Marsh of Gold

Just got back from Kanazawa! I arrived early in the morning with Dai and his father. We also met up with a wonderful woman named Masako who is from Kanazawa but currently working in Takayama at the town hall. She works in the Industry and Merchant office. She also was my guide for the weekend!

The tea ceremony was great. Apparently the type of ceremony we attended is the most formal type. It had two servings of tea. The first one is a really thick blend of matcha powder and just a little bit of water- very bitter. After this we moved to a second room where we were served the second serving, which was more watered down. Then finally on to a third room for lunch! Cameras were not allowed during the the ceremony, though I was able to sneak a picture of the lunch.

Dai, his father, and I, in front of the temple gate where the Tea Ceremony was held.

Kanazawa's old geisha district along the river.

The name Kanazawa translates to "marsh of gold". Today the town is famous for it's gold leaf production and crafts. I went to the Gold Leaf Museum and saw some pretty amazing  stuff. A lot of stores in town sell some insanely-priced products, a lot of tabletop goods (teapots and cups, mugs, bowls, etc) with intricate gold leaf designs.

The view of downtown from Kanazawa Castle.

Masako and I, in front of Kanazawa Castle. Masako was incredibly kind and was with me all weekend. She took me to all of the city's best sights!

We went to Kenrokuen, which is Kanazawa's most famous park. At night in the fall, admission is free, and there is a light show which showcases the autumn foliage.

We also visited the Ninja Temple, a temple with a huge amount of trap doors, secret passageways, and hidden rooms. No cameras allowed inside here either, so here's me in front!

During my last few hours in town, Masako drove me to the prefectural office building to get a good view of the city.
Despite the clouds, it was a  nice view! On the other side was the ocean, a nice sight after spending so much time surrounded by mountains in Takayama.

Just as I was about to board the bus back to Takayama, it started to rain. Luckily I didn't get stuck in a Typhoon like on my last trip!