KANAZAWA, ISHIKAWA PREF. ¨C On first glance, the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, seems focused on the past, a center of traditional performance arts such as noh and home to streets of wandering geisha. Understandably, the city¡¯s impressive array of storied arts is relatively well-known, however, its vibrant food and drink scenes remain a local secret.
Coffee is one way to find out a little bit of what contemporary Kanazawa has in store. Coffee shops scattered throughout the city offer a glimpse of how locals live and enjoy this ancient city situated on the Sea of Japan.
Near the hallowed greenery of Kenrokuen, a landscape garden that is one of the city¡¯s main attractions, is Katsura (Kenroku-Motomachi 1-14, Kanazawa 920-0931; 076-262-8448). This is a junkissa, a classic coffee shop where time feels like it¡¯s been at a standstill since the 1960s or ¡®70s: dark wood paneling, cigarette smoke and soft classical music. Enter for the coffee, and you¡¯ll slip into another era. Here, Toshio Sakaguchi, the owner, blends and roasts all of the beans, just like he¡¯s done for years.
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