Kanazawa here we come
This morning we travel to Kanazawa (金沢市). We have to walk to Shimbashi Station (新橋駅), which is split into two parts. We cross the street to where the JR lines are and take the Yamanote Line (JY) (山手線) to Tōkyō Station (東京駅) 🗾. We will start our first ride on the Shinkansen, Japan’s high-speed rail option, from this station. We take the Hokuriku Shinkansen, which runs past Kanazawa to Tsuruga.
The ride to Kanazawa is about 460 km, or 285 mi, and takes about 2.5 hrs (only four or so stops). That’s an average of 114 mph, including stops! Seats are relatively luxurious, offering ample legroom, a net for small items, a tray table, and a charging outlet per seat. While we were waiting, the train pulled into the station, and all passengers got off. Cleaning personnel then went on board. Part of their job was also to turn all the seats around. Yes, each set of two or three seats can be swiveled entirely around using a foot pedal to unlock the mechanism. This way, everybody faces the direction of travel. All of this took under 10 minutes, and we were allowed to board (reserved seats required in most cars).
The train accelerates quickly and reaches speeds well over 75 mph not long after leaving a station. Later, it accelerates to the speed allowed by the particular train and the track. On this journey, the maximum I saw was about 170 mph. On others, I have seen as high as 185 mph. Despite all this, the ride is very comfortable—no clickety-clack from the tracks. In curves, the track is tilted, and on some trains, the carriage itself is hydraulically tilted as well. This allows for maintaining speed without causing discomfort.
We arrived at Kanazawa station and had to take a bus to the hotel. We had to ask, and it turned out that almost any bus from stops 7 to 10 will pass by the hotel. Kanazawa has no subway or metro system; it is entirely served by buses.
But, but…: no IC card accepted
Yes, these buses threw us for a loop. There is a machine at the rear entrance, but it kept beeping at us while we tried to use the IC card. We found a small ticket poking out, indicating where you got on. You take that ticket. Then, when you exit through the driver’s door, you are supposed to show the ticket and pay in cash or use a Kanazawa-specific IC card. You throw the ticket and money in a little plastic bucket while the driver watches. Later, we discovered that you can also tap your phone at a receptacle for a local card near the driver, which will cause your credit card to be used.
It took us a little while to figure it out: JR buses and the Kanazawa Flat Bus (Zaimoku and Nagamachi routes) accept public transit IC cards, such as Suica, Icoca, and Pasmo. However, most other city buses in Kanazawa only accept the local IC card or cash. If you stay longer than just a day or two, it might be worth getting the IC card.
Hotel Intergate
After we take the bus to the Minami-cho stop (just past the Omi-cho Market stop), it is a very short walk to Hotel Intergate Kanazawa (ホテルインターゲート金沢) 🗾. Like pretty much anytime during our trip, they don’t let us check in early, but will store our luggage.
This seemed to be a hotel that tries to do things a little differently. For example, as part of checking in, they only give you a room key. You need coupons for breakfast (if it was included, which it was for us). They direct you to a computer/machine where you insert your card, and then it spits out coupons, one per person per day, along with a receipt. The rooms are small, but adequate. We have a separate toilet from the bathroom, but the other rooms do not. This is the first place we “freaked” out when we opened the bathroom door: the toilet cover lifts as soon as you open the door!
Breakfast is buffet style. It features some Western-style items, such as eggs and bacon, alongside a variety of Japanese-style breakfast options, including steamed rice, porridge, pickles, Japanese curry, fried croquettes, fried pork cutlets, various vegetables, salads, breads like croissants, and more. One should be careful, as it is easy to want to try everything and overeat!
After settling into the hotel, we went in search of lunch and did some exploring on foot.