Kenrokuen Gardens: The Karasaki Matsu Tree

 There are many pathways in the Kenrokuen Gardens since it is a huge garden!

 The sound of the stream running under your feet as you cross the bridge adds to the atmosphere of the garden. I don't know about anyone else, but I think it does help to relax and feel calm.

 Don't get too close to the edge of this bridge, because there are no rails to save you!....of course it isn't that far of a drop, but you would get wet and, if at times, you aren't so coordinated like me then you may end up with a scrape and bruise or two when you land.

 I liked that the steps went along with the natural incline of the path.

 A young tree growing along the lake side.

 Here's the Karasaki Matsu Tree! The branches of this pine tree extends out from the tree like tendrils. They are so long that there are beams to help support its weight. Otherwise, they would probably be in the water instead of above. If you visit the Kenrokuen Gardens you do not want to miss this tree!

 Above the Karasaki Matsu Tree.

I'm not sure why there are coins in here.....or stuffed into the crevices of the stone pagoda....but I   think it's either to make a wish or to hope to return to the gardens again.

Kenrokuen Gardens in Kanazawa Prefecture, Japan

 There is a castle next to Kenrokuen Gardens. We didn't go inside since we didn't have a lot of time left, but we did enjoy the gardens!

 The weather started out overcast and strong rains, but by the time we had lunch it had turned into a beautiful day! It was sunny and warm!

Kintaro Onsen: The Food!

 This painting was in our room. It's a picture of Kintaro which is also the name of the onsen! I loved the feeling of fun in this painting.

 The food was amazing! There was tuna, sweet shrimp, squid, yellow tail and abalone!

 Hotaru Squid is famous in this area. Hence, the museum that I blogged about in a previous post. They were delicious! We ate them shabu-shabu style!

The shabu-shabu pot!

The dessert was really simple, but after the really big meal I was glad it was small and relatively light.

The View Around Toyama, Japan

 The mountain ranges were beautiful with the snow covering.

Unfortunately, sometimes power lines got in the way...

 This is the view from our room at Kintaro Onsen.

 I enjoyed sitting here and looking out the window towards the mountain ranges.

 The sunset that day was beautiful! I got to enjoy it right before our dinner. Which I will show some of the food that we ate in the next post.

Hotaru Ika Museum: Toyama, Japan

 This was a museum for the Hotaru Squid which is a really small squid. It is famous in Toyama, it's so famous that they made a museum! The musuem is fun for kids, but the gift shop is great for adults! They offer a lot of different snacks made from squid!

 Okay, this photo might be a little freaky for some people.....looking at it now it creeps me out a little bit. lol

 There was a pond in the middle of the room with crabs, some fish and anenomes. I think everything in the pond was dead so the kids could touch them....one kid actually fell into the pond. It was pretty funny. I felt bad for the kid, because he started crying once he realized that everyone was staring at him in surprise, but otherwise funny. He was soaked! So a word of caution watch your step around the pond.

You can see the ocean on the back side of the museum. The light was beautiful bouncing off the water.

Toyama, Japan: Ocean Waves