Enjoying Kanazawa Machiya: Where Tradition Meets Modern Comfort
- In Kanazawa House
- 2 avr.
- 4 min de lecture
When you walk through the charming streets of Kanazawa, one of Japan’s most culturally rich cities, you’re bound to notice rows of traditional wooden houses lining the narrow roads. These beautiful homes, known as machiya, are a defining feature of the city’s historic districts. Originally built as homes and workplaces for merchants, artisans, and samurai, Kanazawa machiya reflect the city’s long and elegant history.
But these houses are not just relics of the past. Today, many Kanazawa machiya have undergone thoughtful renovation, blending old-world charm with modern-day comfort. From stylish cafés to creative cultural facilities and unique accommodations, Kanazawa’s machiya are a must-experience part of any trip to this beautiful city.
■ Table of Contents
What Makes Kanazawa Machiya Special?
How to Enjoy Kanazawa Machiya Today
Why Kanazawa Machiya Are Worth Exploring
Final Thoughts: A Timeless Experience in the Heart of Kanazawa
■ What Makes Kanazawa Machiya Special?
Kanazawa machiya are unique for their deep, narrow layouts (known as “eel beds”), latticed wooden facades, thick earthen walls, and internal gardens that bring light and nature into the home. These homes were designed to endure Kanazawa’s snowy winters and humid summers, while also embracing aesthetics and function.
In the present day, Kanazawa continues to celebrate its architectural heritage by revitalizing machiya spaces, making them accessible and enjoyable for both locals and tourists.
■ How to Enjoy Kanazawa Machiya Today
1. Relax in a Machiya Café
One of the easiest ways to experience the warmth and charm of a Kanazawa machiya is to visit a café inside a renovated townhouse. These spots preserve the original wooden architecture while offering modern menus with high-quality coffee, local sweets, and light meals.
• Higashiyama Kureha: Café and gallery in Kanazawa’s historic Higashi Chaya District, offering traditional sweets and matcha in a renovated machiya townhouse.
• Mameduki : Cozy café in Kanazawa’s Higashiyama district, specializing in handcrafted bean-based sweets like the signature “Kuromamekan” (black bean jelly), served in a renovated 85-year-old machiya townhouse.
• Nonstop Coffee Stand & Roastery : specialty coffee shop in Kanazawa’s Higashiyama district, inspired by Melbourne’s coffee culture. They roast their own beans and offer a variety of coffee drinks, including options with plant-based milks.
Each café provides a unique glimpse into life inside a Kanazawa machiya, all while letting you relax in a cozy, photogenic setting.
2. Stay in a Renovated Machiya Hotel
For a deeper connection to Kanazawa’s heritage, consider staying in a machiya-style hotel or guesthouse. Many of these homes have been lovingly restored to include modern amenities while keeping the traditional structure and charm intact.
Popular Kanazawa Machiya Accommodations:
• MACHIYA RESIDENCE INNS: Offering beautifully renovated private homes throughout Kanazawa, perfect for couples, families, or friends.
• SAIK MACHIYA-INNS & HOTELS: A series of boutique inns that blend the timeless beauty of machiya with hotel-level service and design.
• Kanazawa Machiya Kenroku: 140-year-old traditional townhouse in Kanazawa, designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property. Located a 4-minute walk from Kanazawa Station, it offers guests an authentic stay blending historical charm with modern comforts.
• Gunjo no Tsuki : newly built machiya-style inn in Kanazawa, offering three guest rooms. Conveniently located near the Nishi Chaya District, it’s about a 5-minute walk to nearby restaurants in Katamachi.
These machiya hotels offer not just a place to sleep, but an opportunity to live like a local in a space full of history and personality.
3. Join a Cultural Experience: Cooking in a Machiya
One of the most unique and recommended experiences in Kanazawa is a Japanese cooking class inside a machiya, hosted by IN KANAZAWA HOUSE. This special activity lets visitors step into the kitchen of a renovated townhouse and learn how to make traditional Japanese meals using local ingredients.
What to Expect from the Cooking Experience:
• Learn how to prepare authentic dishes like miso soup, seasonal vegetables, sushi, or Japanese sweets
• Use traditional utensils and cooking techniques passed down for generations
• Learn about Japanese food culture and seasonal eating traditions
This hands-on class takes place in a beautifully renovated Kanazawa machiya, adding a layer of cultural immersion that goes far beyond a typical sightseeing experience.
Why is it recommended? Because you’re not just observing culture — you’re participating in it. Cooking and eating in a machiya offers a rare chance to feel the everyday rhythms of life in traditional Japan.
■ Why Kanazawa Machiya Are Worth Exploring
Whether you’re stopping for a coffee, cooking with locals, or sleeping under wooden beams, Kanazawa machiya offer an authentic, sensory-rich travel experience that’s hard to find elsewhere.
Here’s why they’re worth your time:
• They are a perfect blend of history and innovation, adapted to modern lifestyles without losing their soul
• They connect you with local people, food, and culture
• They are an ideal backdrop for photos, storytelling, and relaxation
• They reflect Kanazawa’s spirit — quiet, refined, and deeply rooted in tradition
■ Final Thoughts: A Timeless Experience in the Heart of Kanazawa
Kanazawa is a city where tradition is not just preserved—it’s lived and loved. Through careful renovation, Kanazawa’s machiya have found new life as welcoming spaces for food, hospitality, and cultural exchange.
So whether you’re sipping a matcha latte in a wood-framed café, spending a night in a tatami-floored room, or temari sushi in a cooking class at IN KANAZAWA HOUSE, you’re not just visiting Kanazawa — you’re becoming a part of its story.
Kanazawa machiya are more than buildings. They’re experiences waiting to be lived.
