Then I recalled something Nagashima had said on the tour: “To defend Kanazawa, the Maeda clan encouraged the samurais to focus on arts and craftsmanship instead of fighting. Instead, I was greeted by a koi pond and zen fusuma – or painted rice paper panels – created by the Maeda family’s personal artist. I returned to the Nomura House the following day and strolled inside, expecting to find swords, armor and perhaps some paintings immortalising moments of triumphant battles. The refined samurai of Kanazawa were an anomaly, made possible by their ruler’s disinterest in violence and affection for the arts. Of course, most samurai in Japan never lived this luxurious, peaceful lifestyle. As the highest social caste during this time, the samurai built extravagant residences and opulent gardens behind thick, earthen walls you can still see evidence of the walls today. During this peaceful golden age, the feudal military class focused most of its energy on scholarly pursuits and craftsmanship.
Nagashima made it clear that the samurai who flourished in this city during the Edo Period (1603-1868) were almost nothing like the ferocious warriors I’d imagined them to be. The roofs of the stately wood buildings with detailed carvings sprouted from clusters of gingko and maple trees. Samurai once lived in Buddhist temples here, Nagashima explained, working as security guards called boukan. Kanazawa’s streets were partly designed to mislead and disorient outsiders, and I was learning firsthand, they do so effectively.įrom the top of the hill, we walked into the adjacent neighborhood of Utatsuyama. When we arrived at the top, however, the path branched out into more narrow, winding roads. Then we careened up a steep path that was so slender and discreet, I thought we were trespassing in a private driveway. We walked along the row of beautiful latticed buildings and turned down a narrow street lined with yellowing gingko trees. Higashi Chaya, however, is anything but modern.įollowing Nagashima into the labyrinth of teahouses, temples and restored samurai houses, I felt like Alice slipping into the rabbit hole. In fact, for the most part, the city is a modern metropolis dotted with luxury shops such as Louis Vuitton. “Kanazawa is not a place for theme parks, but a place for living,” she said, her face beaming with pride. The pounding of a taiko drum in a nearby temple filled the air, summoning the feeling I often have when in a foreign place: of following the city’s beating pulse. On my first morning in Kanazawa, I made a beeline for the neighbourhood of Higashi Chaya and met Kiyoe Nagashima, a 6th-generation resident and Kanazawa Excursions guide. I was about to learn there was more to their story.
At least, that was how I’d imagined samurai to be, thanks to films like The Last Samurai and 13 Assassins. I’d always been fascinated by samurai, those warriors who were almost inhumanly stoic and ever willing to fall on their sword for their masters or slay anyone showing disrespect.
0 kommentar(er)
