JAPAN 2019
Kanazawa was not on our original itinerary, but it was highly recommended by a friend living in Japan. Are we ever glad we added it..
Kanazawa
The thing we kept learning was that having a hotel close to the train station was ideal. walking from the train to your hotel with luggage would always be more awkward than getting to any sight you wanted to see once you had checked in. The Hotel Vista Kanazawa was not only nice with a great toilet, but it was a short walk through an underground tunnel from the train station.
One of the things I will miss most about Japan is their toilets. Toilets in Japan are different, they have heated seats, some of them have auto-opening lids, and almost all of them have a butt wash and bidet feature built in. Some of them have blow dryers, and noise settings so those in the area don't have to hear whatever noises you are making. One bathroom I went in to had the seat automatically raise and it started playing the Japanese national anthem... I was laughing so hard I could barely even Pee.
A little bit of panic always sets in when you open a bathroom door and see a squatter, always check for other stalls, because they often have Western Style toilets too. Also, you will find a lot of public bathrooms everywhere, but a lot of them only have a cold water running tap, and no hand dryer or paper towel to be found. So bring Hand sanitizer, or be like a lot of locals we saw that brought their own hand towels.
If there is one thing I will miss most about Japan, it's their modern toilets.
The unerground tunnel and surrounding area is fresh and modern, and clean. The sounds of a piano recital echo through the area. It's a public piano, and a young girl is sitting there playing beautifully with a crowd of 2 people stopped and listening.
Having been told how great the Japanese version of Italian foods are, we decided to try Capricciosa in the Kanazawa Station. It said reservations were recommended, but we thought we could take a chance. It was empty except for 1 other table, I don't know why, because it was delicious, it must be all the Japanese experience with noodles.
On the far side of the station is a huge and impressive gate, it truly is a piece of art.
January 30
We found out that because of our JR pass, that we coud use the Free JR bus to get around Kanazawa, that would really help us cover more ground. The first stop was the Ohmicho market, which has been Kanazawa's largest fresh food market since the Edo Period.
From the marketplace we went somewhere very different, the Oyama shrine. The shrine was constructed in 1599, it's known for its unusual gate, which was designed by a Dutch architect, using elements of European and Asian religious themes. While the first story displays a mixture of Japanese and Chinese influence, the upper stories once served as a lighthouse and feature a Dutch style, stained glass window. The gate originally guarded the entrance to the palace of Kanazawa Castle, and was only later moved to Oyama Shrine. .
Along with an assortment of statues, there is also a nice strolling garden with ponds and bridges, designed to resemble harps and lutes
The next stop is the Nagamachi Samurai district, a preserved historic area of Kanazawa that was once the residential district for the city's samurai. It is a mix of canals and stone-flagged winding lanes between mud walls that were created for only those of samurai stature. Some of the former samurai houses and gardens are open to the public.
Respectfully removing our shoes, we wander around what would be the upper crust of neighborhood homes in early Japan.
Simple Tatami mats with painted paper walls are surrrounded by green gardens, bonsai trees and gold fish ponds.
Displays of traditional Samurai swords and early coins tie the simple homes to the homeowners of the day.
Next up on our Kanazawa tour is the Kanazawa Castle. From 1583 to the end of the Edo Period, Kanazawa Castle was the seat of the powerful Maeda Clan, lords of Kaga, a feudal domain ranking second only to the Tokugawa possesions in terms of size and wealth. The Castle may be old, but the gardens leading into it aren't. In 2015, the Gyokuseninmaru Garden was added, with a pond and walking path.
We accidentally entered the gardens through a guest area, and were assaulted by a local guide. He was super nice to us, and even gave us an origami crane, but we couldn't understand a word of his amazing english skills. We thanked him, and told him we just wanted to wander on our own... then quickly ran out of the office. We're such bad tourists.
The castle is very unique in design with it's long connecting hallway (Gojikken Nagaya) between the two main parts of the castle.
Before you can enter the castle you have to remove your shows, and are given a pair of slippers to wear. They are incredibly uncomfortable and keep falling off every time I go up or down any stairs.
Unlike European Castles, this castle is bare. It is interesting to see how it is constructed, and the wooden framing, but it doesn't take long to see all there is to see, unless you have really uncomfortable slippers that keep falling off.
Wherever you look you can see something interesting, something scary, and something funny.
Between the Castle grounds and the park we were going to next is a little shopping and dining area.
Hidden upstairs in a gift shop was a great Syokudo and Teishoku restaurant. Although a bit uncomfortable because you had to sit on the floor, the food more than made up for it. Billing was all based on the shoes you left at the bottom of the stairs.
Across the street from the castle grounds is the Kenroku-en Gardens which were developed from the 1620s to the 1840s by the Maeda clan It is listed as one of the 3 great gardens in Japan. Kenroku-en translates as 'garden which combines six characteristics' - the six aspects considered important in the notion of an ideal garden: spaciousness, serenity, venerability, scenic views, subtle design, and coolness.
One of the most well-known symbols of the Kenroku-en that we see on all the maps, and even on manhole covers is the Kotoji Toro, a two-legged stone lantern. When we actually see it in person, it's a bit shocking that it is as small as it is.
In winter, the park is notable for its yukitsuri - ropes attached in a conical array to carefully support tree branches in the desired arrangements, thereby protecting the trees from damage caused by heavy snows.
The garden was quite beautiful, with hills, streams, statues, and even cherry trees starting to blossom. I can only imagine how beautiful it would be in the spring and summer.
In the middle of this historic park is the most modern of toilets, which may be why they have to provide explicit instructions on how to use it.
From the Castle and Gardens area, we caught the bus to the Kazue-machi Chaya district. It is famous as an old geisha district known for it's historical tea houses along the Nishi-Uchi Sougamae Bori Moat... Which translates as Moat of the West Inner Side of the Castle.
It's a short walk from the teahouse district to the more famous Higashi Chaya Geisha district. A chaya (teahouse) is an exclusive type of restaurant where guests are entertained by geisha who perform song and dance. During the Edo Period, chaya were found in designated entertainment districts, usually just outside the city limits.
After wandering the narrow streets and checking out the shops and tourists dressed up as geishas, we decided to head up the hillside into the temple district before coming back here for dinner.
At this point we probably need to talk about swastikas, we had seen them at some of the temples in other cities in Japan, but when we saw this map, the instant reaction is that it is showing a nazi takeover. Quite the opposite actually, the swastika is a geometrical figure and an ancient religious icon in the cultures of Eurasia, used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions. In the Western world, it was a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck until the 1930s, when it became a feature of Nazi symbolism as an emblem of Aryan race identity and, as a result, was stigmatized by association with ideas of racism and antisemitism. Once you realize that symbol on a map or building just translates as TEMPLE, it's a much nicer adventure.
The winding network of stairs, narrow alleys and streets connects dozens of various sizes and types of temples in the Utatsuyama temple district. Everything from elaborate colourful temples with Ninjas to old rundown temples with graveyards.
With our feet and legs completely done we headed back into the geisha district for dinner at the Restaurant Jiyuken. The food displays drew us in, but sitting at the counter and watching the chefs prepare our food made the dinner that much more entertaining.
Once dinner is over, the district is almost empty, so it's time to head back to our hotel.
Before heading to bed, we took enough time to load up on a few of my new favourite Japanese drinks... Peach Iced teas.
January 31
On a rainy morning we took the Thunderbird Shinkansen to Kyoto.
