Chasing the Sun - Matsue, Kanazawa, and Sado

Matsue

Matsue Castle began in 1607 and was finished in 1611. The tower appears to 5 stories tall and is actually 6. To climb up into the tower you must first climb up through the castle grounds about 100 stairs and then climb with shoes off up steep ladder-like stair cases inside the tower. Each floor has displays of household items, weaponry and samurai armor. The top floor has commanding views on all sides over the beautiful city of Matsue.

Begin the climb

Climb some more

Now for the Castle

The views were worth the climb

Adachi Museum of Art - This was a unique museum full of 1500 modern paintings that were beautiful in their own right, but the setting was breathtaking. The gardens surrounding the museum are spectacular. You are not allowed to stroll through the gardens, rather you look out from the museum through large windows and from terraces. The idea is to enjoy the artwork more with the additional natural beauty that changes with the seasons.

Our group looking out

Gardens

A new view around every corner

Koi, of course

I would love to visit at least three more times to see this place during the different seasons!

Kanazawa was a very busy port of call for our pax and for us. We had our choice of up to 7 sites to see after the main attraction, The Kenrokuen Gardens, with lunch in the middle either on board the ship or in town. Dinner was also a choice between the ship and staying in town. To the delight of our pax they had plenty of time for shopping in this bustling city which thankfully avoided bombings during WWII!

Once again the welcoming committee was out showing off the lovely kimonos that are produced here.

The main attraction was the beautiful Kenrokuen Gardens, established in 1676 but it is said it didn’t really come into its finest shape until 1800!  (I suspect my garden in Incline Village will take at least that long!)

We were treated to a special tea ceremony where we learned how to properly appreciate everything about the experience from the décor of the room to the handling of the tea bowls.

I wasn’t crazy about how it all tasted, but did my best to bow very low and make the yummy slurping sound to let the hostess know how much I appreciated her efforts.

The gardens were not too crowded and I took some time to walk around in the different zones, getting myself so turned around that I had to text Leslie to ask which gate to exit through in order to find my way back to the group!

Sado Island, Kodo Village

Under the theme 'One Earth,' the mission of  Kodo is to bring the sound of the taiko to all corners of the globe. Their music and message resonate with myriad cultures and ways of life. We visited the village and were entertained by 7 members of the 60 member Kodo Village and training/performance center for the Kodo performers.

Before we even disembarked the ship we were warmly welcomed to the island by the locals.

Adorable preschoolers presented the Captain and Hotel Manager with flowers

This is the Kodo Village training and performance center

These are very loud! I was not able to photograph during the performance, but I enjoyed everything about it! The performers excite the audience with their enthusiasm and individual styles. The joint was literally jumping!

They are touring the US next year – I highly recommend you get tickets!

The surrounding scenery was spectacular.

Back on the ship in time for this lovely sunset!