Kanazawa

Monday, October 9, 2017

Breakfast this morning was in the hotel’s 12^th floor restaurant with panoramic views over the city.  While there was an abundance of options to choose from, most of the people in our group admitted, somewhat sheepishly perhaps, that they were thrilled to have a western-style breakfast.

We divided into groups of two or three and took a fleet of cabs to the Kenroku-en Garden, where we first toured the magnificent Seisonkaku Villa, a large Japanese-style home built by the lord of the local clan for his mother.  Every element of this home, built in the 19^th century, was an example of refined elegance.  Large rooms, custom wall coverings, painted screens, the serene garden, a roof constructed of thinnest cedar shingles laid out with precision, magnificent kimonos on display, a beautiful home altar – everywhere we passed was just perfection!

We spent the next hour wandering on our own through the Garden, which was once part of the adjacent Kanazawa Castle. Again, at every turn there was something to delight the eye.  Despite the fact that there were many locals enjoying the park on this holiday, with its lakes, bridges, lanterns and beautifully shaped trees, it still provided a sense of tranquility and beauty.

We walked through the castle grounds to the bustling scene at the Omi-cho Market.  This large covered area is mostly devoted to fish, though there a few vendors were selling other food items, and even some clothing. We spotted some crabs that were $250 a piece, or a kilo – either way, too rich for our blood!

Our group disbanded for the rest of the day and we decided to buy an all-day pass for the local bus system. There was a bus stop at the market, but no obvious way to buy a ticket, so we decided to ask for help at “Mister Donut.”  With a name like that, we figured someone would have to speak English, but not so much.  The young workers knew we wanted something to do with the bus, and eagerly pointed us to the stop right outside the shop, but the ticket concept was beyond them.  Luckily, an English-speaking patron was standing nearby and knew right away we wanted a daily pass. She left her donut with the cashier, took us outside and explained exactly where we would find the transport services office.  Much mutual bowing ensued… We easily found the correct office and everyone there, employee and bystanders alike, made sure we knew exactly where to find the right bus – such gracious hospitality!

We took the bus to Kanazawa’s new train station, whose architecture has made it a tourist destination in its own right.  The glass dome looks like a huge umbrella and encompasses an enormous gate constructed of many criss-crossing wooden beams; its design symbolizes a traditional Japanese hand drum.  The station area is a real hub of activity, with shopping centers, hotels, restaurants and a transportation center.  After lunch, we lined up in the designated lane for the loop bus we’d take to our next destination.  Each bus route had a special boarding lane, clearly marked with departure times and precisely which lane for waiting passengers. Once in the prescribed spot, we could see a real-time animation of the progress of the bus to the terminal – very efficient!

Our bus rides were interesting in themselves, regardless of destination.  Riders board in the middle of the bus, but wait outside until all the exiting passengers file by to leave at the front of the bus, where they pay or show their tickets as they exit.  We saw no one try to skip out on the fare by escaping though the middle door; instead, everyone shuffles their way to the front of the bus, past standees in the aisle so they can pony up their fare.  Stops were announced in both Japanese and English, and there was another real-time animation of our progress displayed on board.

Our first stop was the Nishi Chaya District, where we’d hoped to visit the Ninja Temple.  On arrival, we discovered that tours are by reservation only, so we peeked in a couple of other spots in this Temple District, then re-boarded the bus for our next destination.

We reached the 21^st Century Museum of Contemporary Art to find that its entry hall was partially roped off for a reception that was being heavily covered by a variety of TV cameras. As we waited to buy our tickets, we realized that the reception was to mark the 150^th anniversary of cultural cooperation between Japan and Denmark and that the honored guests were the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark.  We were able to hear part of the prince’s remarks and see him and the princess.  This was somewhat remarkable, as just a year ago, we saw his mother, the Queen of Denmark, strolling through Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.  I hope they don’t think we’re stalking them across the globe!

Because of the special event at the museum, many areas were off-limits, but we were able to visit several galleries in our ever-hopeful quest to understand the world of contemporary art.  It’s a heavy lift for us, but always an amusing one!

We strolled through some lovely autumn foliage (on this warm day) to the afternoon’s final destination – the Oyama Jinja Shrine, right across the street from our hotel.  This Shinto complex is lovely, a quiet oasis just steps from one of Kanazwa’s main streets.  A pond, bridges, stepping stones, lanterns, trees, several shrines, statues, and a monumental gate high above the street make this spot seem removed from the world around and below it.

Remarkably, as we wandered this afternoon, we encountered ten people from our Road Scholar group; it was fun to find familiar faces in an unfamiliar city!

We had dinner on our own tonight at a tiny restaurant we found at the bottom of the Oyama Jinja Shrine hill, tucked around a corner, just across the road from our hotel.  Three tables, some stools at the bar, one three-generation Japanese family, and us!