Kanazawa

Often called "Little Kyoto," Kanazawa arguably does traditional Japan better—and with far fewer tourists. Kenrokuen, one of Japan's top three gardens, sits minutes from samurai residences in Nagamachi and the wooden teahouses of Higashi Chaya. Omicho Market serves seafood straight from the Sea of Japan, and the city produces 99% of the country's gold leaf. It escaped wartime bombing, so what you see is genuinely old, not rebuilt. A quieter, more intimate side of historic Japan.