あかり坂

With its rocky hills and proximity to the mountains, Kanazawa is known among the Japanese for its characteristic slopes and stairways that pepper the city. Two of the most notable are directly connected to Kazue-machi Chaya: Akari-zaka (slope of light) and Kuragari-zaka (slope of darkness). Akari-zaka runs parallel to Kuragari-zaka and was nameless until it was dubbed so by Itsuki Hiroyuki, a renowned author who chose Kanazawa as his home.

I came here one snowy night. Stairs are dark, quiet and mysterious. Same concept as Gion's red light district. Though i'm not really sure what these buildings are. The stairs are very normal looking, a bit rustic, but great for photography. Highly recommend to take this path if you like small, narrow alleyways.

Pretty little spot if you are in the area. There are some great little bars nearby too.

Short staircase in quaint surroundings, but not so much for it alone

It certainly feels like there is more sunlight hitting the slope compared to the dark slope. You might miss it because it appears so easily on the path. The atmosphere is outstanding.