the trees - thus giving
birth to the curious saying: "Noh chants
fall from the heavens".
It may lack the crowds of Japan's bigger
cities, but Kanazawa lacks none of the
energy. Every morning, traders at the
Omicho Market set up stalls and sell an
array of fish, famous Japan-wide for its
freshness and quality; the weekends see
busy department stores and lively bars
and restaurants in full swing. It's
certainly not all quaint streets and
traditional refinement either - as
Kanazawa is also home to the excellent,
cutting-edge 21st Century Museum of
Modern Art, the outstanding Kanazawa
Station (one of the most beautiful train
stations in the world, apparently!), and
the Katamachi district - affectionately
known as "The Scramble" - packed with
people, shops and restaurants.
Kanazawa is a look at the other side of
Japanese city life, one where everything
doesn't happen at a hundred miles an
hour and where people still have time to
appreciate the finest elements of the
Japanese tradition.
(https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/guide-to-kanazawa-japan)