Toshiie | Blue Lapis Road

DAY 7 (6/7): THE SUBTLE BEAUTY OF A WARRIOR’S REFUGE, Nomura Samurai House (武家屋敷跡野村家), Nagamachi Samurai District (長町), Kanazawa (金沢), Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県), Japan, 2018.05.31

We wandered around Nagamachi (長町) on narrow lanes flanked both sides by yellow earth walls. We slowly found our way to Nomura Samurai House and arrived at the house’s forecourt about an hour before its closing time. Once we took off our shoes, we were free to walk around the former samurai house. It was hard to imagine that such a tranquil complex with a picturesque garden and tea house was actually the home of a powerful samurai (warrior official who served the feudal lord) in the Edo Period. In the 16th century, Nomura Denbei Nobusada, an official of the first feudal lord of the Kaga Domain Toshiie Maeda, was assigned with the Nomura Family House. 12 generations had passed until the 19th century when the Nomura lost their property during the Meiji Restoration. It was the historical moment of transition when the samurai system quickly became obsoleted against rapid modernization of Japan. A business man and shipowner named Kubo Hikobei bought the house in mid 20th century. He restored the garden and house and was responsible for several alterations, which included adding a tea house. The focal point of the Nomura Samurai House was undoubtedly the small garden at the back of the house. Stone lanterns, stepping stones, pine trees, a small waterfall, a tranquil water pond, and several curious koi fish form a beautiful picture to welcome visitors and exemplify the essence of traditional Japanese gardens. Journal of Japanese Gardening even claims that the small Nomura garden is one of the top three gardens in the entire nation. While judging beauty is purely subjective to the eye, the layering of natural scenes and careful arrangement of the verandas, pathways, stepping stones and stone bridges would definitely slow down the pace of visitors. Only with patience and a peaceful heart could one fully appreciates the carefully configured beauty of the garden at Nomura.

After a path made of large stepping stones, a humble entrance welcomed all visitors at the entrance garden.

Prominently displayed at the foyer was a samurai armour.

The painted screen doors at the tatami drawing room were quite eye-catching.

Japanese cypress wood, rosewood, ebony, paulownia wood, etc were used for different functions inside the house.

The family altar is lavishly decorated with gold paint and leaves. Kanazawa has been a famous place for gold leaf manufacturing for over 400-years.

The Japanese is almost a synonym to fine craftsmanship. All nails in the Nomura House are carefully kept out of sight.

At the back garden, trees and shrubs of different sizes provide a layered backdrop to the stone lantern.

The boundary of garden and architecture almost disappears. Walking or sitting at the wooden veranda would make one forget all the troubles.

Irregular stepping stones, rectangular stone bridges, and the smooth wooden veranda allow spectators to appreciate the beauty of the garden at his/her own pace.

A plinth like water basic reveals a certain contemporary charm of minimalism. Gentle ripples and the sound of the dripping water create an almost spiritual effect to the visitor experience.

At the end of the veranda, we found our way into another small outdoor space and a stair up to the tea house.

The transitional space between the garden and the stair to the tea house is another masterpiece of landscape design.

Before one reaches the stair up to the tea house, a small water feature reminds visitors of the purity and vitality of water.

The outdoor spaces at Nomura Samurai House are full of beautiful surprises.

A large variety of bamboo, timber and stones have been used to create a rich palette of textures.

Just like many tea houses in Japan, the tiny tea house at Nomura Samurai House is an artwork in itself.

From the tea house, the lush-green vegetation of the garden defines the ambience.

Before leaving Nomura Samurai House, a display bonsai reminded us the beauty of many traditional Japanese art did require tons of patience, techniques, care and imagination to maintain. What might seem to be a simple pot plant was in reality had gone through decades of care and subtle alterations.