Shirakawa

This morning Riley decided to sleep in till 8am, so we were able to peacefully eat our fancy Japanese breakfast (served in our room again). I think breakfast was even better then the dinner last night (which was pretty damn good).

When she did finally wake up (it took a while…), she enjoyed some nori with rice and tofu (cooked at the table in water in a little paper bowl over a flame).

While packing up we realized we’d left our camera battery charger at the last hotel, so we stopped by to see if they had found it. Not only did they have it in a plastic bag labeled with our room number, but they had also included the change we had left in the room (worth less then a few cents, but still it’s the principle), proving once again how nice and thoughtful and honest Japanese people are.

We then took off for Shirakawa via Kanazawa (where we took a very brief internet break to check on the paper work for the house we’re buying in LA, before running to catch our bus).

Napping on the train to Kanazawa…

Shirakawa is a more rural, traditional (or as the Japanese travel agent described it, primitive) village that’s been designated a UNESCO world heritage sight because of the gassho-style farmhouses with thick thatched roofs. We arrived in the afternoon and spent a few hours walking around, including up to a look out point where you can see the whole village. It was very peaceful and quiet.

We stayed in a farmhouse (traditional tatami mat lined rooms again) and had the most delicious meal yet served to us by the woman who owns the house. The meat was cooked in front of us on a little burner (like what we made the octupus balls on in Osaka) and the fish was unbelievably delicious (and I’m not even really a fish person). After dinner, George and Brad went to the onsen down the street (traditional Japanese bath house) after some convincing from us that it would be an interesting experience (sounds like it was). We decided we’d check it out in the morning…

More pictures of Shirakawa here.