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We are still dozing half asleep in our beds when it suddenly starts to shake. The room shakes, indeed, the whole hotel trembles, until it suddenly rises and settles again with a powerful bang. We look at each other, frozen. It continues to vibrate beneath us for a few minutes. Then I finally dare to ask: “Was that an earthquake?“ “Yes, of course!“ answers Darek quite naturally. And only then do I really realise ‘Japan is a volcanic island on the Pacific Ring of Fire. So of course there are earthquakes here.’ But nobody makes a big fuss about such a ‘small’ 3.8 magnitude earthquake here. So... we try not to do so either. And now that we're awake, let's get dressed and explore the city!
Kanazawa surprises us. No, not with the first earthquake in our lives. Rather with historic neighbourhoods, impressive sights and delicious food. The capital of Ishikawa Prefecture in the north-west of the main island of Honshu is considered to be particularly worth a visit. So we start where we couldn't see any further in the dark of the previous evening and visit the old samurai neighbourhood of Nagamachi first. We stroll through the winding alleyways, marvelling at the well-preserved wooden houses and manicured gardens and get a sense of what life might have been like in the Edo period.
The day is still young, so we continue zigzagging northwards, crossing the local fish and fresh food market Omicho and finally arriving at the Higashi Chaya District. Despite the large number of tourists, this geisha neighbourhood has a tranquil and calm feel thanks to its small shrines and historic houses. In addition to teahouses, restaurants and shops selling local specialities, there are also a few shops offering the right cups, plates and containers for these delicacies.
The gigantic park surrounding Kanazawa Castle opens up in the centre of the city. The castle rises up like a rampart of massive stone blocks with metal-clad wooden gates and decorated roof tiles in the middle of the extensive greenery. The green areas flow seamlessly into the neighbouring Kenroku-en garden. Once privately owned by the Maeda family, who ruled over the province of Kaga from Kanazawa Castle, the garden was first opened to the public in 1874. Its construction began in 1676 with a landscape garden called Renchitei, which developed over three centuries and was given its current name in 1822. Kenroku-en is generally regarded as one of the most beautiful gardens in Japan. What's more, all the features of a traditional Japanese garden can be found here – as in only a few gardens in the country: ponds, stone lanterns, waterfalls, stone paths, bridges, streams, teahouses and artificial hills. Now in November, Kenroku-en presents itself to us in a vivid, autumnal guise: in addition to fiery red maple trees and evergreen pines, the branches of centuries-old trees are now also supported by an umbrella-like construction of ropes and poles – called Yukitsuri – to relieve them of the weight of the impending winter snow. We take in the peace and tranquillity of Kenroku-en for a while before settling down for dinner in a small ramen restaurant, slurping down the best noodles ever with relish and then curling up in our beds with big bellies.
The next two days are dedicated entirely to excursions. Kanazawa is perfect for exploring the surrounding countryside, especially the historic villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama. As the journey to these remote mountain villages can be relatively impassable, we drive on our own in a rental car. So we set off early in the morning in bright sunshine to Shirakawa-gō, whose houses are built in the Gassho-Zukuri style. Gassho-Zukuri literally means ‘hands folded in prayer’ and does not refer to the appearance of the roof shapes, but rather the unique construction of the houses, which is extremely solid thanks to its interlocking beam construction and can even withstand earthquakes. Most of the houses in the village have been converted into museums in which traditional crafts are not only exhibited but also demonstrated. Gokayama is much less crowded. The atmosphere here is more relaxed and gives us noticeably more time to explore the village and its special features. Here too, some of the Gassho-Zukuri houses have been converted into museums, while others are still inhabited today. A short climb to the highest viewpoint is worthwhile. From here, not only can Gokayama be seen in its entirety, but you can also marvel at the impressive location of the village in the middle of the mountains that have been taken over by autumn.
Without planning it in advance, Kanazawa surprised us in many ways. Relaxed people, decelerated flair, historic neighbourhoods, excellent food, beautiful green spaces and a hotel to dream about. And if the ‘little bang’ hadn't woken us up, who knows, maybe we would have slept through parts of Kanazawa...
All words and photos by The Sturgheons.
