Japan 2019 Trip Day 7: Kanazawa Omicho Market, Kenrokuen Garden, and Kanazawa Castle Park
Kasumiga-ike Pond - Karasaki Pine Trees & Horai-jima “Turtle” Island
Kanazawa
[Introduction]
Today we will be spending a full day in Kanazawa visiting Omicho Market, Kenrokuen Garden, and Kanazawa Castle. We originally also included going to 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, but it has a really long snaking queue in the afternoon, so we decided to skip it.
[Trip Report]
Day 1: Explore around Nagano
Day 2: Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
Day 3: Matsumoto Castle, Nakamachi District, Matsumoto City Museum of Art and night exploring around Nagano
Day 4: Nagano Zenkoji Temple and Kanazawa Higashi Chaya District
Day 5: Shirakawago
Day 6: Hida-Takayama, Hida-Furukawa, and “Your Name” location spots
Day 7: Kanazawa Omicho Market, Kenrokuen Garden, and Kanazawa Castle Park [current post]
Day 8: Explore around Osaka
Day 9: Osaka Shinsekai, Tempozan Ferris Wheel, Glion Museum, and Cosmo Tower Observatory
Day 10: Osaka Castle, Gozabune Boat, HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel, and Kuchu Teien Observatory
Day 11: Kyoto Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kinkakuji, and Yasaka Shrine
Day 12: Osaka Dotonbori, Kaiyukan, and Shinsekai
Day 13: Kyoto Fushimi Inari, Ginkakuji, and Arashiyama
Day 14: Okayama Korakuen, Okayama Castle, and Kojima Jeans Street
Day 15: Miyajima
Day 16: Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Park, Peace Memorial Museum
Day 17: Yufuin
Day 18: Hakata Ohori Park, Fukuoka Castle Ruins, and Fukuoka Tower
Day 19: Nanzoin Temple
[Travel Date]
2019-10-27 to 2019-11-14
Omicho Market 近江町市場
Kanazawa
[Omicho Market 近江町市場]
A popular fresh food market near Kanazawa Station, 1 bus stop away or around 12 minutes walk from Kanazawa Station to be exact.
We mainly went to see the fresh seafood, fruits, and of course going to try the popular Kaisendon restaurant “Yamasan Sushi”, which you can find the full review here.
If my memory serves me well, we reached there around 7am so most vendors are in the midst of setting up the stalls, although there are some already done with it. Good for photo opportunities and/or seeing the local vendors in action before all the customers and tourists flows in.
Uni (Sea Urchins)
Kanazawa
I believe it is Hokkoku Shrimp (Sweet Shrimp)?
Kanazawa
Snow Crabs, I believe it is the female variant (Kobako-gani)
Kanazawa
Kegani (Hairy Crab)
Kanazawa
Live Lobster
Kanazawa
Not sure the name of this fish, but intrigue by its stripes
Kanazawa
Matsutake
Kanazawa
Ah…Matsutake, the Rolls Royce of Japanese Mushrooms. Hope to try it one day in a dining setting.
Wasabi
Kanazawa
White Turnips
Kanazawa
Kyoho & Shine Muscat grapes
Kanazawa
Assorted Fruits
Kanazawa
Buses that ply this route at Omicho Market bus stop
Kanazawa
Yamasan Sushi
Kanazawa
Yamasan Sushi
Kanazawa
[Breakfast at Yamasan Sushi]
We had our breakfast at Yamasan Sushi which is popular for their Kaisendon, and at their main branch which is located in Omicho Market.
Do click on the link for the detailed review and full photos of the yummy Kaisendon.
Kanazawa
Kenrokuen Garden Signboard
Kanazawa
[Kenrokuen 兼六園]
Kenrokuen is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, I think with that tagline it will get any traveller or nature lover excited.
So what is Kenrokuen? I quoted from the official site:
Along with Kairaku-en in Mito and Koraku-en in Okayama, Kenroku-en stands as one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan. During the Edo period (1603 - 1868), Kenroku-en was founded and extended over generations by the feudal lords of Kaga (current southern part of Ishikawa) as a typical Daimyo (feudal lord) garden. Located in the heart of Kanazawa, it has been appreciated by both citizens and tourists from all over the world as a landscape garden that shows a different flavor in each season.
The Three Great Gardens of Japan for information:
Kenrokuen in Kanazawa
Korakuen in Okayama (we also visited Korakuen later in our trip too!)
Kairakuen in Mito
Kanazawa
Kanazawa
Kanazawa
Uchihashi-tei Tea House
Kanazawa
Karasaki Pine Trees
Kanazawa
Karasaki Pine Trees
Kanazawa
Scenery near Shichi-Fukujin-Yama
Kanazawa
In early November, park staff will use ropes technique “Yukitsuri” on the Karasaki Pine Trees to give support and prevent heavy snowfalls from breaking the branches.
Snowfall in Kenrokuen is also an iconic sight, hope we will have the chance to experience it in future too!
Horai-jima “Turtle” Island
Kanazawa
Stone Lantern on Horai-jima “Turtle” Island
Kanazawa
Meiji Monument - Statue of Yamato Takeru
Kanazawa
One of the resting spots with a drink stall
Kanazawa
View from the top of Sazae-yama 栄螺山 (Shellfish Hill)
Kanazawa
Kasumiga-ike Pond - Karasaki Pine Trees & Horai-jima “Turtle” Island
Kanazawa
Definitely a worthy visit and I will highly recommend to visit if you come to Kanazawa.
We really enjoyed Kenrokuen, the nature, serenity when walking along certain spots. It really make us want to just sit there for some time to take in all the beautiful sight and peace that it offers.
Especially when we come from a city life and office work background.
Kanazawa Castle - Shot in an indoor viewing gallery
Kanazawa
[Kanazawa Castle 金沢城]
Kanazawa Castle is just located beside Kenrokuen, so definitely not going to miss it since it is so close by.
To be honest, we didn’t spend much time at Kanazawa Castle, probably an hour max. So we mainly just walked around Kanazawa Castle Park and viewing its exterior.
So for proper information to head over to their official site (link above) and hope you guys will enjoy the photos that I have taken here!
Kanazawa Castle
Kanazawa
Kanazawa Castle
Kanazawa
Kanazawa Castle
Kanazawa
Kanazawa Castle Structure Breakdown
Kanazawa
Light and shadow - Street shot near one of the Kenrokuen entrance
Kanazawa
Le Musée de H (Kanazawa)
Kanazawa
Le Musée de H (Kanazawa)
Kanazawa
[Late lunch at Le Musée de H (Kanazawa)]
Le Musée de H (Kanazawa) is one of our highly anticipated meals of the trip, and it lived up to its hype!
TLDR; super duper awesome desserts!
Do click on the link for the detailed review and full photos.
Light and shadow pt.2
Kanazawa
Tieing up of Omikuji (fortune telling strip)
Kanazawa
Hokuriku Broadcasting Corporation Radio Tower
Kanazawa
Kanazawa Street Expo
Kanazawa
Turban Curry
Kanazawa
Turban Curry
Kanazawa
[Dinner at Turban Curry]
Actually we wanted to eat at Nodoguromeshi Hompo Itaru again, but it was already around 60+ person in queue at 30 minutes prior to opening time, so we give it a miss. The previous time we dined there was around 10+ person in queue and that took about 30 minutes waiting time thereabouts.
So we decided to try a popular curry restaurant which is nearby (5 minutes walk from Nodoguromeshi Hompo Itaru), which is Turban Curry.
TLDR; no frills and affordable curry in Kanazawa
Do click on the link for the detailed review and full photos.
[Closing]
A bit sad that we are unable to visit the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art due to the very long snaking queue that day, and we aren’t sure how long will it take so we decided to skip it. Next time we will definitely buffer a full day for it!
This concludes Day 7 of our trip, tomorrow will be our last morning at Kanazawa and off to Osaka!
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