Takayama or Kanazawa?

Hi,

I have one day to spend in one of these two cities, what do you suggest? I am going in August.

Appreciated.

Kanazawa.
Let me break it down for you.
Takayama has an old district, Kanazawa has three.
Takayama has a morning market, Kanazawa has gold leaf market.
Takayama has a nice pretty river, Kanazawa has (probably) the best Lanscape Garden and a number of good museums.
Takayama has REALLY great soba (Japan alps region has great soba), Kanazawa has great Italian, Korean, Japanese food + Wagyu from Noto peninsular.
Takayama has a number of onsen hotels not too far from the city centre, Kanazawa has one (expensive but good) onsen hotel in the middle of the city and a number of onsen towns away from the city (some by bus some by train e.g. Yuwaku and Kaga onsen)
Kanazawa is connected by Shinkansen to Tokyo and Limited Express to Nagoya and Kyoto, Takayama probably only has the one that goes to Nagoya though the trains are said to have wide windows for greater scenery viewing pleasure.
Takayama is in the mountains meaning it is cooler, Kanazawa is nearer the sea meaning fish and though not as cold as Takayama the weather is still fine.

Though it also depends where you are coming from and where you are going to next. Traveling in/out is a factor especially with only one day.

Takayama is cute and has a really hip atmosphere, but it's very small. Most of the attractions near Takayama eg: Hakone Ropeway and Hirayu Onsen require long and expensive bus rides into the mountains, or train rides to onsen towns like Gero. The only main attraction in the city itself is the Hida Folk Village, which is pretty cool and takes around 2 hours going from house to house. If you like history it's really interesting, and although not as spectacular as the nearby Shirakawago village, I found it to be more interactive and educational. If you're a foodie there's also a good morning market.

Kanazawa is bigger and has more things to see and do. Namely the geisha district, samurai district, 'ninja' temple, 21st century museum of art, Omicho fish and produce market, Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen garden. There are also way more restaurants and shops.

It depends on if you want to stay in a quiet town with a nice atmosphere, or a bigger city with lots of little things to do throughout the day. I live in Kanazawa and think it's a better place for tourists who have limited time, but I did enjoy Takayama a lot, especially as I had set aside the time to explore the nearby mountains.