Experiencing Kanazawa omotenashi and gold

Breakfast was included and it was sucha  luxury. We had a choice of 2 settings: a buffet breakfast or a Japanese breakfast. 

Since we had 2 nights we started with the Japenese breakfast on the 6th floor restaurant, and it was served in a beautiful luminous dining hall with a small Japanese garden growing in the middle of the building. Our meal arrived in a big 3 level tier box served with miso soup, and it was such a pleasure for the sight and palate. Around us there were more buffet choice of western cuisine (including spaghetti, beans, fried rice, sausages, etc..) . We ate like kings and queen before eventually venturing outside to explore Kanazawa. I was excited in finding this city because it has all the interesting sights: a top of Japanese garden, a samurai houses district, tea houses district, and gold leaf craft. Not to forget the proximity of the sea to provide an abundance of fresh seafood. Our program of the day included all that.

To start we had a rather sunny weather, and we took every opportunity to bask in it. 

 

At the JR train station we took a loop bus that would take us to the first area closest to the hotel, the Nagamachi district (full name Nagamachi Buke Yashiki district). The area of interest was not at the bus stop but a short walking distance between modern commerce. 

Once inside the area, there were high walled streets, and small shallow canals (luxury ditches) between grand old residences. 

 

Historical restroom

 We visited the Nomura museum (Nomura-ke) which was really grand with a cute poetic Japanese garden, and architectural features that made me very envious: wooden facade, garden opening, stone bridge.

 

 

Butsudan (family altar)

Pretty flower display in the tokonoma alcove

 

Basically they were displayed the way they were lived in, with cleaned tatami rooms, with the family altar (butsudan), tokonoma delicately decorated for the season. Visitors would shuffle from room to room, after leaving their shoes at the shoe storage at the entrance.

We tried to re-enact a tea ceremony in one fo the rooms, but alas, the tea was never served and we had to shuffle out for other visitors to express their hopes.

With our eyes satisfied and heads full of glorified samurai daily lives and routines without their armours, we continued our exploiration toward the famous Kenrokuen (兼六園) garden. Like Okayama's Korakuen garden, Kenrokuen was constructed by a local ruling feudal lord (the Maeda family) and is famed for being stunning at each season.

We were aiming for some spring blooming trees and bushes, and although a few plum blossoms were contrasting against the suddenly grey sky, the rest of the trees hadn't started yet. However as the plum trees were clustered in the south corner of the garden, it gave us and other visitors who made effort to dress or rent kimonos to take beautiful shots of the late beginning of spring.

Kenrokuen map

 

 

 

 

The garden is also know for the trees that are supported by long sticks on each side, to protect them from toppling over when full of snow in winter.

There was a lantern that seemed to grant wishes as visitors tried to stick coins on its facade.

There was also a large pond with koi fishes but we stayed away from the water as it was cold again when the sun went away. So we walked on across the garden and the bridge to the castle to take in the view.

 

We got the bus back to continue to the farthest part of our Kanazawa exploration, to one of the tea house district, Higashi Chaya district. Tea houses were for classic entertainment, with geisha performances. However far from being overcrowded like Kyoto, it was very quaint and the tea houses architecture in display and used for various shops and easy access drinks establishments. The quarters were accessed conveniently after the bus stop, across a bridge that seemed to symbolically relay the daily lives and the excitement of the teahouses. Before the bridge and along the river Asanogawa, the first row of houses were the perfect destination for period photo, or goofy ones. There was also a hidden garden and really small alleys between houses that made you forget the traffic on the main road just a few meters away.

 

 

 

It was mid afternoon and the rain suddenly poured on us as soon as we crossed the bridge. We barely had time to admire the architecture of the houses lining the winding uphill street, before we plunged into what looked like a tea house. They were displaying fabric crafts such as chopsticks covers, but mainly we we found out, they were selling sake.

 

 

And so to avoid the rain, we sampled some interesting local sake, in exquisite glassware. In the confinement of this establishment, it was easy to forget about debt, heartbreak or leg tiredness. They also managed to sell me some concoction with turtle, for health, which I brought to Manila.

Eventually though we escaped and found the rain stopped, leaving behind glistening stone paved streets. 

 We passed by a golden house (Ougon no Kura) which outside wall was entirely covered in gold leaves. The house illustrated the specialty of Kanazawa, gold leaf. Many shops were selling gold leafs booklets, gold leaf ice creams and sake. I bought 2 tea cups with different gold designs 

 

We took in the atmosphere of the streets one last time before heading for the hotel for a well deserved rest. I enjoyed watching the sunset from my hotel room,  after a nice hot shower.

 

We didn't really want to go far for dinner after the long walk of the day. We could not have lunch on snow crabs at the famed Omicho market, so we hopped we could get some nice food around the hotel or train station. In the elevator we noticed the basement we could not decipher.  It turned out to be an area of service, with shoe polish, dry cleaners, and a few restaurants. And so we found our dinner.

After which, we hit the bar on the 30th floor, the appropriately called Sky lounge bathed in dim lights from inside that accentuated the outside city lights. I had a local whisky on the rocks (divinely smoked) and got tipsy. The seat was real comfortable and the dim light helped me get sleepy again.

We seemed to be among the few ones still up, save for an older Caucasian couple. Soon my sight and memory blurred, and I only vaguely remember agreeing for the time for breakfast the next day.

 kl