Day 5: Part 1 - Breakfast at Beniya Mukayu - Going to Kanazawa – Evening at Shiroganeya

We woke up early in the morning in order to make sure that we fully took advantage of this gorgeous Ryokan.  My wife quickly got herself prepared and went to the large dining hall where they have complimentary yoga classes every morning before breakfast.  Our hostess, Sachiko, often leads these classes but today there was a different instructor.  My wife found it to be very relaxing and not too strenuous as it is geared towards beginners to encourage their guests to attend.  She found it a great way to prepare for the day.

Meanwhile, it was a beautiful sunny morning and I could think of no better way to start my day than to have a private open-air hot spring bath on the balcony in our room. The wonderful thing about hot spring baths is that they are always hot and ready to go. In mere minutes I was immersed in the revitalizing alkaline spring water. 

 

 

When we were given the tour yesterday by Sachiko she told us how the hot spring in the area had been discovered by a Buddhist saint about 1,300 years ago on his way to Hakusan Mountain (White Mountain). 

“He carved a figure of Yakushi Nyorai (Healing Buddha), placed it as the main deity, and enshrined Hakusan God to be the guardian of the hot spring… It is historically known that the area around Yakuoin Onsenji used to be called ‘Yakushiyama (Healing Buddha’s Mountain)’ for its high spirituality, which was a place for training and learning for Buddhist monks, and at the same time, a place for healing , where monks cured people by providing hot spring baths and preparing medicinal herbs.”                     Sachiko Nakamichi – Proprietress of Beniya Mukayu

After a very relaxing morning of yoga and hot spring baths, we made our way to the dining hall for breakfast.  I enjoyed a Western Style breakfast of a bacon and cheese omelette, yogurt, fresh fruits, a fresh organic vegetable salad, toast and coffee.  The food was fantastic, but what I really remember is the wide selection of freshly squeezed juice that was available.  And By freshly squeezed, I mean... that they actually squeezed the juice at their main table seconds before serving it to you based on your request. My wife had a Japanese style breakfast consisting of grilled flat fish (grilled on the table), a special brand of rice cooked in a stone pot, seaweed with Beniya Mukayu original soy sauce, boiled and dried young sardines, seaweed with mushrooms, a Japanese style folded omelette with grated radish and organic boiled vegetables with plum and sesame sauce, miso soup, Japanese pickles, Beniya Mukayu special blend coffee, and Kaga original green tea.  The food was excellent as once, once again, the service from the entire staff at Beniya Mukayu.

 

As we checked out, I must say that I was sorry to be leaving this wonderful Ryokan.  I truly enjoyed every minute that I was here from the warm and friendly staff, Sachiko - our wonderful and generous hostess and her husband who performed our beautiful tea ceremony, the relaxing and invigorating hot springs, the luxurious selection of soothing and nourishing lotions, and the wonderful food.  The entire experience at Beniya Mukayu was perfect and I highly recommend anyone to visit this wonderful Ryokan.

We would be staying at a different Ryokan that evening in Yamashiro Onsen, the same area as Beniya Mukayu, so Sachiko was kind enough to transfer our luggage to the next Ryokan while her manager drove us to the train station.  We had a few hours before we would be checking-in so we decided to take a train to Kanazawa.  Kanazawa is a culturally rich and historic city as its roots date back to the 16^th century.  Due to its location, it had not been affected by war or natural disaster and therefore, it is well preserved and contains a large selection of historic house and sites to explore and experience ancient Japan.

After a very brief train ride to Kanazawa Station from Kaga Onsen, we were very easily able to navigate our way via public transit to our first destination, Kenrokuen Garden.  This is a beautiful and large garden that covers over 11 hectares.  Being there in mid-March, we could see the transition from winter to spring starting to occur.  The trees, a wide variety including plum and cherry trees were still supporting the intricate network of rope scaffolding to protect their branches from the weight of the winter snow.  We really enjoyed our casual stroll through this park, stopping from time to time to take in the wonderful statues that are scattered throughout, and of course, the gorgeous pond that is situated near the center of the grounds.  The pond itself is serene and calm to view from a distance, but as you approach the waters’ edge you can see that it is teeming with a substantial population of Japanese Koi (or Coy) fish.  The park itself is spectacular and even in this seasonal transition stage it was worth visiting, I can only imagine how beautiful it must be in Cherry blossom season or in the fall.

 

We left the park and decided to walk through Kanazawa and explore the city by foot.  As is true for much of Japan, Kanazawa is remarkable in its ability to showcase its deep traditional heritage while allowing for modernization to happen throughout.  These areas are not spate, but instead blended together in a great balance of old and new.  We decided to stop in at Nagamachi Samurai District.

 

 

It was in the Nagamachi district that the samurai and their families lived during the Edo Period.  This area is well preserved and the streets and lanes are very much as they were back then with the earthen wall, private gates and canals.  We stopped in at the restored residence of the Nomura family.  This family was a high ranking samurai family that saw their fortunes rise during the Edo period, but as the feudal era came to the end and the start of the Meiji period in 1868.  The house holds many authentic artifacts from the samurai era and is a fantastic representation of the life of the samurai.





Here are some pictures from our walk around the area: 

 

 

We took a taxi from the Nagamachi district to Higashiyama, a district of Kanazawa where you can tour through buildings that are hundreds of years old and have been given the designation of Japanese cultural assets.  These buildings, or Chaya houses, are rare examples of two story buildings which were generally prohibited in the Edo period.  They are very unique in their design with latticed exteriors on the first level and wonderful craftsmanship. 



We toured a few of the buildings, including a visit to a Geisha house, “Ochaya Shima”, where were able to view authentic artifacts from the Edo period as well as get a real impression of what it was to live back in that time as the building has for the most part been kept as it was back then.  I was amazed by the architecture and the design of the streets and we spent a lot of time exploring this area.

 

 

We took a bus back to the centre of Kanazawa where we visited their large market - Omicho Market.  Unfortunately, since it was late in the day, they were closing and we could only do a quick tour of the facility.  It also dates back to the Edo period and is the largest fresh market in Kanazawa.  If you plan to visit it, it is at its peak in the morning until about noon.  Being there in the late afternoon meant it was a little quiet and only those people on their way home from work were stopping in to buy their dinner.

We made our way back to the train station and caught a train back to Kaga Onsen where we were met by the driver sent from our next Ryokan, Shiroganeya.