DAY 7 (7/7): SIMPLE SUSHI BEHIND BUSY KATAMACHI, Sushi Ippei (一平鮨), Katamachi (片町), Kanazawa (金沢), Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県), Japan, 2018.05.31
Sitting between the Japanese Alps and Sea of Japan, visitors to Kanazawa will be spoiled by the city’s freshest seafood from the Sea of Japan and vegetables from the surrounding areas of Ishikawa Prefecture. After a day of walking, it was time for us to sit down and finish the day with some local sushi. From Nagamachi, we passed through the colourful Kiguramachi (木倉町), an old neighborhood with small lanes full of restaurants. Time was still a little early. Chefs and staff of most restaurants were still busy making preparation for the night. We wandered in the neighborhood a little bit and reached busy high street of Katamachi (片町). We crossed the high street and found our way into a side street for Sushi Ippei (一平鮨), a tiny sushi restaurant that is highly popular with foreign tourists according to online research.
The sushi restaurant only had about ten seats along the sushi counter. The menu was simple and there were only two staff, the chef and his wife. A Western couple arrived before us and they were about to finish their first round of order. The wife spoke some English and politely took our order. All sushi was made by the chef right in front of us and they were really fresh. The price was reasonable too. The ambience was causal and the decor simple but delightful. Dining at Sushi Ippei provided the perfect ending to a day of sightseeing in Kanazawa. After dinner, we decided to walk back to our hotel near Omicho Market (近江町市場). We walked along the main shopping high street of Korinbo (香林坊) and made a detour at Oyama Shrine (尾山神社) to have a look at the stained glass of the gateway lit up with artificial lights. In about 20 minutes, we found ourselves back at Omicho Market where we started our day.
The walk from Nagamachi to Kiguramachi took us through a series of small residential lanes and water channels.
Time was still a little early when we reached the high street of Kiguramachi (木倉町).
In many restaurants and pubs, staff were busy preparing their venues for the night.
It might look empty before 6pm, but the area would soon be filled with people after work.
Sushi Ippei (一平鮨), a tiny sushi restaurant that captured the hearts of many foreign visitors in Kanazawa.
The chef would prepare the sushi and place them right in front of the customers on the counter.
The menu was mainly categorized in mackerel, tuna, white fish, prawns, fish eggs, shell fish, and others.
The sushi was really fresh and tasty.
The fresh sushi and ginger made the perfect match.
We sampled sushi from each category and were fully satisfied after a few rounds.
On our way back to the hotel, we dropped by Oyama Shrine (尾山神社) again to check out the gateway with the stained glass under artificial light.
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CHUBU (中部地方) 2018, Japan, 2018.05.25 – 06.03
Introduction
Day 1: Tokyo (東京)
1.1 TSUKIJI OUTER MARKET (築地場外市場)
1.2 TSUKIJI INNER MARKET (築地中央卸売市場)
1.3 MORI ART MUSEUM (森美術館), 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT & CAFE KITSUNE
Day 2: Matsumoto (松本)& Kamikochi (上高地)
2.1 MATSUMOTO CASTLE (松本城), Matsumoto (松本)
2.2 “ALL ABOUT MY LOVE”, Yayoi Kusama’s Exhibition at Matsumoto City Museum of Art (松本市美術館), Matsumoto (松本)
2.3 MATSUMOTO PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (まつもと市民芸術館), Matsumoto (松本)
2.4 FROM MATSUMOTO (松本) TO KAMIKOCHI (上高地)
2.5 ARRIVAL IN KAMIKOCHI (上高地), Chūbu-Sangaku National Park (中部山岳国立公園)
Day 3: Kamikochi (上高地)
3.1 MORNING WALK IN KAMIKOCHI (上高地), Nagano Prefecture (長野県)
3.2 DAKESAWA HIKE (岳沢), Kamikochi (上高地)
Day 4: Kamikochi (上高地) & Shirahone Onsen (白骨温泉)
4.1 TAISHO POND (大正池), Kamikochi (上高地)
4.2 RETREAT IN THE JAPANESE ALPS, Shirahone Onsen (白骨温泉)
4.3 MOMENTS OF ESCAPE, Tsuruya Ryokan (つるや旅館), Shirahone Onsen (白骨温泉)
Day 5: Hida-Takayama (飛騨高山)
5.1 CITY IN THE MOUNTAINS, Hida-Takayama (飛騨高山)
5.2 HIDA BEEF (飛騨牛), Hida-Takayama (飛騨高山)
5.3 SAKE (日本酒) BREWERIES, Hida-Takayama (飛騨高山)
5.4 YOSHIJIMA HOUSE (吉島家住宅), Hida-Takayama (飛騨高山)
5.5 HIGASHIYAMA WALKING COURSE (東山遊歩道), Hida-Takayama (飛騨高山)
Day 6: Hida-Takayama (飛騨高山), Shirakawa-go (白川郷) & Ainokura (相倉)
6.1 MIYAGAWA MORNING MARKET (宮川朝市), Hida-Takayama (飛騨高山), Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県)
6.2 OGIMACHI IN THE RAIN, Shirakawa-go (白川郷), Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県)
6.3 SOBA, TEMPLE & LOOKOUT, Shirakawa-go (白川郷)
6.4 RAINY AFTERNOON IN AINOKURA (相倉), Gokayama (五箇山)
6.5 GASSHO MINSHUKU, FLOWER BEDS & RICE PADDY FIELDS, Ainokura (相倉), Gokayama (五箇山)
6.6 CROAKING FROGS AND MOONLIGHT REFLECTIONS, Gokayama (五箇山)
Day 7: Kanazawa (金沢)
7.1 DEPARTURE IN THE RAIN, Ainokura (相倉) to Kanazawa (金沢)
7.2 A SEAFOOD PARADISE – OMICHO MARKET (近江町市場)
7.3 D T Suzuki Museum (鈴木大拙館)
7.4 Kenroku-en Garden (兼六園)
7.5 Oyama Shrine (尾山神社) and Nagamachi Samurai District (長町)
7.6 Nomura Samurai House (武家屋敷跡 野村家), Nagamachi Samurai District (長町)
7.7 Sushi Ippei (一平鮨), Katamachi (片町)
Day 8: Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture (金沢, 石川県)
8.1 Iki Iki Tei (いきいき亭) and Higashide Coffee (東出珈琲店), Omicho Market (近江町市場)
8.2 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art (21世紀美術館)
8.3 Kazuemachi District (主計町茶屋街)
8.4 Higashi Chaya District (東山ひがし茶屋街)
8.5 Kaga Yuzen Toro Nagashi (加賀友禅燈ろう流し), Asano River (浅野川)
8.6 AFTERMATH OF KAGA YUZEN TORO NAGASHI (加賀友禅燈ろう流し)
Day 9 & 10: Tokyo (東京)
9.1 Marunouchi (丸の内) & Nihonbashi (日本橋)
10.1 OEDO ANTIQUE MARKET (大江戸骨董市), Tokyo Forum (東京国際フォーラム)
10.2 FARMER’S MARKET, United Nations University (東京国連大学), Aoyama (青山)
Blue Lapis Road 