Day 10 - Part 2: Reflections & Gold

In the early afternoon we visited the Suzuki Daisetz (D.T. Suzuki) Museum, dedicated to the influential Buddhist philosopher who helped introduce Zen to the West. The museum is a masterpiece of modern architecture—clean lines, open spaces, and large reflecting pools designed to encourage quiet observation. We spent a long time simply watching the water, the shadows, and the changing light. The longer we stayed, the more details revealed themselves. It was incredibly peaceful, almost meditative, and a beautiful contrast to the busy travel days we’ve had so far.

That calm atmosphere disappeared the moment we reached the Higashi Chaya District, which we had previously seen at sunrise when it was nearly empty. Now, in the afternoon, it was packed with visitors, photographers, rickshaws, and people in colourful kimonos filling the narrow streets. The contrast couldn’t have been bigger—but that’s Kanazawa: serene Zen one moment, lively tradition the next.

Naturally, we couldn’t leave without trying the district’s most famous treat: gold-leaf ice cream. Kanazawa produces nearly all of Japan’s gold leaf, so covering soft-serve ice cream in edible gold is practically a local tradition.

A vibrant and varied end to our time in Kanazawa.Lue lisää