Others Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Gazing and Grazing

Kanazawa – Three Good Meals

February 15th, 2016

Fancy some great seafood? There are a few good reasons to go to Kanazawa - one being the fresh seafood from the Sea of Japan, the other two in my opinion are the Kutani porcelain and Kenrokuen Garden (see my photos). The new bullet train link to Tokyo makes a short trip to Kanazawa, known as "little Kyoto", all the more accessible. I spent two days, one night in Kanazawa a year ago (see my earlier blog and suggested itinerary) and had three good meals. Pricing ranged from a relatively...

Takehara – Farmhouse Goodness

January 17th, 2016

Tired of hearing the negative stories about the town's diminishing fortunes, Nishino Farmhouse Restaurant opened in Takehara to showcase the homestyle cooking and fresh produce in the area. Like so many of Japan's rural towns, Takehara sits just on the fringe of a large metropolis (Hiroshima in this case) but slumbers, its contributions forgotten, and emblematic of the country's aging challenges. The area was previously renowned for its fantastic potatoes, which the restaurant's...

Kenrokuen – Japan’s Great Garden

May 16th, 2015

Here are some photos from my walk in Kanazawa’s Kenroku-en, known as one of Japan’s three great gardens. I was there in December when there was a light dusting of snow on the ground. It must also be beautiful now in May with the flowers in bloom.

Two days in Kanazawa, Japan

May 14th, 2015

This itinerary accompanies the narrative in the blog Kanazawa - Little Kyoto, Big Garden, Great Seafood. Read the blog for more detail.

Access: Kanazawa sits on the west coast of Central Honshu. The nearest airport is Komatsu - around 40 minutes drive from the town centre or one hour by airport bus. If you’ve flown into Tokyo, however, do try the bullet train to Kanazawa, which takes around two and a half hours. As with other cities in Japan, Kanazawa is well connected...

Kanazawa – Little Kyoto, Big Garden, Great Seafood

May 14th, 2015

Now that the bullet train between Tokyo and Kanazawa is running (started March 2015), reaching this seafood haven on Japan’s west coast is much easier. Easily slotted into a trip between Kyoto and Tokyo, I think there’s enough to fill at least a one full day or two day stopover - two nights best, so you can squeeze in a couple of dinners. Kanazawa has been referred to as “Little Kyoto” due to areas which retain their Edo era look but I think the best reason to visit (besides for the...