Kanazawa – Castles, Geisha Houses, Markets, and Swords. Our plan for Kanazawa was to spend two full days exploring some of the historic site and visiting a number of craftsmen/artist studios that our travel planner had arranged for us.
After an excellent buffet breakfast at Sai no Niwa Hotel, we met our guide from the day before, Ms Yuko Ando, and set off for the 400-year-old Kanazawa Castle. The Castle Grounds, established by the Maeda family, consists of a Park and the Gyokusen ‘Inmaru Garden and are open to the public. The Castle itself is not. We entered the grounds from the Kenrokuen Garden side, crossing the beautiful Ishikawa bridge, over a road that previously could have been a moat, that took us to through the magnificent Ishikawa-mon Gate to the main Castle complex.
On the expansive lawn in front of the castle complex, we came across a traditionally-dressed couple who were posing for wedding pictures. These types of photographic outings seem to be a very common occurrence in Japan, but when you see the gorgeous surroundings, you can understand why.
Crossing the moat and passing through the recently restored Hashizume-mon Gate we found ourselves in the strolling Gyokusen-en Garden. Surrounding a large pond, the garden paths crossed many bridges and beautifully sculpted landscapes, including a lovely waterfall creating a most relaxing stroll.
Next stop: Higashichayagai Geisha District. A short drive from Kanazawa Castle, the Higashichayagai Geisha District is one of three well-preserved and still operating geisha districts. Among the many houses that line the main street sits the Shima Teahouse, one of two geisha houses open to the public, with self-guided tours through the many rooms.
Several of the old homes along the main street of the Higashichayagai Geisha District serve as galleries, including one that featured gold leaf. Gold leaf is one of the specialties of Kanazawa and is used to enhance jewelry, tableware, clothing, and accessories. Warning: not dishwasher safe!
For lunch we decided on a traditional Japanese pancake restaurant that was located in the basement of a nearby department store. We sat at a bar where our pancakes were made to order, and we watched as the mélange of ingredients was assembled and cooked. It was truly a new experience.
What does one do after filling up on Japanese pancakes? Visit a public market, of course. In this case it was the Omicho Market, a lovely year-round marketplace near the city center, established in 1804. Here the food displays were vast and encompassed every type of fresh ingredients you could desire: fresh fish, live shell fish (think crab), meats, produce, desserts, you name it. It offered a feast for the eyes as well.
Our travel planner had arranged for us to visit the workshop of a master sword maker, Mr Tsuneharu Matsuda, and his studio was our next and last formal focus of the day. The workshop was located at the craftsman’s home in Kanazawa where he set up his forge after studying the art of sword making.
This visit was one of the best cultural experiences of the trip. The sword maker, who did not speak English…our guide was a valuable asset here…talked us through the process starting with the raw materials, scrap metal, and ending with a finished sword, sans handle.
He demonstrated the shapes that he started with in initial stages showed the forging procedure through the heating and working the rectangular blocks of steel into the sleek and sharp final product of a samurai sword. He shared with us a very special sword that was not for sale, and the workmanship was superb. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for anyone visiting Kanazawa.
The session with the sword maker ended on a high note…literally..with an impromptu flute performance in the workshop. Mr. Matsuda was an accomplished flutist and enjoyed performing for his guests, and it was a real bonus.
The evening was free and for us that meant “laundry time.” This was one of the rare lodgings that had self-service laundry machines, two be exact, and we were in need of refreshing our wardrobe. That meant a “Take-Out,” dinner for us while our fellow travelers went out for a meal at one of the many restaurants at the train station.
Our guide led us to a local, small super market where we loaded up with pork katsu sandwiches, pan-fried gyoza, edamame, and a selection of spring rolls. Very cold Asahi beer was provided by the hotel’s extensive selection in the vending machines. Relaxing in our jinbei (Japanese house wear sometimes called pajamas), we savored the meal in one of the many seating areas overlooking the hotel’s central garden while we waited endlessly for our clothes to dry.
Next up: Ceramics, Lacquer Ware and Kanazawa’s 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
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