From Takayama we took the train to Toyama to transfer to the train to Kanazawa. In Kanazawa we had a last minute invitation to stay with a couchsurfer but couldn’t arrive there until the evening. So we placed our backpacks in lockers at the station and walked from the station, through the impressive wooden arches, to the Higashi Chiya area, known as the geisha area, in order to book tickets for a geisha evening at a teahouse (3500). We walked around the area admiring the old houses, teashops, traditional craft shops and coffee shops. The area is known for gold leaf and just about every product in the area advertised itself as having some sorts of gold leaf in them. In a sweet shop we tried some local sweets called Hakuho which was made of walnuts, rice wafers and syrup.
At 17.30 we went in to the geisha show where we were shown traditional geisha games, singing and dancing, with audience participation from a couple of geishas. There was also taiko drumming and sake drinking games. After a fantastic show and a photo with a real geisha, who had a very good sense of humour, we headed back to the station where we got bus 54 to Kamino-machi area, about 40 minutes. We arrived at our couchsurfers, Karina’s place where we used the instructions she had left to let ourselves into her place. She arrived back at about 11pm and we chatted away until about 1am as she was so lovely and interesting.
Whilst Karina was sleeping in the morning we left to go out for the day, trying not to wake her. We walked 35 minutes to the nearest JR station (Nonichi) whilst the rain drizzled but once there it was only 7 minutes on the train to Kanazawa station. We looked around the main station and grabbed breakfast from 7/11. Then we got a bus, covered by our JR pass to Korinbo-Nagamachi, which is known as the samurai area of Kanazawa. We explored the quaint architecture and quiet area. We explored the Ashigora Shiroyokan?? Museum, for free, which is one of the foot solider samurai houses. It was in great condition and one of the rooms was set up as it would have been at the time. From here we got on the bus again to 21st century? where we explored a free exhibition.
We also walked around to the prefectural museum and had cakes that looked like works of art in the musee de H café (cake with Vienna coffee 900Y each). We mooched around the pleasant Kenrouken gardens where there good views but it was also rainy and cloudy. From here we were going to explore the castle but due to the entrance fee and how much we could already see of it from the outside we gave it a miss. We got the JR bus to Omicho market, famous for being good for fresh produce but due to it being later in the day a lot of it was shutting up. Instead for food we headed back to the station to one of the many restaurants for noodles and gyoza (700). After this we headed back to Karina’s to dry off and chill out for a couple of hours.
In the evening we headed back to Kanazawa station to meet up with Karina where we took the bus with her to Katamachi and she took us to a large izakaya for food and some beers. They had a good selection of skewers, sushi and sachimi, everything about 100Y per person. Karina ordered a selection for us and we enjoyed a very relaxed, very modern Japanese evening. When we got back to Karina’s we also met another couchsurfer called Maria, and we chatted away with her and Karina until about 1am again.
In the morning we all got back went to Kanazawa station to head our separate ways after saying goodbye to Karina. We had a Yoshinoya beef bowl breakfast (380Y) and bought some lunch for our train to Hiroshima, excited to head down the country on the train.
Alex
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