With my trip to Japan concluded, I figure it’s time to wrap things up here on the blog. So, let’s begin where we left off.

Kanazawa

I had heard that Kanazawa was an interesting place in Japan. Popular sites there include some large and sprawling castle grounds, nationally renowned gardens, and a Kyoto-like old town. So, I dragged Thomas there by train. He seemed neither enthused nor unenthused by the prospect, just a more-or-less willing participant. Which is kind of how he is most of the time. So, we went.

When we got there, we found the train station packed with tourists. Though we had a lovely time during our week there, we never did really figure out why so many people go to visit. Kanazawa was just kind of… fine. Nice, but—fine.

We saw the castle, wandered through the gardens, and made our way through the quiet streets of the old neighborhoods, but I hardly took any photos. Maybe it was just the trip winding down, but I didn’t feel the urge to capture much of it.

It was peaceful there, though, and that was nice.

Really, the highlight of Kanazawa was our random and unexpected trip to Tsurugi.

Where is that, you say? That is also what we said when I found it randomly on the map. So, the next day we got on the most busted-up old train I’ve ever been on and went to see another random small town in Japan.

This excursion included the discovery of melon soda (the best soda flavor on Earth, IMHO), a pointless yet exhilarating walk across a river, and an equally pointless and slightly less exhilarating hike to the base of the mountains (which we could not hike into because they were… closed. I guess.)

Traveling to these random towns and villages became a thing for us. I don’t know why we both found it so interesting. Maybe it was just being in a place that most foreigners don’t go. Additionally, I find it fascinating to see how people actually live outside of Japan’s sprawling concrete landscapes and electric cities.

I find the Japanese countryside deeply endearing in its own way.

After we left Kanazawa, our collective adventure was basically at an end. We spent two days in Tokyo, and then Thomas flew home. Though I was sad to see him go, I was also looking forward to some alone time and the opportunity to do some more photography in Tokyo.

Cyberpunk Photos

I spent my final two weeks in Japan eating ramen and taking lots of night photos. I decided to edit said photos with a cyberpunk feel. I’m not sure why, but I figured I’d do something different. So, I will leave you with those to consume. Thanks for following along and reading.

If you ever get the chance to visit Japan, go.