Month: April 2025

By the looks of it, this item could be a bar of soap, or dessert. But there’s only one way of checking. Hmm…. It turns out to be a hollow cracker with dried greens.  Not a taste sensation.

Among other things (like gold leaf and fu buns, snow crab and sea bream sushi), Kanazawa boasts production of the finest sake made with premo water straight from the mountain and locally grown rice. Our apartment host (Bill Smith…anyone think that’s not an alias?) prides himself on local sake knowledge so I asked “where can…

According to the Chinese classic, Rakuyo-Meienki, there are six excellent elements that can go into forming a garden.  “If there is spaciousness, seclusion will be diminished.  If artifice dominates, it lacks antiquity.  If there are many watercourses, it will lack commanding views.  Koen garden is the only garden that combines these six elements.” The Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa translates…

Crossing a bridge into the Higashi Chaya-gai (Eastern teahouse district), a Japanese man got my attention by pointing down at my feet with his cane at an embedded round tile and then sighting his cane out towards the river. I didn’t quite get it. His friend, who could speak some English, explained this is the…

What I didn’t know (thanks for the tip David) is that Kanazawa is noted for gold leaf production.   Want to try your hand? For a price you can apply a sheet of gold leaf to a trinket and take home your handiwork. Or have a soft serve ice cream with a strip of edible gold…

Our first stop this cool, cloudy Thursday morning in Kanasawa was at the end of an alley which led to Myōyü-ji, aka Ninja-dera (Ninja Temple).  It’s a Buddhist temple that isn’t associated with any ninja history, but has a deceptive structure which has earned its nickname.  From the outside it looks like a two-story building, but actually…

Today calls for an “all layer” day for me. Inner to outer = turtleneck + blouse + light sweater + thinsulate jacket + rain jacket / wind breaker.  Grubb’s layers = long-sleeved tshirt + rain jacket. No surprise to anyone who knows him, he has two modes of dress: jacket on / jacket off.  Grubb…

When we left our Kyoto apartment this morning, it was drizzling and we felt too lazy to navigate the subway to get to Kyoto Station. I tried out Go Taxi. Worked like a champ.  Within 5 minutes, a taxi pulled up, the driver rolled down his window and asked for our order number. “007” I replied….

Leaving Kyoto under a cloudy sky this morning, we nailed all of our train connections and made it to a rainy Kanazawa around noon.  After unpacking and checking out the kitchen in our apartment, we went up the street to Aptiva which, when you enter, is laid out like a department store and then, if you…

We are leaving Kyoto this morning, heading to Kanazawa so I thought I’d share some random last photos of Kyoto. Below: Upscale vending machines Hot sand or hot dog anyone? Below: Shop devoted to anime…or is that manga? Below: Kyoto streets Below: Our local supermarket Below: Snack break, egg toast and yuzu float Below: Okonomiyaki…

We’ve seen very few stop signs anywhere here. Drivers and cyclists keep to the left, pedestrians keep to the right. There are lots of small one lane roads – really just one lane shared by two way traffic. No stop signs or traffic lights at intersections on these small streets. Whoever gets to the intersection…

Walking around Kyoto isn’t half-bad and it’s really quite nice if you take a route through the back streets away from the six-lane avenues.  I like the rusty contrast to the shiny downtown glass. And the way the Japanese have of making their garbage look packaged.  (As opposed to what they have on exhibit at…

These two signs embedded in the sidewalk were right across the street from each other.

I was so enthralled with the Netsuke, I thought I’d add a few of my photos (be sure to read Grubb’s post first “Sculpture that fits into your hand”). A little more info

My navigation skills took a hit today. If there is one thing I am good at (just like Grubb prides himself on distinguishing sweets from soap) it’s being able to get us where we need to go.  Unfortunately today, instead of arriving at Byodo-in Temple expecting to see a fabulous Amida Buddha, carved gold phoenixes on the…