Kanazawa
I’m starting to run out of superlatives for Japan. It’s officially the halfway point in my trip and I am so over the moon. Every day has been a new delight. Through it all, I feel so grateful for how safe Japan is, how kind people are, and how reliable and easy to navigate the transportation has been.
Kanazawa is a very charming city on the North coast. It’s mellower than Kyoto, but still has a city vibe and lots to do. It has a mix of old and new architecture throughout and lots of little gardens.
I arrived in the late afternoon yesterday. The end of the day is a bit of a race against time here because it’s pretty dark by 5pm. I immediately headed to the Kazuemachi Chaya district, one of three historic neighborhoods dedicated to Geisha culture.
From there I crossed the Asano River to Higashi Chaya, the largest of the three. This district was a little more touristy, but in general Kanazawa is much more low key when it comes to tourism.
Then I headed back towards the hotel and in search of dinner. I’ve just been looking on the map at which places are most highly rated, which is how I discovered this gem, called Ishiguro. It’s been open for 40 years, run by the same couple. There is no menu, they just bring you dish after dish. They didn’t speak a word of English, but we got by with Google translate.
This miso soup was unlike any I’ve had before. The mushrooms were smoked, and he added a hint of lime right as he served it.
My Japanese has been pretty terrible. Even after 1 week I’m still muttering anything beyond “Arigato”, but I have memorized “oishii”, which means “delicious”.
At dinner I sat at the bar facing the chef while he made the seven-course dinner. I was too shy to take his photo. There were two men seated next to me who had obviously been coming there for years. Another solo traveler, a young woman from Hong Kong, came in and sat with us too. She told me she has been loving Kanazawa so much she’s already extended her time there by a week. Both she and the chef’s wife offered me some tips on places to go. It was only a block from my hotel, so I made it home for my now-standard 8pm bedtime ☺️, full and happy.
