Nishi Chaya District

Nishi Chaya-gai is one of the three major geisha districts of Kanazawa, alongside Kazue-machi Chaya-gai and Higashi Chaya-gai. In 1820, one of the geisha districts officially licensed by the Kaga Domain was called ""Nishi no Kuruwa"" (Western Quarter) (at the time, geisha districts were surrounded by moats to isolate them from the general public, and it was so named because it was located to the west when viewed from Kanazawa Castle). This is the current ""Nishi Chaya-gai."" Walking along the street lined with beautiful two-story teahouse-style buildings with latticed windows, you'll find the Nishi Chaya Museum at the very back of the district. It's a recreation of the former teahouse ""Yoshimero,"" where Shimada Seijiro, the author of the Taisho-era bestseller ""Chijo"" (On the Ground), spent his time. The first floor displays materials related to the author Shimada Seijiro, while the second floor recreates the luxurious interior of a teahouse, complete with gold screens and lacquered decorations, giving the impression that teahouse entertainment is still taking place there today. Furthermore, the ""Nishi Kenban Office (a nationally registered tangible cultural property),"" built during the Taisho era, is unique among the offices of the teahouse districts of Higashi Chaya-gai and Kazue-machi Chaya-gai in its Western-style appearance. It would be interesting to compare its appearance to that of the offices in Higashi Chaya-gai and Kazue-machi Chaya-gai.