5-6 October 2025
With the morning comes cloudy skies and light rain. Our new guide, Jun, leads us through a tiny portion of Omicho Market.
Omicho (also called Ōmichō Ichiba) is Kanazawa’s sprawling fresh-food market, known by locals as Kanazawa’s Kitchen. It has operated since the Edo period (1721) and features over 170 stalls and restaurants.
(more…)4 October 2025
Kanazawa’s history began in feudal times as the seat of the Maeda clan, one of Japan’s wealthiest and most powerful families. The Maeda ruled the Kaga Domain, which rivaled even Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo) in culture, wealth, and sophistication. Their influence shaped Kanazawa into a city of refinement, arts, and meticulous design. It seems to have retained that atmosphere.
Today, the city is a mosaic of well-preserved historical districts, each offering a different glimpse into its past. The Higashi Chaya District teems with traditional teahouses where geisha once entertained, while the Nagamachi Samurai District showcases narrow lanes and elegant homes of samurai. Both districts transports one back to the Edo period. Add in the serene gardens of Kenrokuen and the old markets, and you have a city that feels both frozen in time and vibrantly alive.
(more…)3 October 2025
Today, we depart via bus. Ultimately, we will travel about 72 miles northwest reaching the Sea of Japan, which, in China, is still the Japan Sea. We plan a couple stops in between. In the meantime, I see more mountains and more trees. Many more mountains and many, many more trees. So green! Everything and everyone seems to be preparing for winter.
(more…)2 October 2025 Imagine sitting down in a serene tatami room, shoes politely abandoned at the door. You sit on a pillow on the floor. Your feet fall into a well under the low table. Before you is a three Read more
2 October 2025
Takayama used to be the castle town which General Nagachika Kanamori built on behalf of his master at the end of the Sengoku era when Hideyosi Toyotomi ruled Japan. In 1692, however, Hida district came under the direct control of the Tokugawa government, and almost all samurai left Takayama. So l’m told.
1 October 2025
A short drive takes us southerly over the 2,628-foot Magome Pass. The pass is the highest elevation along the Nakasendō Way. Surrounding mountains and the cedar and bamboo forests are outstanding. It is difficult to consider these undulating hills as mountains when I regularly drive over passes at 4,000’. However, unlike the more northern peaks in Japan that can receive up to 50 feet of snow, the Tsumago-Magome area is more temperate and snowfall is not as heavy or burdensome.
(more…)30 September 2025
After a delightful evening in Narai followed by a Western breakfast, I enjoy time to wander Narai’s streets. The village seems a good place to buy lacquerware and woodcrafts. Not being a shopper, I stroll main street to enjoy the wonderful architecture. Perhaps I’ll spot a keychain with a Godzilla on it.
