Kenrokuen Garden via V803

Kanazawa, Japan, November 8, 2010.

Kanazawa is one of the overlooked  jewels of tourism in Japan- except for the locals, who flock to it as they know its beauty.

The somewhat remote location, and the off the beaten track (it takes time to get there from Tokyo for instance) , has perhaps been a factor of a lower number of foreign tourists.

For those visitors who want to see perhaps the best-preserved major Edo-period city in the country (along with Takayama), it is one of the best places to visit aside from Kyoto of course.
Well, for Kyoto, I’d recommend it if you have only a short period of staying in Japan, but if you have more time, take 2 days off at least to visit Kanazawa.

Kanazawa is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Crafts and Folk Art.

Kanazawa cuisine is famous throughout Japan. Go for its seafood,  since this area lies in the sweet spot of the hot south and cold north currents. The quality of food is so high, that essentially you’ll be munching on good food regardless of the price.

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Kenroku-en Garden (兼六園)/Finepix

 

Kanazawa, Japan, 8th November 2010 –  The most famous sight in Kanazawa! The Garden of Six Attributes is considered one of Japan’s Top 3 gardens.

Make sure if you are in the vicinity, not to miss this particular garden….and you can also visit the castle which is quite near it.

While not completed in its final form until the waning years of the Edo Shogunate, it still represents one of the peaks of Japanese strolling garden design.

The way in which water is piped from many kilometers upstream to fill its ponds and bubbling streams before going on to fill the castle moats is one of the great engineering feats of the Edo period.

During cherry blossom season, entry to the park is free and it’s open and lit up until 9 PM.

Quick Ueno Romp at Night

Ueno Park, November 6, 2010 – After a whole day of walking around Nikko, I decided my legs could still stand to try a quick visit to Ueno Park.

There’s no hardship as Ueno Station is one of the usual stops on the train system.

Ueno Park is well known for its cherry blossom viewing and there’s lots of folks trawling the park, yes even at night so I felt pretty safe. I wish I could visit during the day though.

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Postcard from Kanazawa, Japan

Cat’s Postcard from Kanazawa, Japan

Nov 8, ’10 11:59 PM

Photograph above from internet (during springtime)

Photograph above from this trip (taken during autumn)

KANAZAWA, JAPAN, 8th November 2010  – I stopped briefly at this street before I proceeded with my hike to Kenrokuen Garden,

I remember this place because I saw a photograph somewhere of this stretch of shops and street during spring (first photograph above). It’s a thrill to recognize the place and see the trees – even if they are shorn of their spring glory.

A bracing breeze and as I walked through the entrance, the light was fading even if it was mid-afternoon…there were only few people braving the coldness *rubs hands*

Mood: anticipation (in seeing one of the top three most beautiful gardens in Japan)