Along with Higashi Chaya-gai district and Nishi Chaya-gai district, this is one of Kanazawa's three Chaya-gai districts. The area has a calm atmosphere with narrow alleys and Senbongoushi lattice fences along the Asanogawa River. It has been selected as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. The name of the town comes from the residence of Kazue Tomita, who was ahead of the Hitomochi clan (a position related to clan administration as a chief retainer of the clan) with a stipend of over 10,000 Goku (over one billion dollars) in the Edo period, and whose wife was the grandson of the first lord of the Kaga clan, Maeda Toshiie. Incidentally, the town often appears in the works of the great writer Izumi Kyoka.
Along the alley are traditional restaurants and teahouses lit at dusk, creating a fantastic atmosphere. The sounds of drums and shamisen (three-stringed Japanese banjo) played by geiko come out of nowhere, adding to the atmosphere. Compared to the other two teahouses, this area is more compact, allowing visitors to stroll quietly and leisurely. The town is dotted with spots full of emotion, such as "Kuragari-zaka slop," where the sun never shines even during the daytime, and "Akari-zaka slop," named by writer Itsuki Hiroyuki, making a stroll through the town enjoyable. It is also the hometown of Izumi Kyoka, one of Kanazawa's three great writers, and a memorial hall stands on the site of his birthplace.
