6/25 Travel to Kanazawa, Reception and Homestay

I woke early and took a walk around the Marine Museum Park located just outside the hotel.

Went downstairs for another massive breakfast. By eight o'clock it was time to check out and leave the hotel .

We took the train to Kanazawa. It was very cool because we got to travel on the Japanese bullet train.





When we arrived in Kanazawa we were met by a bunch of dignitaries. Then we jumped on the bus and were taken to the Kanazawa New Grand Hotel for a reception. Here we met the mayor. The formalities at the reception were preceded by a concert on the Koto. The music was quite beautiful. The reception was very formal the food was great. The food was particularly interesting because it was decorated with gold leaf. Ninety nine percent of the gold-leaf produced in Japan is produced in Kanazawa.

Check out the goldleaf!

These are the traditional Kanazawa desserts

At the reception I was introduced to my homestay father (Mr.Ooura). I knew it would be interesting because he spoke as much English as I speak Japanese! After the reception my host dad took me to the car and we went on a tour of Kanazawa he took me to some beautiful gardens and to see the castle. We went to a teahouse and had cha and the traditional small desert.

After that we drove into the city and saw an environmental concert for elementary students. The concert was very interesting despite my inability to understand a single word. A PowerPoint in the background showed me that the story was about the creation of the earth and the importance of valuing nature. After the concert we drove back to my host family's village. We arrived around eight o'clock. We entered the house, which was traditionally Japanese. His wife had prepared an amazing dinner. His sister-in-law is an English teacher and had come to translate. His daughter, granddaughter and son-in-law were also there. We conversed and ate until about 12:30 by which time I retired to bed after taking a shower and sitting in the hot tub. During our conversation I learned that the house had been in the family for three generations. There was a Buddhist shrine devoted to the ancestors at which I prayed with the family. There was also a Zen garden with bonsai trees planted by my host family's grandfather. I slept that night in a traditional tatami room on a soft quilt.