Katamachi (Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan)

What makes this place special?

At a Glance

Katamachi is the largest entertainment district in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. It runs along National Route 157 between Korinbo and the Sai River Ohashi bridge. Together with neighbouring Korinbo and Tatemachi it forms the core of central Kanazawa, and restaurants, bars and clubs stand shoulder to shoulder. The name comes from the houses and shops that once lined only one side of the street.

The area began in the early Edo period, when a wide riverbed was filled in to make a town. Its shopping association, formed in 1894, is described as Japan's first commercial association, and Katamachi is sometimes called the country's oldest shopping street. An 822-metre arcade, finished in 1981, runs along Route 157 and is styled after a samurai helmet. The Katamachi scramble crossing is the area's best-known view, and the Nagamachi samurai district is nearby.