Page 164 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Japan

EXPERIENCE Central Honshu

A street lined with wooden
buildings in the Nagamachi
Samurai Quarter

5 2 "
KANAZAWA Seisonkaku Villa

⌂ 1-2 Kenrokumachi
# 9am–5pm Thu–Tue
金沢 ∑ seisonkaku.com
The exquisite two­story
! E4 ⌂ Ishikawa Prefecture k Komatsu £ JR lines
(Hokuriku Shinkasen) ∑ kanazawa-kankoukyoukai.or.jp Seison kaku Villa adjoining
Kenroku­en Garden was built
Wealth encouraged cultural development in this city. in 1863 by Maeda Nari yasu,
In 1583 the area, known as Kaga, passed from an 13th lord, for his mother. Its
egalitarian government under the Ikko Buddhist sect lower floor houses formal
to the firm rule of the Maeda lords; while much of Japan receiving rooms, with walls 0 meters 500 N Train & bus stations Sakuda Gold HIGASHIYAMA
900 yd (850 m)
coated in gold dust, and shoji
Leaf Store
was still unstable, Kaga had three centuries of peace paper doors with rare Dutch 0 yards 500 HIKOSOMACHI Ochaya Shima
and became the richest domain in the land. As a result, stained­glass insets. Upstairs Fukushima Geisha House
artists from Kyoto came and developed new styles here. is more informal and colorful. TAMAGA- HYAK UM AN G OK U -OD ORI Sargenten
The house also features a WACHO OWARICHO
1 the Nomuras who were forced famed 65­ft­ (20­m­) long Asanogawa
covered walkway known as
to sell their home. While many
Nagamachi others were simply torn down, the “horsetail corridor”, which Tamagawa ODORI HYAKUMANGOKU-
Samurai Quarter one samurai house was was engineered in such a way HOSAI Park O H O R I - D O R I O H O R I - D O R I
Bisected by the picturesque bought by Kubo Hikobei, a that no supporting beams H Y A K U M A N G O K U - O D O R I
Onosho Canal, this historic wealthy business man, who hold up the roof. Kanazawa ZAIMOKUCHO
area of Kanazawa was once restored it. With its intricate Nagamachi Castle Park
home to the city’s samurai. wood work, costly window­ Kaga Yuzen Oyama Ishikawa-
Retaining its traditional panes, and serene garden, HIDDEN GEM Silk Center Shrine mon
KATA MACHI SCRAMBLE
earthen walled streets, this Nomura Family Samurai Kimono Time NAGAMACHI Kanazawa YOKOYAMA-
atmospheric neighborhood House grants a rare insight The Nagamachi Kaga Nomura Family Castle KOSHO- MACHI
MACHI
Samurai House
of waterways and winding into the day­to­day lives of Yuzen Silk Center Chuo HYAKUMANGOKU-ODORI
Nagamachi
lanes is located at the foot of the samurai. Visitors can even exhibits this intricate Samurai Quarter Park OGIMACHI
Kanazawa castle. Some of the partake in a traditional tea material, which necess- Saigawa HIROSAKA-DORI Kenroku-en
former samurai houses and ceremony for an extra charge. itates an 18-step dyeing Garden
their gardens are open for process. For a fee, you KATAMACHI Museum Ishikawa Museum of
Traditional Arts and Crafts
public viewing. Nomura Family can try your hand at 21st Century of Art Seisonkaku
Museum of
At the end of the Edo Era, Samurai House silk painting and try STREET TATEMACHI Contemporary Art Villa
many samurai were ruined by " - ⌂ 1-3-2 Nagamachi on a kimono for size SHIRAGIKUCHO ODORI Kaga-Honda
SHOPPING
SAIGAWA-
the collapse of the financial # 8:30am–4:30pm daily (kagayuzen-club.co.jp). Kutani Kosen Pottery Kiln HONDA- ODORI Museum
system. One such family was ∑ nomurake.com 700 yd (650 m)
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