Kanazawa Machiya Kenroku

Hidden gem. From the outside you would not notice this beautifully preserved old house. The interior is wonderful and made the perfect contrast from the modern hotels we had stayed at in Kyoto and Tokyo. Tatami mat floors, flower arrangements, paper and wood screen doors… and the hosts collection of ancestral artefacts make this an extraordinary stay. It is well located for walks into the old centre, local restaurants and to access the station. The host and his wife are also incredibly generous. Hitty, the host, met us at the house to hand it over to us for our stay and explained a little of the history and some of the amazing artefacts from his samurai ancestors. It was a tremendous privilege to stay in the house and to enjoy such hospitality. The only negative: we had no problem with the steep stairs up to the bedrooms, but anyone with mobility problems will struggle here.

We loved it!

The perfect stay for our family of 2 adults and 3 children in Kanazawa. Hitty was the perfect host and met us at the property to explain everything and give us the tour as well as share some of his family history and some antique artefacts. He even had a selection of locally made sweets for us. The property is well located a short walk from the station and is beautifully decorated and in the traditional Japanese style with tatami mats and sliding doors. Hitty’s wife had made a beautiful flower arrangement downstairs. The property is compact but felt spacious enough for our family and was very comfortable. The air con worked very well and everything was immaculately clean. There was a very interesting selection of books in English about Japanese culture etc. which we enjoyed browsing through. The Hojicha tea and traditional tea set plus the matcha making equipment was a lovely touch which we enjoyed. The bathroom was great with a wet room style shower and small bath. There are plenty of good restaurants in the local area within walking distance. Hitty kindly made a reservation for us to have Yakiniku (Japanese table bbq) which was a memorable experience. Most but not all the restaurants had English menus but we got by and didn’t go hungry!

The futons may not be to everyone’s preference, however we all enjoyed experiencing the traditional Japanese accommodation.

Amazing property. So historic and interesting. Very clean and it had everything we needed. We were traveling with three kids and were so thankful for the washing machine! The owner met us on arrival and took us on a tour of the house. It was so interesting to learn about his family’s history. The owner was helpful throughout and we really appreciated his thoughtfulness. Wonderful stay. We hope to be back someday. Book this property. You won’t be disappointed!

Nothing. It was great. Just to note that if you have mobility issues you might struggle to go up the stairs to the bedrooms.

The host made this property special. He spent time explaining the history with his samurai ancestors and getting is acquainted to Kanazawa. We even had special sweets he got us to try! If you care about culture, history and Japan - this is a great stay. We also loved eating at Shogun nearby! Great staff and food.

It’s an historic home so low ceilings for my 6”3 husband but bathrooms were completely modern.