Just like Pavlov’s dog, I believe we all have at least one stimulus that evokes an immediate unconscious response that we’re powerless to control.
For me it’s Unesco World Heritage Sites, although I’ll be the first to admit they’ve picked some stinkers - two giant mining slag heaps in France come to mind. Irrelevant. As I said, it’s not a conscious decision. I see those words and I’m a psychically slobbering fool.
Imagine my delight then when I discovered that Shrikawa-go, a village of ancient thatched houses, was on the list and directly on my route between Takayana and Kanazawa. Wait - it got better. Supposedly Shirikawa-go is now completely overrun with tourist buses BUT there are two tiny villages, Suganuma & Ainokura, (accessible if you’re clever enough to have your own wheels) with the same houses minus the teeming hoardes. Win, win baby.
So off I went and here they are:
Worth going? Well, I really had no choice, they were kind of on the way and they were pretty amazing.
World Heritage worthy? Meh.
I kept reading that Kanazawa is a rival to Kyoto as the historical jewel of mainland Japan. Maybe so. I haven’t been to Kyoto, but I think “jewel” is getting into the Land of Hyperbole. That being said, there is some pretty cool shit.
Kenroku-en Garden
I have no pretensions whatsoever when it comes to gardening, but I can recognize an absolutely amazing garden when I see one. And nobody does it like the Japanese. Somehow they make it look both natural and effortless.
Omicho Market
Supposedly “better” than Tokyo or Kyoto markets. We see. Everything but the kitchen sink.
Samurai House
Yes, I remember that I said I wasn’t going to show any more of these, but this is the olden times equivalent of a McMansion, and when these guys weren’t lopping each other’s heads off, they were truly living the Good Life.
Museum of Modern Art
This was the only place that had any evidence of the earthquake. Most of it was closed because the ceiling had collapsed, but what was left was still worth the visit.
This was the coolest thing ever. I only wish I could show you a video of the actual art. They’re done by Refik Anadol, a Turkish-born artist who, to ludicrously simplify things, has converted EEGs into “living paintings”. If you can somehow imagine the wavy picture in the middle bottom actually moving and writhing, you’ll get some notion of what it’s like. Mind-blowing. You should definitely Google him. You literally won’t believe what he does.
Kanazawa Station
It’s entirely possible that I’ll eventually see train stations more impressive than this, but I doubt it. This photo gives you no idea whatsoever of the size of this place. Not only does it have floors of trains running through the lower levels, the upper levels are like the Edmonton Mall, but more so. You name a store (or type of restaurant) and they’ve got it. This is transportation taken to a whole other level.
And, of course, there has to be some food. Here is my latest obsession: okonomiyaki. Think giant pancake with all sorts of ingredients. In my case, shrimp, fish and octopus, but the sky’s the limit. If you’re Japanese, you sit at a table with a giant grill in the middle, they bring you all the ingredients and you make them yourself. If you’re me, you choose and then the kitchen makes it and it’s transported to you fully cooked. Yum!
Jesus! That was a bit of a ramble. Sorry about that. Once the genie’s out of the bottle…
Japanese Fun Facts
Let’s talk cleanliness. Yes, we all know how obsessed with tidiness the Japanese are but did you know that they actually organize what I can only call “clean-up gangs”, who rove the streets searching for debris, no matter how insignificant? Could be your neighbours, could be your co-workers, could be anybody. God, we really are pigs.
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