But if modern Japan has abandoned its national recreation, Moriyama, a conservative enclave in Kanazawa city, has not.

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Kanazawa is incredibly charming with a history of unparalleled sincere hospitality establishments dating back many generations for hundreds of years.

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The official closing ceremony of the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) will take place in Kanazawa, Japan on 18 and 19 December.

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On my first morning in Kanazawa, I made a beeline for the neighbourhood of Higashi Chaya and met Kiyoe Nagashima, a 6th-generation resident and Kanazawa Excursions guide.

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More importantly, locals hope that Nagoya's new international airport will ease foreigners' access (tourist magnets such as Kyoto, Nara and Kanazawa are fairly easy to reach from Nagoya), without having to pass twice through Tokyo and its Narita airport.

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