How to Get to Higashi Chaya District from Kanazawa Station
Higashi Chaya District (ひがし茶屋街) is about 10 minutes by bus from Kanazawa Station, plus a 5-minute walk. Here is what you actually need to know before you get on.
The short answer
| Time | Cost | Good for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loop bus | 10 min + 5 min walk | ¥220 | Almost everyone |
| Walking | 25–30 min | Free | A pleasant flat walk through the old town |
| Taxi | About 10 min | Around ¥1,200 | Luggage, or groups of 3+ |
For three people, a taxi can work out cheaper than three ¥220 fares.
Taking the loop bus
Go to the East Gate (Kenrokuen Gate) of Kanazawa Station — the side with the big wooden Tsuzumi-mon gate — and find bus stop 7. Take the Kanazawa Loop Bus (城下まち金沢周遊バス), right-loop (RL), and get off at Hashiba-cho (橋場町).
- Fare: ¥220 for adults, ¥110 for children (per ride)
- Right-loop runs roughly every 15 minutes, from 8:30 to 18:00 (departures from Kanazawa Station)
- The left-loop (LL) runs every 20 minutes and goes the other way around, reaching Higashi Chaya last
The right-loop reaches Higashi Chaya first, then Kenrokuen Garden and the 21st Century Museum. If Higashi Chaya is your first stop of the day, take the right-loop.
Will my Suica or ICOCA work?
On the loop bus, yes. Hokuriku Railroad accepts the ten nationwide IC cards — Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, Kitaca, TOICA, manaca, PiTaPa, Hayakaken, nimoca and SUGOCA — on the Kanazawa Loop Bus and the Kanazawa Light-Up Bus.
Two warnings, and they matter:
- Ordinary Hokuriku Railroad city buses do not take nationwide IC cards. They use a local card called ICa. Several ordinary buses also stop at Hashiba-cho, and they are perfectly fine to ride — but pay in cash.
- Even the loop bus sometimes runs with a standard route-bus vehicle, and when that happens the IC readers are not available. The operator says so explicitly.
So: carry coins. ¥220 per person in cash, per ride, is the assumption you should travel on. Do not let an IC card be your only plan.
Is the 1-day pass worth it?
The Kanazawa City 1-Day Pass is ¥800 for adults and ¥400 for children. At ¥220 a ride, it pays off from the fourth ride onward. A typical day of Higashi Chaya plus Kenrokuen and back to the station is two or three rides, so paying per ride is usually cheaper.
One catch: the pass is not sold on board the loop bus. Buy it beforehand at a ticket counter or at your hotel.
Walking from the station
The walk takes 25–30 minutes and is flat the whole way. Head east from the station, follow the main road, and cross the Asano River. It is a good introduction to the city if you have the time and light luggage.
From the bus stop to the district
From Hashiba-cho, it is about 5 minutes on foot. Cross the Asano-gawa Ohashi bridge and follow the river — the wooden lattice facades appear directly ahead.
The riverside just before the bridge is Kazue-machi, a second, quieter geisha district. It costs you nothing to walk through it on the way, and most visitors miss it entirely.
Practical notes
- Bring cash generally, not just for the bus. Small shops and older establishments in the district may not take cards.
- Mornings are calmest. The main street fills up from late morning onward; arriving on an early bus is the single easiest way to see the district without crowds.
- The teahouses close early. The two teahouses open to visitors shut in the 17:00 hour, so do not leave them until the end of the day.
※ Fares and timetables verified 18 August 2026 against Kanazawa City Tourism Association and Hokuriku Railroad. Check before you travel, as these can change.
For the district itself — what it is, what to see, and its history — start from the Higashi Chaya Guide and the history of the district.