Nara, Uji & Kanazawa, Japan
Nara is famous for its wild deer that are so respectful they will bow when you feed them special crackers. One particularly aggressive male did knock Alex from behind when he did not receive enough cookies. In general though, the deer are gentle and not to be feared.
Another Nara highlight is one of the largest wooden structures in the world Tōdai-ji Buddhist Temple.
We also visited Uji, which was much less crowded than Nara. Uji is famous for making green tea, especially matcha. We tried matcha ice cream, beer, cookies, pastry and of course some matcha tea. We also did some cultural site seeing and visited the Byodoin Temple. This red temple is particularly stunning with the green pond in front.
Check out our Uji eats.
After Uji, we journeyed up north to Kanazawa. This city is famous for the Kenroku-en which is argureably one of the prettiest gardens in all of Japan. We visited just as the sun was setting which made the garden look like a surreal watercolor painting. From the garden you can see the Kanazawa Castle peeking through in the distance.
In Kanazawa you can visit original samurai homes. This city stands out from others because it was left more untouched from the bombings in WWII. The streets are preserved in the samurai district as there are many preserved historical homes that are open for the public to tour. The day was freezing and raining and we took shelter inside a tourist information center (which are common all over tourist hubs in Japan). The kind retiree volunteers used their limited English to teach us how to fold origami paper cranes while we waited out the storm. It was all very wholesome.
The Kanazawa Castle was destroyed by a fire and now there is a replica being built so you can only view it from the outside. Obviously we ate ramen, udon noodles, or curry every day to keep warm and because we love noodles. We tried a traditional yakiniku restaurant (grilled meats) where they cook different animal intestines in front of you. A bit too chewy for our taste.
We were able to find a gold leaf crafts studio that lets you make your own products. Alex designed his chopsticks for $6 USD and I painted a little mirror. We also made our own wedding bands at a different studio.
Kanazawa was one of our favorite places because even in pretty nasty weather (sleet, snow, daily rain) we found a lot to do and it was the most affordable place we visited in Japan. The town is pretty walkable and they have a dedicated tourist loop bus. It was waaaaaay less touristy than Kyoto or even Uji or Nara. Everyone was kind and helpful.
You got knocked because you didn't give enough food :P