Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, has long been known as a city of culture and good food. And the perfect pairing for the fresh seafood caught in the Sea of Japan, or even a geisha performance — two notable Kanazawa icons — is, of course, sake.
Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery, which has its roots in the Edo Period (1603-1868), is the oldest sake brewery in Kanazawa. First opened in 1625, it's now the largest sake brewery in Ishikawa Prefecture, where its longest-running brand, Fukumasamune, is also the most popular sake.
The Maeda were an indomitable clan who ran much of the current Hokuriku region from the Sengoku Period (1482-1573) through the Edo Period. During the Edo Period, the Maeda ran their fiefdom from Kanazawa and were given high kokudaka (rice crop taxation rights) from the Tokugawa shogun. The city became prosperous, with multiple entertainment districts hosting geisha in chaya tea houses; master craftspeople making lacquer and kimono; and many noh and other theatrical performance venues springing up.
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