Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture: Kanaya-machi & Yamacho-suji

At the heart of Takaoka City in Toyama Prefecture lie two beautifully preserved districts that reflect the town’s rich craft and merchant heritage: Kanaya-machi and Yamacho-suji.
Kanaya-machi, marked by its distinctive latticed townhouses (senbon-koshi), is where metal casting workshops first took root in the early Edo period, as a part of Lord Maeda Toshinaga’s (lord of the Kaga Domain in the early 17th century) plan to bring industry to the city. The craft evolved into the celebrated Takaoka copper industry, which flourished in the Meiji era through exports abroad and continues today in both traditional and contemporary forms. Visitors can explore narrow streets lined with historic homes, try their hand at making tin accessories, and see how this centuries-old craft lives on.
Nearby Yamacho-suji preserves grand earthen-walled storehouses built to be fire-proof after the Great Fire of Takaoka in 1900, which destroyed many of the city buildings. Yamacho-suji’s origins date back to when Maeda Toshinaga established it as a merchant town upon founding Takaoka. The district’s stately white-walled facades and heavy tiled roofs evoke a prosperous trading town, in contrast to Kanaya-machi’s artisan quarter.
Together, these districts give travelers a vivid sense of Takaoka’s Edo period roots in craftsmanship and commerce. They also showcase how traditional skills, from metalwork to lacquerware, remain a vital part of the city’s identity—today, Takaoka City boasts a high share of both markets. Strolling the quiet streets, you can enjoy not only the architecture but also workshops, galleries, and local specialties that connect past and present.