#Japanesemusic

Bullet Train to Kanazawa

211 miles in an hour! Super smooth and quiet ride–not like Chicago trains where travelers get jerked around like a carnival ride. No clackety-clack so loud that you can’t hear. The numerous obento take-away boxes (lunch) at the station didn’t impress me, but Ramen Noodle soup from 7-11 has taken a huge leap from US to Japanese style. Take Hikari #637 to Express Train: Shirasagi 7

I think I’m in love with Kanazawa. Here’s a few reasons why:

Kenrokuen Garden: Is in the top 3 gardens of Japan and was created by successive feudal lords ( Edo period –1603-1867) in the meiyu-style which must have a pond to resemble the ocean, an island like Japan where immortals live, and the concepts of longevity and prosperity. This is a walking garden with many places such as tea houses to absorb the beauty. Look at the immense tree in the fourth picture. It’s just jaw-dropping! This garden took over 421 years to develop and it continues to grow.

love these twisted querky pines
centuries old pine tree with limb supports
This is crazy! The tree was planted deep centuries ago + at some point the soil was dug out to create an underworld

Digital Team Lab at Kanazawa Castle: The partially reconstructed castle is across the street from the garden above. The castle was ruled by the Maeda clan for 14 generations until 1945. The origional castle had been 6-storeys, but burned down in 1602. Maeda built a smaller 3-storey palace which also burned down in 1631 and more fires occured in 1759. The fortification was turned over to the military in 1871. The outter and inner moats, gates and inner walls are formidable. We were lucky that Team Lab had a night display at the castle–catch their art if you can.

projections onto inner moat walls

The Samurai House and Gardens

At first, Samurai warriors lived inside the castle walls but eventually they moved to their own walled neighborhood where homes were built for their families. Twelve generations of the Nomura family lived in this home built with cypress, rosewood and ebony. Every sliding door opens to reveal another beautiful garden. From the Chamber and study there is a waterfall, stream, a bridge made from cherry granite, and many stone lanterns. A particular Japanese bayberry was planted 400 years ago.

a wall encircles the neighborhood, diviided in this section by a stream
Samurai armour
Buddhist temple in the home

Higashi Chaya District and Omicho Market :

Higashi is a neighborhood known for teahouses and Geisha. There are also restaurants and shops ( check out the gold-leaf jewelry) along narrow walkways. The nearby indoor market sells produce, meat, fish, specialty food dishes, clothing, and jewelry. Bob is eating tempura fried blow fish which he really liked.

sea cucumber
girls dressed as Geishas. There are rental places in many places.
Geisha hair dresser?
adorable teenagers in school uniform
narrow walkways between shops, restaurants and homes.

Cultural night at the visitor center

The visitor center hosts different events, so check their schedule. We attended the Japanese culture night theater featuring Ikebana (Japanese floral decorating), sword dancing, a folk and classical music presentation. There was also a fan dance called “shibu”, which is a poetry performance.

The 13-string Koto
Kenbo sword dance
broad-necked Shamisen

Thatched Roof Houses in Japan

We were fortunate to visit Seto House on the way to Hakone where we helped locals make lunch. This centuries old home once belonged to an important leader and his family. At the entry, there’s a small mill that still works and gardens are in the back. The stove used to cook our rice has been used for over 300 years. This place is now the villages community center.

300 year-old stove
this is the only heat in the buidling–quite cold in winter!
Cross section of packed thatch

A few days later, we went to Ainokura in the Gokayama Valley , where there are 20 steep thatched roof homes in this World Heritage site. Some of the Gassho-style houses are now B&Bs. The villagers devised their own fire-hydrant system, since the biggest danger to thatch homes is fire. There’s a shinto shrine and Buddhist temples here too. It was a beautiful day with tree colors just starting to change and grass thatch stacked to dry in the fields.

hike above town for a better view

The last place, 5- storey Iwase House, has a 350 year-old heritage in the production of gunpowder and a close connection to the Sammuri and Shoguns. There’s a back entrance for the Sammuri and fake rooms to hide or escape. The upper floors are completely open with the middle floor used for staff sleeping areas but the upper floors were used for silk worm production and other agriculture needs.

traditional dancers behind the fire–the only heat source in winter
sliding doors open to the fish pond behind the house
Buddhist temple in the home
formal dining room for dignitaries
steep roof like two hands in prayer
Samurai entered through this door.
3rd floor showing blackened timbers and how vines or rope are used instead of nails or metal

Thatched homes ( Kayabuki Minka) have been built in Japan for over 5,000 years, which was a surprise to me. The roof is densely packed and can last 20 years or longer. The rain only penetrates and rots the very top layer, so the roof is never completely stripped. Some communities chip in to help each other, but more often masters who have learned the craft are hired and payment subsidized by the government. Gassho homes are places of invisible energy. The immense roof without interior divisions represents the willingness to have an open mind and resembles praying hands.Traditional dancers at Iwase house use ancient instruments called “Kokoriko” made out of hundreds of wood clappers.

The dance was once upon a time performed by unmarried girls with lyrics about love and for wishes to be granted.