Ishikawa: Kanazawa, Hakui, Wajima (Dec 2018)

Kanazawa

Despite arriving after dark, the majestic Tsuzumimon didn’t fail to impress. Gloriously illuminated, it was the perfect backdrop for a photograph. 

We checked into Dormy Inn hotel which is a short 3 min walk from JR Kanazawa station and has a public bath with hot spring water from Kaga Onsen on level 14. The hotel is 3 star and rooms are not fantastic but for its proximity to the station and public bath, it was decent. Can consider Via Inn Kanazawa hotel which is connected to the station or ANA hotel.

The next day, we took a JR bus (covered by JR Pass) to WARGO kimono rental shop at Korinbo which is walking distance to Korakuen and the 21st Century Contemporary Art Museum. The lady at the shop taught me how to use the toilet while wearing a kimono. A very important skill indeed!

As I wanted to take photos at Higashi-Chaya district in kimono and it’s tough to take buses in a kimono (at least for me... how do you even raise your leg to get on the bus??), we took a short taxi ride there. Kanazawa is not too crowded with tourists so it’s nice to stroll around without feeling claustrophobic like in Tokyo or Kyoto.

Walking around in Higashi-chaya

One of the shops had a gold-plated house. The building was so blinding that I could not look at it directly.

Do check out the area around Higashi Chaya

Kenrokuen

21st Century Contemporary Art Museum

We had a lot of fun taking photos at the pool exhibit. You need to pay a small fee (about 360 yen) to go to the basement.

Free exhibits are always good to have

Very creative souvenir at the museum: Kamaboko post-it note pads and wasabi/ginger highlighters.

Since Kanazawa 金沢 boasts a range of gold-infused delicacies and products. We were determined to try some and bring home some souvenirs.

These Kin Pakku Bashi 金パック箸 are really interesting. When you separate the chopsticks, gold flakes will rain down. We grabbed a bunch for Chinese New Year reunion dinner and since our purchase was more than ¥3000, we were able to redeem a complimentary Kin Pakku Takoyaki at a nearby shop.

Apparently, gold dust will rain down when you split the chopsticks.

Our complimentary takoyaki covered in gold leaf

We also tried the gold flakes green tea ice cream in the shape of the famous yukitsuri 雪吊りpine trees in Higashi-Chaya as well as Kin Pakku soft ice cream 金パックソフト near the museum.

Kin pakku soft cream

Two other must-see places in Kanazawa are Omicho market and Myouryouji 妙立寺(Ninjadera), more commonly known as Ninja temple.

Since we had the car after returning from Wajima, we drove to Omicho market for lunch before heading to Ninjadera for our guided tour. Entrance is by reservation by phone (in Japanese) only and the tour is conducted in Japanese only. There was about 10 mins of rambling in Japanese (while we were seated in front of the altar) followed by a swift 30 min tour. Translation is not allowed but they gave us English pamphlets so it was easy to follow. They wasted no time in asking us to return the pamphlet promptly after the tour. It is really mind-blowing how the people in the past designed such traps, secret stairways and secret rooms. You can read more at this website https://soranews24.com/2014/06/23/the-twists-turns-and-trapdoors-of-kanazawas-incredible-ninja-temple/

I love fresh uni!

Ninjadera

Hakui

We rented a car from Nippon-rent-a-car just right beside the station and drove to Chirihama Nagisa Driveway.

We spent a very quiet afternoon and evening at Pension and Cafe Cruise. The interior of the pension is so beautifully furnished that we felt we had travelled back in time.

After checking out of the pension, we went to Ganmon 巌門 and stopped by Sekai Ichi Nagai Benchi 世界一長いベンチ for some photos and a snack and ramen lunch at a chain called Hachiban Ramen before heading to our ryokan in Wajima.

Wajima

We chose ねぶた温泉 海遊 能登の庄 Nebuta Onsen Kaiyu Notonosho ryokan because of it's proximity to Shiroyone Senmaida 白米千枚田. The view from the room is not spectacular because there is a road between the ryokan and the sea so from the room, you can see the road and the electrical lines which kind of spoils the view. However, the service was really good and personal. We enjoyed our meals in the privacy of our room and the thoughtful staff stood at the door to welcome us, take our luggage and offer to valet park our car like 10 meters away haha. The outdoor onsen is surrounded by a koi pond which is a first for me. When you're soaking in the bath, you can see koi swimming around you.

The ryokan has a shuttle bus that leaves at 5PM to go to Senmaida 10 mins away and returns at 5:40PM. We decided to drive there on our own instead and were glad we did because after the crowd has dispersed, we took our time to stroll through the illuminated rice fields. It was really magical being surrounded by the lights and listening to the waves crashing against the rocks.

After checking out from our ryokan, we stopeed by Wajima morning market where there are many shops selling Wajima lacquerware. It was eye-opening to learn that Urushi lacquerware is a long and arduous process that explains the hefty price tag of these items so we really appreciated every dish that was served in lacquerware at the next ryokan. I found some affordable ones for daily use.

Our final ryokan for this trip was Kagaya in Nanao. This huge ryokan has its own shopping street and although the decor is very 80s, it is very well-maintained. The ryokan is packed with elderly Japanese and to cater to them, they even have live shows such as drum and Japanese cabaret performances. We just enjoyed chilling in our quiet sea-view room. The onsen was large enough to accommodate the crowd so it was enjoyable.