Day 12: The Geisha
We headed out fairly promptly this morning, hoping to avoid the boiling sun! We wandered up the main street to the Omicho Market, Kanazawa'd largest fresh food market.
It was great to see it in the morning rush, with a definite busyness! We then went on up to the Higashi Chaya District, which is the main Geisha (or Geiko as they're known locally) area. Geisha are highly-trained professional entertainers, who often attend meals, banquets, and other occasions.
We explored the area for a while, and visited a couple of museums to learn some more about the art. This was fascinating. I then got a gold-leaf ice cream, which was quite an experience!
After this, we stopped for lunch at an excellent Pizza restaurant! The chicken teriyaki pizza was a particular favourite!
We then began to head back to the hotel, the heat (and humidity) of the midday sun beating down on us. We took a slightly longer route, making our way through the Castle Park and past the Castle ruins.
In the early evening, we headed back out towards the Higashi Chaya district. We ate at an excellent tapas restaurant, and had some truly delicious tapas, before strolling through the geisha area in the evening breeze.
We were lucky enough to be able to see a little of a Geisha performance from across the river, with the beautiful musical instruments stunning us all. We continued wandering through the peaceful streets, and then headed back for the day.
The light river breeze
And twang of the shamisen;
Patter of applause.