Archives for 2013

Spectacular Cherry Blossom display – Kanazawa Castle/Park-Japan

Kanazawa  under the Maeda Family The Maeda family ruled the Kaga clan during the Edo period. The most famous of the Maeda family, Toshiie Maeda ruled the Kaga clan from 1583, with their headquarters in Kanazawa, at what is now known as Kanazawa Castle Park until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The Meiji Restoration brought about a chain of […]

Perfect Landscaping – Kenrokuen Garden/Park – Kanazawa

  Magnificent Kenroku-en Gardens  This magnificent Japanese garden  developed over centuries; from about  the 1620’s through to the 1840’s by the Maeda clan, the most powerful family under the Tokugawa Shogunate. Kenrokuen Park  considered one of the three Great Gardens of Japan. The reflections in the streams and ponds are magic. Perfect Landscaping The name Kenroku-en […]

Kanazawa Shrine – Kanazawa|Marsh of Gold Kanazawa

Kanazawa Shrine and purification fountain  Our first stop is the Kanazawa Shinto Shrine in vivid vermilion with a beautiful entrance door in  contrasting shades of blue, different from most shrines we visited recently. The symbol on the door  is  the Tokugawa Crest. The design work on the door reminds me of  inlay work  at the Toshugu Shrine. There […]

Kanazawa Railway Station – East Plaza – City Center

Kanazawa ruled by powerful samurai families In contrast to our visit to Shirakawago in the mountainous region of the Gifu Prefecture, Kanazawa is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, a modern city of Japan, population 462,478 people. It lies on the coast of the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japanese Alps. The city sits […]

Doburoku Matsuri Festival|Gokayama Washi|Shirakawago Villages

Shrines in the Villages – Shirakawago   Gassho-zakuri – A-frame homes- Villages of  Shirakawago  Doburoku Matsuri festival Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine of Shirakawago Every year in mid October the Doburoku Matsuri Festival is held in Shirakawago at the Shirakawa Hachimen shrine. The festival has a parade heralded by an eight legged shishi, or Chinese lion, followed  by bands playing music, people carrying banners and […]

Ancient a-frame Gassho-zukuri homes – Villages of Shirakawa-go

View of Ogimachi Village from Shiroyama Viewpoint The Shiroyama Viewpoint was our first stop after the Toyama Farmhouse. The view of the village of Ogimachi was stunning from this lookout (imagine it covered in snow?) There are a number of “gassho-zukuri” traditional farmhouses, some 250 years old or more, quite picturesque in the afternoon light. […]

The Old Toyama Family Farmhouse | Shirakawa-go

A Grand Farmhouse –  typical Gassho-zukuri house Our next stop was the  Folk Museum of the old Toyama family, a grand farmhouse in  traditional style built around 1827. A  typical Gassho-zukuri house. At one time the Toyama family home housed up to forty family members, this included the extended  family with grandparents, aunts, uncles, nephews […]

450 year old Cherry Blossom Trees | Scenic Miboro Dam Takayama

Scenic view artificial  lake of  Miboro Dam The bus tour took us along the scenic reaches of the  Shokawa River, including a stop to see two 450 year old Cherry Blossom trees. Amazingly  both  Cherry blossom trees survived after  removal from the grounds of two ancient temples, Shorenji and Korinji temples.They have survived and flourished. […]

‘Sugidama’ Sake Breweries |Traditional shops – Takayama Japan

Traditional Sake Breweries We walked through the Sanno-machi streets of the traditional area and were able to investigate the shops more thoroughly which proved  pretty interesting. There are quite a few Sake breweries in the area, many of them  established since 1692. Each brewery uses a different  rice variety and has a unique traditional sake […]

Hida Hotel Plaza | Farmers Market – Takayama Japan

A delightful stay at the Hida Hotel Plaza Back to the hotel plaza. I loved our room in this hotel, Hida Hotel Plaza – spacious rooms decorated in  traditional Japanese style in colors of red and gold. A very large en-suite  with shower, separate dressing room, prayer niche, comfy beds with gold covers and black […]

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