Beautiful City and the Well of Truth

Sign on campus: 金沢大学　（かなざわだいがく / Kanazawa Daigaku）: Kanazawa University. That's Marcell on the right, one of the other Tufts guys, though he's originally from Hungary.


Kanazawa is amazingly beautiful. Of all the places in the world where I have been, I think there's no more photogenic city I've ever seen. The city is beautiful and a ton of fun, the other international students are amazing (and the most cosmopolitan group of people I've ever known), and the university is vastly exciting. Besides the other Tufts guys, I have friends here at KUSEP now from Germany, Finland, Ireland, Russia, Korea, China, Czech Republic, England, Australia, and of course Japan. My room is fantastic--it's got every amenity I could ever ask for and then some. Today I did a lot of shopping, and I didn't get a rice cooker (YET), but I did get a bunch of useful things. It's really really late because there's ALWAYS awesome stuff to do, but I wanted to get in a quick post here. With some pictures! Check out my photos on Facebook (just uploaded a bunch), but here are a few for the blog too. Photos of my room are to come--still decorating (though I finished moving in), so I haven't really taken any yet.

Today we did Alien Registration and the Japanese Language Placement Exam, also. I now have a booklet called You Too Are a Citizen of Kanazawa! Plus, I got my personal hanko name seal: I am "Well of Truth"! Bitchin, as they say.

Now...here's the place where I live!


Street in front of Kenroku-en, the night of the Moon Festival.

Autumn moon reflecting off the stream at Kenroku-en.

Koto players underneath the moon.

Saturday early afternoon on campus, before classes have really gotten started, so there aren't many people about.

This is my university now.

City tour day! The Tufts group, led by Makiko Kura (in the background, our Tufts program assistant director), all spent the entire day exploring different sites all over the city. It was an incredible, wonderful day. The food everywhere, by the way, has been pretty amazing.

This is where I live. The big green area in the middle back and slightly to the left is Kenroku-en. To the right of it in the other hill is the samurai castle.

Tufts-in-Japan 2009-2010
In the Geisha District of Kanazawa

A view of Kenroku-en in the daytime.

In a special exhibit room at the Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. It's awesome. I'd certainly say it was the best and most interesting collection of contemporary art I've ever seen. (This was before we visited the ukiyo-e woodblock print museum.)

The most advanced sink I've ever seen. Automatic water, soap, and dryer in one bowl. They all work really well and they are efficiently integrated. What a concept!

One of many gems.

I came very close to buying this track jacket! I have decided that I won't ever leave Japan without buying a track jacket.


Special thanks to Rich Marchewka for the camera that produces the most spectacular pictures. Rich, if you're reading this, you'll soon see some photos from summer! Thanks again!