Kanazawa, my first stop, was probably the trip I enjoyed the most for its quaint, old town feeling. It had some 300 thousands people, a far cry from the 12 million-odd residents in Tokyo. I arrived at the bus terminal that departed from Shinjuku, at an outrageous 7.00am, and decided to cab it straight to the Kenrokuen, as numerous references to it as the star attraction of Kanazawa granted it top priority, and the buses did not run until 8.30am. I also had no interest in freezing my poorly-clad ass off at the terminal where most people would mistake me with my backpack and shabby outfit.
Kenroku-en garden in fall season
Perhaps the most famous place in Kanazawa is Kenroku-en, a traditional Japanese garden and commonly held as one of the three most beautiful. So Kenroku-en it was - the name literally means "Garden of the Six", referring to spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water and broad views, six attributes that make up a perfect garden according to a Chinese theory - delightfully quiet in the wee hours of the morning, where I took some shots, and went to the Saison-kaku villa close by, a traditional house built by a Maeda lord for his mother. The rest of the day was a crusade to visit all nearby attractions, which ultimately culminated in my walking round in circles in various vain attempts to find the loop bus which i had purchased an all day pass for. By the end of each day trip, my legs were killing me (considering the travesty of a stopover at Seoul where i had to run. 5km to reach the transit flight gate in Incheon Airport, in 20 minutes, just days before) and the public sento at my Ryokan was a welcome reprieve that soaked away the aches and made me eat the words I once uttered "hot baths are for ninnies!.
Traditional tea house in Kanazawa
Protected by the surrounding mountains, Kanazawa could prosper even during times of war and chaos. It became the stronghold of the Ikko section when they driven me of Kyoto. Later the Maeda clan came in control, and under their rule Kanazawa became a major cultural center outside Kyoto and Edo. They had a great influence on the city, and the Maeda symbol can still be seen everywhere.
For those who do not like gardens, Kanazawa's is the best attraction for people who to know about the history of Geisha and Samurai districts. Unfortunately in Teramachi district, which sadly, are not covered by the local "Furrato" bus -- the community loop bus, and hence is a giant pain in the ass to get to and back. The Geisha districts though, are lovely, and they have an air of antiquity and peacefulness, untainted by modern society.
I took a trip down on the first night, and had the luxury of walking along the streets, alone. (Hardly anybody ventures out after 8.00 or 9.00pm). Strolling alone the stone pavements, taking in the cool crisp air, and hearing faint laughter of, perhaps a geisha in one of the tea houses was surreal. The Nagamachi districts though, were a little of a letdown, although the famed "long streets" as it is named, do look quaint. The Nomura Samurai house, like the Shima Geisha house, was tiny, and offered an appetizer to the stylistic beauty of the houses in the days of tatami mats and wooden sliding doors. Don't be deceived by the pictures though, these districts are more like tiny satellites that cover less than the area of your average football stadium. I went to Myōryu-ji, or as it's commonly called, the Ninja Temple. This Buddhist temple was constructed to be a military lookout and defense post as much as a place of worship. It has a large number of tricks to fool the unsuspecting enemy who tries to enter. Everything from three meter deep trap-holes in the floor, many hidden rooms and stairs to a place to hide under the stairs and stab whoever passes by in the feet. In the middle of the temple, easily reachable from almost any room is a well. According to legend there is a secret tunnel from the well to Kanazawa castle. I don't know if the temple ever stopped any enemies, but the builders must have had a fun time!
Myoryu-ji Ninja Temple
I took a trip down on the first night, and had the luxury of walking along the streets, alone. (Hardly anybody ventures out after 8.00 or 9.00pm). Strolling alone the stone pavements, taking in the cool crisp air, and hearing faint laughter of, perhaps a geisha in one of the tea houses was surreal. The Nagamachi districts though, were a little of a letdown, although the famed "long streets" as it is named, do look quaint. The Nomura Samurai house, like the Shima Geisha house, was tiny, and offered an appetizer to the stylistic beauty of the houses in the days of tatami mats and wooden sliding doors. Don't be deceived by the pictures though, these districts are more like tiny satellites that cover less than the area of your average football stadium. I went to Myōryu-ji, or as it's commonly called, the Ninja Temple. This Buddhist temple was constructed to be a military lookout and defense post as much as a place of worship. It has a large number of tricks to fool the unsuspecting enemy who tries to enter. Everything from three meter deep trap-holes in the floor, many hidden rooms and stairs to a place to hide under the stairs and stab whoever passes by in the feet. In the middle of the temple, easily reachable from almost any room is a well. According to legend there is a secret tunnel from the well to Kanazawa castle. I don't know if the temple ever stopped any enemies, but the builders must have had a fun time!
Nomura Samurai house(Left), and Shima Geisha house
From my view, Kanazawa was like a tasty treat, not quite a full on immersion program like Kyoto is, but it had some plus points with the Garden and Geisha districts which are not swamped with Gaijin tourists, unlike Kyoto and Tokyo, possibly because of the time it takes to bus over to Kanazawa and the cost of Shinkansen it is hefty (2x the cost of a bus). If you do decide to visit this quaint town, best way to stay in a Ryokan (murataya at katamachi is good value, clean comfortable and has a nice Sento bath). I missed out on the ninja shrine and other attractions at Teramachi, which is probably worth a visit, the former requiring advanced reservations, and I didn't feel much inclination to visit all the museums either as not all of them were worth the time and money. The 21st Century Museum, supposedly too, is worth a visit, although i didn't venture into it and simply admired it from a distance.
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