Day 20: On to Tokyo and Ghibli Museum
Today we said goodbye to Kanazawa to head back to Tokyo. The train station is enormous and I think that it must be a northern hub even though there are no direct trains to Tokyo. We took an express to Maibara where we then changed on to the Shinkansen. Thankfully the weather was beautiful!
Once we were on the Shinkansen we got to see Mount Fuji again and the train wasn't crowded. The journey took roughly about 4 and a half hours.
Once we got to Shinjuku we headed to the hotel and dropped off our bags before running out again to catch a train to go visit the Ghibli Museum. The museum is about a 20 minute walk from the station and is a very strange building. The whole thing is designed not to be square but very curvy. with various levels and roof terraces. Sadly it's forbidden to take photos inside (I've noticed this in a lot of Japanese places, even the shops!)
Whilst the museum was cool it was far too crowded! It actually reminded me how much I dislike crowds but it is to be expected in a popular place like this. Despite this the exhibitions were beautiful and it turns out there are a lot of references to British culture within the artwork. From the hills of Scotland to the small towns and villages dotted across the countryside. It was very cluttered in a very beautiful way.
After we left the museum we headed on to Shinjuku once more. Here we walked around and tried to find something to eat before crashing out for the evening.
Day 19: Ninja Temple and the Geisha District
This morning we went to visit the ninja temple in Kanazawa also known as Ninjyadera. Despite it's name it actually has nothing to do with ninjas. The reason why it is known as the ninja temple is because even though there are only 3 floors there are seven layers. The entire place is a maze of stairs, secret passage ways, trap doors and hidden alcoves. A total of 23 rooms and 29 stairways contributed in making this place architecturally beautiful even though it lacks in other aspects. The various secrets it hides, the various access points to views never seen anywhere else. It is a little how I imagined my own house that I wish to build to be.
Inside the temple we were taken on a guided tour in Japanese (no English available except for a booklet). Photos are also forbidden inside.
Once we were out of the temple and walking around locally I also found investigated this wall a bit more closely. We see the formation for the castle bases and some residences and in general they tend to be very beautiful.
After a brief respite from the cold and rain we headed towards the Kutani Pottery Kiln. A place whose owner is currently the 5th generation of the family to be looking after the place. They had many beautiful samples that took months to make and showed the process of making these beautiful pieces.
From here we took a taxi from the nearby train station to the castle entrance. To try and keep warm we ate some yummy hot cooked beef from this beef seller.
Whilst munching away we came across a wedding procession with the bride in her silver white uchikake kimono.
After a quick rock paper scissors match we took Jose's route to Kanazawa castle. The wind blew really hard and despite the mountain fleece I was quickly very cold.
Luckily for me the sun came out and warmed me up a little. Enough to take this photo at least. The cherry blossoms really are beautiful and there are so many of them!
We wandered in and out some of the shops in this area looking at the various pieces of pottery. I got myself a small tea cup though I saw a really cool tea pot. Sadly I can't bring back too much stuff with me!
From the castle we walked to the Geisha district to visit an Okiya where the geisha used to live and perform. It functions as a small museum now and sadly no photos are allowed inside except for mobiles (which I don't understand). I'll post the mobile phone photos later when I get back to the UK.
Day 18: Through the mountains towards Kanazawa
We left Takayama on the 11:00 train which would take us to Toyama. From Toyama we would then catch a train to Kanazawa. I know there was so much we didn't see in Takayama and somethings I had wanted to see. I don't think I prepared myself for the Japanese alps well enough however. One mountain fleece may keep my core warm but it's definitely not windproof and leggings don't do the trick either! I should have invested in some warm joggers.
The train ride towards Toyama was beautiful. Our train travelled over rivers, through mountains and sometimes along the mountain side. We saw whole towns covered with farm land though I have no idea what they were farming. As we sped past them I thought it was rice but seeing the images now I don't think it is.
We passed by many beautiful houses. Some huge and some very small. They were a mix of old and new buildings. Most were in the traditional Japanese style.
With mountains surrounding us on every side it felt like we were on a giant mountain plateau. High up in the alps it's easy to imagine this place cut off with snow. The water was a deep turquoise and clear even as it frothed and spilled over rocks.
Many of the trees seem to be evergreens in Japan and I think the ones that aren't are probably the ones that turn the beautiful shades of red and yellow during autumn. I think it would be wonderful to visit this place in Autumn. If it weren't for how cold I suspect this place to get I think it might be a great place to live in fact!
I really enjoyed the view from Takayama to Toyama. Once we had changed on to the train towards Kanazawa though the view seemed more of a cityscape and less rural. Kanazawa itself feels like a modern city on arrival though parts of it cling to old tradition. I'll cover Kanazawa more in the next post. You can also read about Jose's thoughts on Kanazawa here