ORBIS city intelligence

Kanazawa Shopping Route — Higashi Chaya and the Craft Quarter

Kanazawa's route is two chapters: Higashi Chaya for the leaf as stock, then Hirosaka and Nomachi for the crafts that still use it. Do not spend the day collecting gold-colored photographs in one street.

Morning. Higashi Chaya, leaf first

Start at Gold Leaf Sakuda Main Store, 1-3-27 Higashiyama (36.5738494, 136.6663150). Watch how leaf is made, then buy sheets or a screen only if you can name the use. The house dates itself to 1919. Walk the same 1-chome to Fukumitsuya Higashi at 1-14-9 Higashiyama (36.5713757, 136.6668698) and taste from the brewery the house dates to 1625. A small bottle is enough. Do not follow an OpenStreetMap "福光屋" pin toward Ishibiki. That is a different shop.

Kintsuba Nakataya Higashiyama Chayagai at 1-5-9 Higashiyama (36.5724950, 136.6660231) sits at the district entrance and has made kintsuba since 1934. Eat it here. Official 東山店 at 3-4-30 is closed. Pass the gold-leaf ice cream without making it the errand.

If you still need a second gold door on this street, HAKUICHI Higashiyama Store is at 1-15-4 (36.5723093, 136.6664679). Use it only if you already know the object. Hakuza keeps Higashi Chaya shops as well as the Moriyama main store at 1-30-4 (36.5775628, 136.6650566). Ask for entsuke by name at whichever door you enter. Do not add a third gold shop before lunch.

Midday. Hirosaka, gold already in the object

Cross toward the castle park. Nosaku Lacquer Ware at 1-1-60 Hirosaka (36.5618260, 136.6562542) is the 1780 lacquer house: buy maki-e that uses gold as powder in lacquer. Next along Hyakumangoku-dori, Kanazawa Crafts Hirosaka at 1-2-25 (36.5616412, 136.6580113) has compared named Kanazawa makers since 1997. Kutani Ceramics HOKUSANDO at 1-2-33 (36.5615767, 136.6588127) is the dealer counter. The Noh museum geocode for 1-2-25 is the wrong building. Stay on the shop pins.

Kaga Yuzen Kaikan at 8-8 Koshomachi (36.5639604, 136.6655423) is a short walk east if you want the dye method (five colours, artist seal) rather than another leaf counter. Gold-Knot at 5-6 Minami-cho (36.5679331, 136.6541718) is the wearable leaf, west toward Oyama Shrine. One of those two is enough as a midday extra. Not both, unless the first object failed.

Afternoon. Nomachi, then a choice

Leave the postcard. In Nomachi, Kutani Ware Kutani Kosen Kiln at 5-3-3 Nomachi (36.5543134, 136.6425130) is the 1870 kiln that still throws and paints in the city. Kaga Mizuhiki Tsuda Mizuhiki at 1-1-36 Nomachi (36.5573674, 136.6496311) is the fifth-generation cord house. One kiln piece or one ceremonial cord is a better afternoon than another leaf shop.

If the day still has a room, pick one, not a prize circuit. Ame no Tawaraya at 2-4 Kobashimachi (36.5784190, 136.6627074) is the 1830 syrup counter, useful on a loop that also takes Hakuza's Moriyama door. Morihachi at 10-15 Ote-machi (36.5694481, 136.6639012) and Ohi Chozaemon Kiln / Ohi Museum at 2-17 Hashiba-cho (36.5699032, 136.6643902) face each other. That pair is a confection and a tea bowl, not a gold stop. Official Ohi kanji is 大樋. Check the museum before you cross; a 2026 notice spoke of renovation.

Record Jungle, Araki Building 2F, 2-13 Fukuro-machi (36.5722923, 136.6577454), is the 1983 record room near Omicho. Go only if the crate is the point. Kanbayashi Kanazawa Chaho at 1-7 Shimoshincho (36.5718288, 136.6627121) sits between the market and Higashi Chaya if you want tea for the train. Kanazawa M'ZA at 15-1 Musashi-machi (36.5719556, 136.6549824) is opposite Omicho. A roof, not a maker. Imai Kinpaku Main Store at 7-3 Saiwai-cho (36.5537283, 136.6583820) is a separate workshop errand south of Hirosaka, not a detour you invent between Nosaku and Kosen.

With ninety minutes, do Sakuda and Fukumitsuya. With a half day, add Hirosaka. With a full day, finish in Nomachi and keep Record Jungle or the Ote-machi pair as a choice. Shijimaya Honpo Main Store at 1-17-28 Yayoi (36.5492556, 136.6471779) and Kaga-nui embroidery IMAI at 3-4-19 Mikuchishin-machi (36.5444237, 136.6793667) are south-side errands. Do not hang them on this walk.

Higashi Chaya shows the leaf. The craft quarter shows what the leaf is for.