Dinner with the Samurai - Japan

Inside a centuries-old ryōtei, once a workshop for crafting katana hand guards, I’m served slices of duck in a dark, thick broth, set on a ruby lacquer tray gleaming like wet paint.
At Omicho Market, farmers stack knobbly Kaga vegetables you won’t find anywhere else, some even officially recognised by the city.
Across town, porcelain master Koichiro Toshioka still crafts Kutani tableware, the kind that once graced feudal tables.

More than a century after the Maeda clan ruled one of Japan’s richest domains, Kaga ryōri - the elegant cuisine born in their kitchens - was recognised as a National Intangible Cultural Property in December 2025.
Now, Kanazawa is rediscovering the samurai-era philosophy of seasonality, craftsmanship and restraint that shaped it.

I followed the people behind this revival, learned how to cook century-old dishes, and sat down at tables where history is still very much on the menu.