Kanazawa Day 2: NINJA TEMPLE

Today's first stop was the ninja temple, as noted somewhat enthusiastically in my title. When we arrived, we sat inside the main room to listen to an introduction about the temple before the official tour. Unfortunately, because the building is considered sacred, they did not allow any photography inside. :/ I was only able to take photos of the grounds outside the temple.

Despite this limitation, the tour was very fascinating and I'll at least describe to you what I learned.

The first interesting thing was that the temple isn't really a ninja temple in the way we would think it is. It isn't a place where ninjas lived or worshiped or trained. But it would be a ninja's dream house. It is called a ninja temple due to the building's many hidden doorways, traps, and stairs. Back in that time, buildings could not be more than 2 stories high. So some people would build hidden floors that could be only accessed through secret doors and panels. At first, I wondered how you could possible hide an entire floor. Wouldn't you clearly be able to see a third floor or higher from the outside? >_> But if you check out the first picture I have posted here, you can see that the temple appears to only have two stories. They build the extra levels inside the outer walls and it is impossible to tell from the outside. The doors on the inside that lead to the hidden stairs are designed to look like normal closets holding futons and clothes. It was kinda like the Winchester House except not creepy. Though part of me was waiting for a ninja to pop out of one of the trap doors. There were also special escape routes through the floor boards that were designed to lock from the inside. So even if someone did find the way in from the other side, they wouldn't be able to get through. The architecture was also famous for its use of naturally bent logs as framing and pillars. Seeing a 1 foot thick log bent up and down along a wall was strange and even seemed dangerous. But they explained that the log was stronger in its natural bent form and did a better job at handling the extra weight of the winter snow than a straightened log could. I really wish I could have taken pictures of it all. :/

The entrance to the temple.

Everything pictured here and below was found in front of the temple. Hannah is the person walking through on the right there.

We were the last group to finish the tour (of the three groups we were split into) and so did not have any time to look at souvenirs. Sorry, Steven, I really wanted to get you something ninja-y there.

The bus then took us to Omi Cho Market, another famous tourist sight where you can find open stands of fresh fish, seaweed, fruit, and other foods (cooked and raw) to eat or take home. We were responsible for our own lunch and wondered around a bit before some of us agreed to go to one of the kaiten-zushi restaurants, known by us as conveyor belt sushi. And it is exactly like it sounds. The sushi is placed on a conveyor belt that goes around the restaurant and you pick from it what you want to eat. The plates are color coded and they will charge you based on which plates you have. And honestly, I am feeling a bit ripped off now. Good sushi in America is expensive. You can't go to a quality sushi restaurant and spend only 12 dollars on a filling meal of sushi. When I heard Japanese people tell me they think sushi is cheap, I assumed their definition of cheap was different from ours. I was wrong. Maybe because we were in an area known for their fresh fish (Kanazawa is right on the coast), we were able to get it cheaper, but I was amazed at just how delicious it was. I ordered three sets of sushi, got complimentary soup and tea, amazing service, and only spent 1000 yen. I was very impressed. For those who are curious, I got unagi (eel, my favorite), salmon (another favorite), and zuwaigani (Kanazawa's famous snow crab).

Unagi.

Not my plate. This is what Josh ordered. It looked delicious, so I had to take a picture. I can't see everything that is in it, but what I do see is a crab claw, tuna sashimi, salmon roe, possibly whitefish, and wasabi.

I love the way Japanese appreciate their convenience. There is a lower conveyor belt that offers cups for tea or water and you just put in a scoop of powdered green tea provided in a cup nearby and fill it with hot water from the dispenser right in front of you.

Zuwaigani. I did not take a picture of the salmon because it looked no different from its American counterpart.

A shot of the conveyor belt.

A shot of one of the streets in the market. I was reminded a bit of the famous fish market, Pike Place, in Seattle.

Once we finished lunch, it was back on the bus to head to the famous Kenroku En Garden. We got the opportunity to witness a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, called sadou, literally meaning "the way of tea." There is a very specific and particular way that the tea is made and then distributed. You, as the guest, must also hold the tea cup with the palm of your left hand at the bottom and hold it steady with your right hand on the side. Before drinking, you rotate it clockwise about 90 degrees (I am only guessing on this detail) three times, because even if the tea cup is the same all around, there is a specific "front" side to it. The entire ritual is believed to help practice and express restraint and humility. It was heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism.

Waiting for the ceremony to start. Left to right: Jing, Liz, Lindsey, someone's knees, Zach, and Amy.

Left to right: AJ, Justin, Elisabeth, Josh, Matt, Elias, someone, then LoLo near the front with maybe Ramsey holding the camera.

Left to right: Amy, Andrew, Jordan, Shawn, Garrett, Janel, Sherri, and Shin-san (one of the IES staff)

We were first given these cute little sweet bean paste treats, to help offset the bitterness of the green tea.

As the lady in the back begins the ceremony of mixing the tea, the lady in the front is handing them out.

Here she is pouring the hot water into the cup to mix more. The act of essentially whisking the tea allows the tea to be aerated. It almost seems light and fluffy when you see it at first.

She also rotates the cup herself before presenting it to you, followed by a low bow, one of the most respectful bows. You would then bow to her in turn to thank her for the tea.

Very fluffy looking. And insanely bitter. I love bitter tea, but I was taken aback by how bitter this tea was.

But that's what the treat is for. The sweetness of the bean paste perfectly balanced the bitterness of the tea. Take a bite of this, then take a sip of the tea, and it is amazing.

Posing with Jing after the tasting, with Nate on my right and Liz on Jing's left.

Proper thanks were given to the ladies who presented us the tea and we were allowed some free time to wonder around the garden for an hour and a half. With a garden as big as this one, I really wish I had a whole day instead. But what I did see what gorgeous. The garden had more scenic type views as opposed to flowers (perhaps due to the cooling season) so the macro lens did not come out to play here. But the kit and telephoto lens had some fun and I can finally now offer some pictures that I am not embarrassed to show.

A view from the tea house. Wish I could wake up every morning to views like this 360 degrees around me.

A view of the ceiling. Interesting facts: The entire house is built with Japanese cedar (one of the strongest woods to build with) and not a single nail was used to keep it all together. How awesome is that. And if you noticed that some of the panels in the ceiling here appear shorter, leaving a gap at the edge, it's actually the ventilation for the air conditioner during the hot summers. Take about an innovative design! No nails to rust and fall apart, and a totally inconspicuous modern-day ventilation system.

One of the alcoves in the room normally used for displaying family items or a shrine.

Everyone enjoying the view. Lindsey is in the front, then Jing a little further, followed by Liz. Ramsey is the one walking back inside and LoLo is right behind him.

There is really no way you can get a bad picture here. Just turn a random direction and take the picture.

No flash leaves me quite dark in the foreground here. But no matter, the prettier stuff in the background is better to look at anyway.

As seen from the floor. Thanks, Shin-san, for giving me the idea to try this perspective.

Tea making...stuff

I was a bit inaccurate when I said before that there were no nails used in the building. This decoration on the beams is the only time nails were used. It doesn't take away the fact the entire building is holding itself up without the use of nails.

We came a bit too early for the fall colors to reach the trees. Some of them were turning orange and red, but most of them were still green. Not that I am complaining. Still gorgeous.

After taking a picture of the scenery from pretty much every side of the tea house room where we saw the ceremony, I went exploring to find the other side.

I even love the hallway.

These cute little stencils were cut into the wall of one of the rooms.

Peering through to see the garden outside.

Um, can we live here Skylar?

Time to go exploring outside the tea house!

No Japanese garden is complete without koi.

Getting closer to say hello.

It seems that the Japanese always have a particular style in their art that they like to maintain. They put these beams under the tree to help it keep its shape. It almost feels like a giant banzai tree.

I was finally able to get close enough to get a good shot of the beams tied to the trees.

Left to right: Lindsey, Malia, Hannah, and Zach

Gardeners working tirelessly to keep the gardens in good shape. I had to give them props for their dedication.

What a view! I found myself saying this a lot during the entire trip.

Zach, Hannah, and Malia.

The crows are even bigger here than they are in the city, and in much greater numbers.

A castle getting renovated that can be seen across the street from the garden.

Heading to our next stop: Sakuda Gold Leaf Studio

I mentioned before what Kanazawa's name meant, but what I didn't mention was that they are famous for the gold leaf artwork that comes from these "gold marshes." We got to design and press gold leaf onto a pair of chopsticks at the studio. It was cool, but really frustrating and hard to get the chopsticks to match each other. I couldn't imagine doing this for a living.

The window at the front of the studio where you can see gold leaf pressed into all their products.

Sitting down at our work tables.

Liz and Jing

Garrett, Amy, and Ramsey

Step one: Create a design by placing tape on the top of the chopsticks where you don't want the gold leaf to stick. I just completed my very simple design, (seen closest to the bottom of this picture) and watched as the others worked on theirs.

My workstation: Pencil, ruler for straight edge, box cutter, and tape. The tape I had left over incidentally ended up looking like a tetris piece. >_>

My design was simple: Diamonds with a single line of tape twirling around and downward to the center of the chopstick.

Liz working on hers. She made these cute little leaves.

Step two: Apply a conservative, even layer of glue on the chopstick and allow it to soak in a little.

Step 3: Place a sheet of gold leaf flat on table in front of you.

Step 4: Place the chopstick on one side of the gold leaf sheet.

Step 5: Roll the chopstick so that the leaf wraps completely around it.

Step 6: Do the same with the second chopstick starting on the other side.

Step 7: Pull them apart, press the gold onto the top of the chopstick, place in a box to catch the extra flakes, and use a soft bristled brush to gently press the gold leaf into the design. If you lose a piece you can pick it up with the brush and press it back on.

My own chopsticks.

How they look before pressing the gold leaf down.

Comparison of before and after pressing.

Step 8: Allow glue to dry for at least a minute after pressing and carefully peel off tape to reveal design.

Unicorns!

The famous gold leaf bathroom inside the studio.

All the walls are covered with it.

The sink and the toilet are not though.

Sampling some gold leaf tea.

A gold leaf facial mask. They are apparently very good at absorbing excess oils from your skin.

Turtle!

After purchasing some omiyage (souvenirs) for family and friends, we headed back to the ryokan for dinner. And I made sure to bring my camera this time.

Yummy!

Sashimi tuna, whitefish, and scallops. Best I have ever had.

No idea, but it had a funny taste to it so I didn't eat much of it.

Hanbaagu. Different from hanbagaa (hamburger). Tastes like meatloaf.

A baked crab carapace filled with some kind of creamy, crab flavored pasta.

Miso soup.

A hang out area in the lobby for guests, including a PS2. Cuz, you know, every traditional Japanese style inn needs one of those.

Hannah got grapes for us to eat for dessert from the market. Told you they were huge. And these aren't the biggest I have seen.

Day 2 comes to a close. Sorry for being so late on these posts. With class starting again on Monday, and a presentation to prepare, I may not have time to post Day 3 for a while. Hope you have enjoyed following along on this trip with me so far. Night everyone!