Kanazawa

Kanazawa was interesting but not the knockout that Takayama City was. We visited Kenroku Garden, one of the most famous Japanese-style gardens in Japan.

Notice how this island is shaped like a turtle (with a heron perched on the turtle's head . . .):

Originally, this garden was the private garden of the shogun who controlled this area. It costs about five million dollars a year to maintain it.

Next was the a pottery studio that has been making kutani pottery for five generations.

We visited a former geisha house, now a museum, and wound up the tour with a shop and manufacturing facility that makes and uses gold leaf.

. . . where they treated us to tea with (real) gold flakes in it.

This place is known for, among other things, having a million dollar bathroom: the ladies' side is picked out in gold leaf, while the mens' is in platinum leaf.