Fashionable Kanazawa

Kanazawa is situated a short distance inland from the west coast of the island of Honshu. It has been a centre of power for centuries and boasts a fine castle (reproduced after the original 14th century one was struck by lightning and burnt down in the 16th century) atop a hill in the middle of town. It has always been a centre for learning and creative design. As a result it was spared from bombing during WWII, as it had little industry supporting the war effort.

The city has maintained its reputation as a fashion and design centre over the years. It was evident to us just by the way people dressed and presented themselves – very stylish and quite European, with a lot of obvious French influence (especially in terms of brands available in the boutique stores).

We had been instructed by our travel agent to set off early in order to enjoy the famous Kenroku-en Gardens before the crowds arrived. The gates opened at 7:00am; we arrived there just after 7:30am with few others enjoying the early morning serenity of the grounds. The gardens themselves were originally part of Kanazawa Castle’s grounds and developed under the rule of one of the important daimyōs or clans during the 17th century. They were closed to the public for many years until around 140 years ago.

As we were leaving the gardens the tour groups were arriving – with their ubiquitous tour guide holding a flag fluttering from what looks like a disused car antenna, eagerly accompanied by their “flock” of followers.

We crossed a bridge between the gardens and the castle grounds and continued wandering through ancient gates that lead up to the reconstructed castle. It is an imposing building that sits atop a 60-metre high hilltop, with views across the city to the west and snow capped mountains to the east.

It wouldn’t be a holiday for us if we didn’t end up at a fresh food market, and next on our itinerary was Kanazawa’s Omicho fresh fish market – not too far from the castle grounds. You can tell when you are getting close to significant attractions, as the number of tour groups getting around on foot grows exponentially. This was the case as we approached the markets, confirming our navigational skills.

Unlike those we visited in Tokyo, the Omicho Markets were more retail than wholesale – but no less interesting. Most places were selling fresh ingredients alongside prepared dishes for eating then and there. There were also stalls selling items other than fresh seafood – including fruit and veggies, kitchen wares, groceries and meat.

We decided that the markets might prove to be a venue for a bite to eat around lunch time if we happened to be in the area. Our itinerary had us continue on from the markets to the central railway station, where we were wanting to reserve seats on the Shinkansen headed for Tokyo tomorrow at around midday. We walked along a tree-lined boulevard down to the station, following the remnants of a canal system built years ago to supply water and as a means of transporting goods.

With our reserved seating on the train confirmed, we spent some time browsing the retail stores around Kanazawa Station before stopping for lunch and resting up for the afternoon component of our itinerary. Our “tendon” (tempura) vegetable lunch was just what was needed to keep us going until dinner time.

Our next itinerary item was a walk through the geisha district not too far from the fish market we visited earlier. Being just after lunch time, the area was fairly quiet and most tea houses were closed. The sounds of a traditional shamisen (three stringed musical instrument) accompanied by a flute filled the narrow streets and confirmed that we were indeed in the geisha district.

Our walk continued on towards a very old house built and occupied by an influential samurai around the late 1700s. He may have been influential, but he also had enemies and incorporated a number of “security measures” into the design of the house. High walls and a moat surrounded the property, while many large stones were placed on the roof to be used as weapons if required. A small antechamber was off to the side of the main living quarters; here an armed guard kept watch. The samurai was a skilled engineer, painter and calligrapher with an interest in gardens.

We retraced our steps back through a now busy garden grounds to our hotel, where we rested before locking in our plans for dinner.

We had been given recommendations for places to eat, and after checking them out on the web decided to head to the closest one, Itaru, down a narrow but trendy laneway. It had rained since our return from the day’s sightseeing and the streets were glistening in the vehicle lights as we set off. Itaru is apparently popular with both locals and international visitors; queuing for a table is commonplace. The rain had obviously kept a few indoors and we were able to walk in and get a table straight away.

The dishes that made up our set menu kept coming at a consistent pace. Marinated firefly squid, sashimi platter, seaweed in sweetened vinegar, prawn and vegetable toast served with a spinach sauce, steamed grated yam with a thick sauce, sardine spring rolls, duck jabuni, salad with Japanese radish and yam, rice porridge with mushrooms and tea – all followed by a small, palate-cleansing scoop of lemon gelato. The place was busy and boisterous, with all staff lending a hand to greet and farewell customers, deliver meals to the tables, take orders, clean and set tables and generally make sure the place kept the food coming and the customers happy.