"A fancy took me to go to Noto. ...[I]t was a case of love at first sight." These are the first words in Percival Lowell's 1891 travelogue "Noto: An Unexplained Corner of Japan". Like Lowell, I've always been intrigued by Noto, on the map a little crooking finger jutting north off the coast of Honshu … Continue reading Noto Peninsula: More armchair travel and memories
On a recent visit to Kanazawa, I decided to ride a Machi Nori bicycle from the train station over to Higashi Chaya, one of Kanazawa's historical tea house districts. My route took me along the lovely Asanogawa, one of two rivers flanking the heart of the old city. It was a beautiful morning and I … Continue reading Heritage Preservation in Kanazawa: a chance encounter
Salt is an essential nutritional element for humans. It is also a widely used preservative and, in some cultures--like Japan--, it's regarded as a purification element for religious purposes. Over millenia we've learned many ways to extract this mineral from the world around us. In the Japanese archipelago, where one is never more than 90 … Continue reading Getting salt from the sea the old-fashioned way
Jigsaw Japan 