Some Sights on the Second Day in Kanazawa

Kanazawa, like most Japanese cities I've seen, has a river running through it. This entire area of Japan has been largely untouched by war since the 1600s (or close- I can't remember from the pamphlet).

Kanazawa, like Kyoto and Kamakura, wasn't firebombed during WWII. Many old districts survived being destroyed. Above is one such district that has many old storefronts. We went in one that now is a teahouse. We got to see what the rooms may have looked like for people getting entertained by geisha.




We also made it Kanazawa Castle. Much of it has been rebuilt as the first Kanazawa Castle is long gone. Being on top of a hill, fires caused by lightning strikes has repeatedly burned it down in the past. Since the town has survived wars, blueprints existed and so they've been able to recreate it pretty much just like it was. Like most castles, it was designed with defense in mind. The steps in the picture above were made uneven. This made it difficult to quickly rush up the stairs if you were going to storm the hold.

The statue above commemorates the Satsuma Rebellion samurai. They were, in part, inspiration for the movie The Last Samurai.

Here are a couple of shots from Kenroukuen Garden. It's one of the most famous gardens in Japan. It's considered to be in the top three (I think). That's 1st-3rd out of... millions? It's next to Kanazawa Castle and it truly is beautiful.

Sakura Blossoms!