Travel tip: If you’re going to Kanazawa, visit Shigure-tei Tea House in Kenroku-en Garden where you can sample some tea and enjoy mesmerising garden views.
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Vignettes of Japan #9: The remains of a ryokan in Kanazawa
Memories of a forlorn former ryokan with a lovely garden in the suburbs of Kanazawa
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Vignettes of Japan #8: The Civilised Way to Travel
Otaru – Sapporo – Hakodate – Shin Aomori – Omiya – Kanazawa: 1620 kilometres (1006 miles), 320 km/h (200 mph) at maximum speed, 12 hours, five trains including two shinkansens, two bento boxes and multiple snacks. This sums up our rail journey from Otaru in Hokkaido island to Kanazawa on Japan’s central Honshu last summer.…
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Vignettes of Japan #7: Toasty senbei
On my return trip to Otaru, aside from sushi, there was one item that I looked forward to eating again: Senbei 煎餅, Japanese rice cracker. Three summers ago, when I was in Otaru with my family, we bought some senbei from a little shop while strolling along Sakaimachi Street. Everyone in my family likes senbei.…
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Vignettes of Japan #6: Pointing game in an izakaya
Otaru has around 100 sushi restaurants, including some 20 on the famed Sushi Street, which is five minutes on foot from where we were staying. As much as we like sushi, we were in the mood for a variety of small hot dishes – specifically, we wanted to eat at an izakaya. We decided to…
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Vignettes of Japan #5: Summer breeze in Otaru
It was a sunny Saturday morning in Otaru, a port city on the western side of Hokkaido. Gathered at one end of Otaru Canal was a busload of Chinese tourists whose tour guide was instructing where to meet later. Shaded under colourful umbrellas, the women were busy posing for photos in front of the shimmering…
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Vignettes of Japan #4: Staying Alive
Driving through the mountains between Furano and Sapporo after sunset was harrowing. For more than an hour – it felt like eternity – I sat tense and upright on the edge of the seat with my hands gripping the wheel. Whenever I spotted the faint outline of a yellow board in the distance, I would…
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Vignettes of Japan #3: Mountain Dreams
“Are we there yet?” Panting with arms akimbo, I squinted at the rock path snaking through the alpine green ahead. Another ridge to cross. More loose rocks to scramble over. We continued trudging to the peak of Mount Furano, stopping occasionally to take photos of the beautiful lush surrounds. “Hey, I think we’re finally there!”…
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Vignettes of Japan #2: Hot mountain magic
“Is it left over right or the other way round?” I wondered as I wrapped my yukata tightly around my body. It has been a few years since I last visited an onsen (hot spring). Barefoot in our yukatas with towels in hand, we made our way to the basement of Ryounkaku Tokachidake. Then we…
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