Cindy and Mason at breakfast.
The rain returned with a steady, occasionally heavy downpour that we managed to spend the entire morning walking through.
After breakfast, we headed off to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, although we knew it was closed on Mondays. There were some public spaces open to the public that we wandered through, but the exhibitions were closed.
From there we spent who knows how long looking for the Suzuki Museum. However we got turned around on our map and headed out the wrong street. Turning around and coming back to the 21st Street Museum, we finally spotted signs to the Suzuki. And we found it was closed also. We walked around the grounds in the rain and following a trail that led to the Nakamura Art Museum (also closed).
We then trekked up the hill to the Museum for Traditional Products and Crafts next to the Kenroku-en Gardens and at last found it open. The museum has a nice array of objects in a range of media. The most unexpected display, limited to a pair of cases, was on fireworks that displayed a star-cluster in cross section.
Now after 1300 we sent looking for the bus that would take us to the shopping district where we found a hearty lunch for a rainy day at a hole-in-the-wall. I find it awkward to eat noodles (even big udon noodles) with chopsticks and managed to splatter a fair amount of sauce on my shirt. I did not, however, spill any of the beer.
The next goal was the “Ninja Temple” which had caught Mason’s imagination. Jonathan and I were not enthusiastic about the idea, but weren’t going to lobby against the idea. The proper name for the temple is Myōryū-ji, and it is not and was not a temple for ninjas. The temple was built in 1595 and moved to the current location in 1643 to the current location and contains an number of unusual defensive features – hidden rooms and passageways to aid in the defense of the building in case it was attacked. And if all else failed, a room to commit hari-kari.
Mason signed us up for the next tour, and we followed the young woman speaking in Japanese with an English guidebook they provided. The guide led us up and down through the maze of rooms packed into the temple. It was surprisingly interesting and Jonathan and I felt it was one of the highlights of our visit to Kanazawa.
We walked back to the hotel as the rain thickened again, and Cindy came up with a brilliant idea – let’s not get wet again and eat at the hotel restaurant. So we did (after drying out and a nap) and we were not disappointed.
Cindy and Mason at breakfast.
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art exhibit…
…the upper side of the swimming pool installation. There is a room below painted the blue of a swimming pool so you can look up at the folks looking into the pool.
Wandering around the public spaces that were open when the museum wasn't.
Cindy looking into classrooms and workspaces along the hallway.
At the Suzuki Museum, a contemporary pool and sitting area.
Mason contemplating the pool at the Suzuki Museum.
The walkway to the Ninja-dera - the Ninja temple.
The front of the temple - no photography was allowed inside.
Cindy looking across the courtyard. The young woman at the far side was one of the guides for the tours.
The side entrance (or exit, we left by this route).
Cindy and Mason head to the Oyama Jinja Shrine.
Mason and Cindy.
I'm guessing that this wood carving is a heron.
The sashimi portion of my dinner.
All my dinner - a combo of tempura and sashimi.