🎌🍜 Day 25 🍜🎌

Rest Day in 金沢 (Kanazawa)

Sometimes a rest day is less about resting and more about enjoying life at a gentler pace. The morning began slowly, with Lisa sleeping in while I shared a quiet coffee with Kakeru in the family room. His kids, Seria (12) and Akinari (9), had already left early with their grandparents to 東京 (Tōkyō) for the autumn 大相撲 (ōzumō – sumo wrestling tournament).
The Tokyo autumn tournament is a highlight of the sumo calendar, lasting 15 days and featuring the top-ranked 力士 (rikishi – wrestlers) battling for position, honor, and the coveted Emperor’s Cup. The atmosphere in the 両国国技館 (Ryōgoku Kokugikan – Ryōgoku Sumo Hall) is electric, with spectators shouting encouragement, vendors selling bento, and centuries-old rituals performed before each bout. It is a uniquely Japanese mix of sport, ceremony, and culture.

His wife, Kaori, respectfully kept her distance, wearing a mask since she thought she might be coming down with a cold. We are disappointed we cannot spend more time with her, but appreciate her thoughtfulness.

Sakura (15) joined us for our first stop of the day, a specialty snack and candy shop to gather treats for her brother’s upcoming school trip. She showed us her favorites, which are becoming our favorites as well. Lisa and I couldn’t resist stocking up on a pile of snacks for ourselves. We didn’t even make it out of the parking lot before tearing open a bag. Snacking too much might have been the theme of the day.

After dropping off Sakura, Kakeru steered us downtown toward the famous 金沢城 (Kanazawa-jō – Kanazawa Castle). Luck was on our side, because a craft beer festival was happening right outside the castle grounds. Breweries from across Japan had set up tents, offering creative ales, IPAs, and lagers. We sampled a couple of glasses while sharing a small but delicious マルゲリータピザ (marugeriita piza – margarita pizza).

From there we walked into 尾山神社 (Oyama Jinja Shrine), which was established in 1599 to honor 前田利家 (Maeda Toshiie), the first lord of the powerful Maeda clan who ruled the Kaga Domain for over 280 years. The shrine’s gate is striking, with stained-glass windows and a blend of Japanese, Chinese, and even European design elements. Behind the shrine stretches its strolling garden, a 回遊式庭園 (kaiyū-shiki teien – strolling-style garden). Unlike a static garden meant to be viewed from a single spot, a strolling garden is designed for walking paths that reveal new perspectives with every turn—stone lanterns tucked into moss, reflective ponds, and carefully placed bridges. Even in the bustle of the city, it offered us a moment of quiet beauty outlined by the sound of the waterfall in the garden.

After looping back for one more craft beer sample (for balance, of course), we headed to ひがし茶屋街 (Higashi Chaya-gai – Higashi Geisha District). These historic streets are lined with traditional wooden teahouses where geisha once entertained with music, dance, and conversation. Today many are preserved as cultural landmarks, with some converted into cafés, shops, and museums. The air felt different there, slower, as if the past still lingered in the creak of wooden floors and the smell of old wood.

Here, we treated ourselves to one of Kanazawa’s specialties: a ソフトクリーム (sofuto kurīmu – soft-serve ice cream) wrapped in edible gold leaf. Kanazawa produces nearly all of Japan’s gold leaf, and it has long been used to decorate temples, shrines, lacquerware, and now even desserts. Eating gold leaf is said to bring luck and longevity. It sparkled as it stuck to our lips and made us feel like royalty for a moment.

Kanazawa is also famous for its 輪島塗 (Wajima-nuri – Wajima lacquerware), painstakingly crafted bowls and trays layered with dozens of coats of lacquer mixed with powdered minerals and sometimes decorated with gold leaf. This tradition, like much of Kanazawa’s artistry, reflects a culture of patience and refinement that has been carefully preserved for centuries.

By late afternoon, hunger called us again, and Kakeru led us to a ramen shop. I went for hearty 味噌ラーメン (miso rāmen – miso ramen), while Lisa ordered fried rice, which we happily shared. After that came a grocery store run for dinner supplies and, finally, a well-earned nap.

Dinner was Kakeru’s pork 鍋 (nabe – Japanese hot pot). Nabe is a traditional one-pot dish that is especially popular in colder months. A broth is heated in a wide pot at the center of the table, where vegetables, tofu, and other ingredients are added and simmered together. In our case, the style featured thinly sliced pork belly cooked alongside napa cabbage, mushrooms, and leeks. The vegetables are usually added first to flavor the broth, followed by the meat which cooks quickly in the bubbling soup. Nabe is typically served with rice and dipping sauces, and the meal is shared straight from the pot, making it as much about conversation and warmth as it is about food. Our nabe was accompanied by rice and miso soup, a perfect combination to relax us for the evening.

We chatted late and had a video call with a mutual friend of ours from Iowa who now lives in Seattle, Brian Baumhover. It was a nice way to end the evening.

It was a rest day, yes, but more than that, it was a day of reconnecting, cultural richness, and simple joys—good food, shared laughter, and the sparkle of gold on an ice cream cone.Read more