b'Old neighbourhood of Higashi Chaya (geisha district), KanazawaRECOMMENDED TIME TO GO:Late March and early April for the cherry blossom season.Cherry blossoms at Kanazawa Castleget amazing views of the Japanese Alps. Kanazawa is a small, very walkable city, and you can discover a lot while strolling through it. I particularly liked walking through the historic Geisha district of Higashi Chaya, where ancient houses seem frozen in time. In Kanazawa, we went to Kenrokuen Garden, one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan, with bridges, lovely plantsSnow Monkey ParkOnsen pudding in the Old and trees, flowers, stones, and scenic viewpoints. We(Jigokudani Yaen Koen) Town, Yudanakawalked through the garden enjoying the cherry blossoms, stopping at a teahouse for a cup of green or matcha tea. We also explored Kanazawa Castle, adjacent to the park. During the cherry blossom festival, friends and family come together to celebrate. There are little stalls in front of the gardens where you can buy lots of different foods: fried chicken, barbecue meat skewers, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, dango, pancakes and matcha ice cream, to name a few. Kanazawa is also known for its seafood, and I recommend visitors try the fresh snow crabs (only in winter, Nov-Mar). It also has a lot of cute restaurants, cafs and shops but its not overcrowded like Kyotocan sometimes get. I love Kyoto as well, but Kanazawa has a quiet charm that lets you explore the city at a PHOTOS: SONJA CUI (MONKEYS, PUDDING, SONJA IN GARDEN)relaxed pace.Kanazawa is also famous for gold leaf production and handcrafted items like pottery and silk dyeing. You can see artisans at work in their workshops. Gold leaf work is on display at the Hongwanji Kanazawa Betsuin Temple and the Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum, and theres even a delicious ice cream with gold leaf.Every season in Japan has its own charm, and the Japanese celebrate each season in a unique way. I loved Kanazawa and Yudanaka a great deal because they offered me a very authentic experience of well-preserved historical sites and traditional Japanese culture, alongside gorgeous cherry blossoms. Additionally, the local people were warm and welcoming. Wherever we went, the Japanese were always very polite and even though I didnt speak any Japanese and was using GoogleSonja in the Kenrokuen translator, it was easy to navigate and communicate.Garden, KanazawaTRUE VOYAGES \x1a41'