Kanazawa is an old castle town facing the Sea of Japan and the biggest city of the Hokuriku region. This city is famed as one of the few remaining classical cities of Japan. The major reason for this is the fact that Kanazawa has never faced any natural or human destruction. The people have actively worked to preserve its heritage by restoring and protecting old samurai districts, geisha districts and temple districts along with traditional streetscapes, as well as the old canal network and the natural greenery surrounding the city. Kenrokuen, which is classified as one of the three must-see beautiful gardens in Japan features various ponds, streams, waterfalls, bridges, teahouses, trees, stone walkways and flowers and to the side of this garden stands the Kanazawa Castle. Another area of the city where the samurai used to live still remain surrounded by mud walls and is called the Bukeyashiki. Now in the restored samurai houses you can find the traditional silk-craft of Kaga-Yuzen and silk dyeing which is open to the public. You can observe the artists as they mix colors and paint beautiful designs on silk. Kinpaku, (gold leaf decorative) is a well-known craft in Japanese fine arts which can also be found widely in this area.