Japan - Kanazawa

 Saturday, September 20, 2025

Rode the bus back to Tokyo.

We went to the Tokyo train station. It is a mixture of old and new.

We bought lunch for the train at the station. Rode the bullet train to Kanazawa. Ate our lunch on the train. Tim had a speed app on the phone and clocked the train at 160 mph. It may have gone faster through the tunnels. Almost half the trip is through tunnels. Japan has many mountains. The population centers are located in the flat areas and are very crowded.

We walked to a department store in Kanazawa to each at a restaurant in the basement. Good sushi. We shared more of our personal history with Remi and Dick. Remi had the initial impression that Tim was still a juggler. She learned more of Tim's history at the dinner.

The group went to an ice cream stand after dinner and then headed back to the hotel. We stayed behind to buy some dried mango. By the time we left, it was late. The escalators had stopped. We went out a stairway, but it was on the wrong side of the building. We went back into the basement and found the correct stairs and exit. The store was closing. We got drenched on the walk back to the hotel. We watched the world track championship and sumo on the TV.

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Kanazawa is known for its Kenrokuen Garden. It harmoniously combines six ideal attributes of a perfect landscape: spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, watercourses, and panoramic views.

It has large, ancient trees; trees that have been manipulated to like a crane; an island that has added features that make it resemble a turtle. 

There are wide open spaces with broad views.

A path that looks like flying geese and a path that is closed. A stone in the middle of a path means path close. No need for ugly barricades and warnings.

A radio tower that was used to house radio speakers so people could gather and hear the news, before personal radios were possible.

Quiet locations with water features.

They prop trees with poles so the snow does not overburden them in the winter.

A maple tree, a tree supported by cables and a self-pressured fountain.

A memorial for fallen soldiers and for a feudal lord.

The group met a couple who were celebrating there marriage. They wanted to be in a group photo with us.

We walked across a bridge over a roadway to the Kanazawa Castle. The walls are original, but the grounds have been redesigned. 

Afterwards, we were dropped at the Omicho Market to buy snacks to be shared by all. We broke into groups and wandered through the stalls looking for something to eat that we could share. Our group bought cookies and chocolate. We stood at a table outside the market and shared out discoveries.

We explored the tea house (geisha) district. A block and surrounding buildings. It still has geisha houses. Some have shows for tourists and some are private and do not have any advertising showing to the public. Other shops sell items for tourists. We looked at a pottery shop and bought a big cookie with bean paste from a baker.

We had lunch at a restaurant that used to be a bank. The wine cellar is the old vault. We had grilled salmon and miso soup. Green tea jelly was for dessert.

We went to the gold leaf place and made postcards. The entrance displayed gold leaf armor and showed the process of beating the gold leaf. 

Tim had several emergency trips to the WC. Either the cookie or the lunch didn't agree with him. He left his postcard in the WC. Bobbi still has her postcard. We weren't confident that we would enjoy the bus ride home. 

Dinner was on our own. The rest of the group went for pasta and pizza with Remi. We opted to try a gluten free restaurant close to the hotel. It was recommended to make reservations, but we just walked over. The door was locked, but people were inside eating. The chef came to the door and communicated "how many" and we indicated ourselves. He let us in. There were 5 tables and maybe two stools at a counter. The kitchen was on the other side of the counter. The entire restaurant was less then 200 square feet. We ordered tofu and vegetables.