Tudumi-mon(Motenashi-domu)
As soon as you arrived at Kanazawa JR-station, you will see Tudumi-mon. It was constructed to welcome travelers with the spirt of OMOTENASHI. It is designed to look like Japanese drums which are used in Nogaku, a traditional performing art in Kanazawa. It lights up from sunset to midnight. You can enjoy five different colored Tudumi-mon; red, blue, green, yellow and purple.
Kenrokuen & Kanazawajo
Kenrokuen and Kanazawajo are cultural heritages. These two heritages are next to each other, and you can overlook Kanazawa-city from them. Gorgeous light ups accompanied with Japanese traditional music are there in the evenings. Besides the light ups, well-kept gardens are very attracting. You can feel Japanese tradition all around Kenrokuen and Kanazawajo. There are cafes and restaurants near them where you can taste matcha and other Japanese traditional food with calm atmosphere. Karasakimatu in Kenrokuen are charming when it has snow on it. You can enjoy different Kenrokuen and Kanazawajo in different seasons.
Kanazawa Port Cruise Terminal
Kanazawa Port Cruise Terminal is not the only place where ships leave and arrive. It welcomes and see off citizens and travelers with great performances such as wadaiko, Japanese traditional drums. You can enjoy the sight from a observation deck. There are some nice restaurants to spend a relaxing time watching the oceans.
Food
Kanazawa is famous for its seafoods. Since Kanazawa faces the ocean, many fresh seafoods are sold at the fish market in the morning. You can taste fresh seafoods at the fish market. Besides seafoods, Kurumahu is one of the recommended food in Kanazawa.
Naoshima Island
Naoshima Island is known as “The Island of Arts”. You can go to Naoshima by ferry, which takes about an hour from Takamatsu Port in Kagawa prefecture. There are 3 villages in Naoshima and the cultivation of Hamachi and Nori is flourishing. This island was an important place for marine traffic since the Edo period, you can enjoy the perfect harmony of the old townscape and modern arts.
Red pumpkin
The first thing after you enter Naoshima is “Red Pumpkin”, which is made by Yayoi Kusama. She is a world-famous contemporary artist and often uses brightly colored polka dots in her artwork, as in this sculpture. She said, “I searched for the ‘red light’ of the sun to the edge of the universe, and it transformed into a red pumpkin in the sea of Naoshima.”
Red pumpkin is now a symbol of Naoshima and a popular spot for photography. You can get into the world of art the moment you enter the island.
Underground Museum
This museum is designed by Ando Tadao and was founded in 2004. Despite most buildings being laid underground, natural light would shine down and the looks of the artworks and spaces change through the day or even seasons.
There are works of Claude Monet, James Turrell, and Walter De Maria. The contents remain the same, therefore visitors can deeply feel the beauty where the artworks are integrated with the surrounding nature and architecture.
The picture above is the artwork of Turrell. He is an artist from the U.S and you will be into his installation art, experiencing the space and light. You can enjoy new and old artworks, and not only see but experience them. The museum itself is a huge site-specific work.
Public Bath
The best way to take a break from the trip is a public bath, and if you are on Naoshima island you always find the art in any place. This place is made by Ohtake Shinro who is a famous modern artist and called “I♡湯”. It is a new type of public bath where you can enjoy art while bathing. The bathtubs, tubs, and even toilettes are designed in every detail.
They sell their own items, such as t-shirts or towels. It takes 660 yen to take a bath but considering that you can enjoy art and recover from the fatigue of travel at the same time, it would be worth it. Of course, even if you don’t like public baths, the exterior of the building is so unique you can’t ignore it.