A Nearly One-Week Couple's Road Trip - 9/6 Kanazawa is the Queen of Regional Cities!
Click here for the summary of our trip so far!
As mentioned, we were at the edge of Noto last night, so we headed to the Wajima Morning Market, which is why we chose a room-only stay.
After fully enjoying the morning market, we headed to the big city of Kanazawa.
As a preface, Kanazawa is amazing. I finally understood why everyone I told I was going to Kanazawa would swoon and say, 'Kanazawa is wonderful...' It's not about any one specific thing; it has a captivating charm. Personally, I felt it was the greatest power spot among Japan's regional cities.
When we entered the market to find lunch, it was packed despite being a weekday. There were lines everywhere, and the human energy of 'We're going to eat something delicious!!!' was so overwhelming that I, having just come from the edge of the world, started to panic. Every time my husband suggested a place to eat, I entered a sudden 'terrible twos' phase, shouting, 'No! Not here!' (I'm such a troublesome middle-aged person).
However, my husband, who knows how to handle me better than anyone, said, 'Let's step outside for a moment,' and took me out of the market. Once he saw I had calmed down, he took me into a lovely oden shop with no wait, and we were saved. At times like this, I feel like I'm already being cared for by this man. The oden and grilled squid we had were superb, and from then on, I was in high spirits.
If I were to give a presentation to someone about Kanazawa, I would say this: 'At the core of the city, there are cultural buildings, plenty of greenery, parks, and gardens. The streets are lined with old architecture, and shrines, gardens, entertainment districts, and Louis Vuitton all coexist. You need a week to fully enjoy it all.'
I wanted to go to Kenrokuen, the art museum, and the park too. There wasn't enough time!
By the way, Kanazawa seems to be a very rainy region, with rain falling half the year. Because of this, it's said that laundry really doesn't dry. I even heard a story that people there didn't know what a humidifier was. Perhaps that's why, even though it cleared up beautifully along the way, we both agreed that 'this city suits rain and clouds better.'
It has a cultured and smart face during the day, and the bustling face of a downtown area at night. It was a mysterious and charming city where just walking around felt like it was nourishing our spirits. We definitely want to go back.
The next day, we went from a service area on a cliff with bear warnings to our final destination, Gero Onsen. Until next time, sleep tight and wait for it!