Day 4: Tokyo to Kanazawa (B/L)

Travel by bullet train to Kanazawa enjoying a Bento box for lunch on the way. Kanazawa is one of Japan’s loveliest and best-preserved historical cities spared during the air raids in WW2. Kanazawa is a must for people interested in Japan’s history, gardens, food and art. In the afternoon, see Tersahima Kurando House which was the house of a middle-rank Samurai, constructed in the latter half of the 18th century. The existing mansion, storehouse and mud wall tell the actual condition of a middle-class samurais residence during that period. Kurando was a painter as well and his works are exhibited in the house. Then stroll through Kenrokuen Garden, considered one of the Three Great Landscaped Gardens of Japan. The garden features a variety of flowering trees which provide the garden with a different look each season and is teeming with water features, bridges, teahouses, viewpoints and hidden nooks to discover. Finally, visit the D. T. Suzuki museum, a small museum commemorating the life and works of Suzuki Daisetz Teitaro (1870-1966), a prominent Buddhist philosopher. Suzuki was a prolific writer who was instrumental in introducing Japanese Zen philosophy to the west. The museum mirrors this with architecturally clean, simple lines and open spaces often causing visitors to pause and reflect. Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.