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high-speed train makes this well-preserved city more accessible. By MARK JENKINS Washington Post In Japan, history is frequently right around the corner: a venerable little shrine, a neighborhood temple survived both war and redevelopment, maybe even a castle. But the sense of being immersed in the past is rare. Even Kyoto, famed as the redoubt against modernity, has no large area that meets the Western definition of a historic district. But there is another city that, like Kyoto, was spared U.S.

firebombs in World War II. Kanazawa is not quite a Japanese Williamsburg, but it does contain numerous neighborhoods of structures from the Edo period (1603-1868). Long more popular with Japanese than with foreign visitors, the city became much more accessible last year with the opening of a new Shinkansen line. The high-speed trains hurtle from Tokyo in less than 2 hours. a hop worth making.

The train station, like is emphatically modernistic. But it does bow to the past with a mammoth wooden gate called Tsuzumi, after the hand drum it somewhat resembles. The gate faces east, toward the center city and a large bus plaza. Unlike most Japanese cities of its size, Kanazawa has neither a subway nor trams. The main attractions are mostly within walking distance, but a loop bus circles past them.

One morning in late July, the argument for the bus was immediately evident. Kanazawa is one of the wettest nontropical cities in the world. Midsummer in Japan can wilt even an August-tested Washingtonian, and if Kanazawa felt no muggier than the rest of the country, the breezes off the Sea of Japan were bringing more dampness, not relief. The first notable stop is the Higashi Chaya-gai, with many wooden structures and a reminder of the Japanese genius for euphemism. means teahouse, but tea the principal attraction of this area, once known for geishas.

Today, a few preserved geisha houses, notably the elegant Shima, are open to the public. Built about 200 years ago, it was among the first two-story structures when erected. Inside is a collection of instruments of the sort played by hostesses and a view of a tiny garden, misted by fake rain sprayed from an apparatus conspicuously modern. In a Western precinct that preserves the bygone, such machinery would be carefully hidden. But not the standard in Japan, where overhead electric lines and even satellite dishes are often seen in neighborhoods of historic homes, temples and warehouses.

Many of the other buildings have been converted to gift shops and restaurants. The number of the latter that serve only sweets and (nonalcoholic) drinks may surprise first-timers, but such establishments abound in the country with a steady flow of tourists. According to its sign, a teahouse that actually serves tea has been in business since 1625, although its 17th-century clients probably recognize the place. One eatery serves a rice-ball lunch for $15, which would be exorbitant except that the price includes a lesson in making them. Shop- wares range from art to kitsch; one refined establishment was selling $2,900 teapots and $10 bottles of Gilded city Kanazawa means a name traced to a legend about a peasant who found gold in a bog.

The craftspeople have taken the unlikely story to heart. Kanazawa is home to virtually all of gold-leaf production. Since gilding is essential to Buddhist art, business is golden. In Higashi Chaya-gai, several shops sell gilded items, ranging from jewelry to cosmetics to postcards. The largest is Hakuza whose products include gold- infused liquor and green-tea cake edged in edible gold.

The shop boasts the first gilded outside wall, although the siding is not exactly outside. in an interior courtyard, sheltered from the juicy air. Adjacent to the teahouse area is Utatsuyama dragon a hilly district packed with Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. There are no major edifices, but the small compounds and winding lanes make for a picturesque stroll. On the west side of town, the balance is reversed: a smaller old teahouse district, abutting Teramachi one of largest temple precincts.

other major historic area is the Nagamachi Samurai District, a residential area in which a few houses have been converted to museums. Most of the buildings actually date to the samurai era, but the newer ones respect the traditional style. I walked this area in the early morning, before the museums were open, but was able to explore some small gardens and outbuildings. The sun was not yet scalding overhead, and I was refreshed, at least psychically, by the waters of the narrow canal that bisects the neighborhood. Garden of attributes These old-fashioned areas set Kanazawa apart from most Japanese cities, yet are not the primary attraction.

Kenrokuen, generally ranked as one of the top three gardens. The 28-acre expanse was created by and for the Maeda clan, which ruled the area, during the 17th to 19th centuries. on a hill, affording views of the city, while man-made summits within the garden provide vantage points on the nearly 9,000 trees (supported by ropes during heavy snows) and other features. A teahouse, built in 1774, is the oldest surviving structure; a geyser-like fountain, powered by natural water pressure, was the first in the country. Kenrokuen means of six a reference to a Chinese checklist of essential characteristics: antiquity, artifice, panoramas, seclusion, spaciousness and waterways.

As is typical of Japanese gardens. Kenrokuen offers a circuit through various landscapes and suggests an entire world, albeit miniaturized and much tidier than the real one. At the center is Kasumi Pond, the Pacific of this demimonde. On an adjacent bluff, and linked by a short bridge, is Kanazawa Castle. impressive at first glimpse, but the fortress make any top-three lists.

As a second look reveals, mostly brand new. A few parts remain from the original, but the bulk of the castle has been built since 1989, replacing the buildings of a university that relocated nearby. Yet the pristine white walls and gull- winged roofs make a dramatic setting for what has become a pleasant landscape. Kenrokuen was once the outer garden; now the castle grounds have become a sort of annex of the adjacent landmark. Japanese tourist sites are always flanked by drink vending machines, which are especially welcome in the summer.

But the castle has something never seen before: an air- conditioned vending lounge. It was more crowded than the walkway along the parapets. Contemporary art Down the hill from Ken- rokuen and the castle is the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, which has no interest in such dated phenomena as cubism or abstract expressionism. Opened in 2004, the museum emphasizes interactive and site-specific work, such as Argentinian Leandro Swimming which simulates the experience of gazing through water from above or below. One of the most engaging pieces is outside: Danish artist Olafur Activity overlaps curved glass walls in cyan, magenta and yellow, which combine to yield various hues from different points within or without.

I have time for the many other museums, which include collections not only of art, history and traditional crafts but also Japanese modern literature and international phonographs and records. At the last, an Edison wax-cylinder machine is demonstrated thrice daily. I also skipped Myoryu-ji the so-called full of secret rooms and passages because it must be visited on pre-booked tours that offer commentary only in Japanese. Instead, I followed a sculpture-lined path along the canal that edges the mount, headed toward my hotel and the bustling, seafood-heavy Omicho market. Along the way, I visited Oyama Shrine, whose name refers to the location of the castle that towers over it.

The shrine is notable for a gatehouse with a most un-Japanese touch: stained glass windows. Despite such curiosities, temples and shrines are no match for But thanks to the new Shinkansen line, no need to pick one city over the other. The next day, I boarded a limited express for the two- hour trip to Kyoto. The total traveling time from Tokyo was only slightly longer than if gone to Kyoto directly. IF YOU GO TRANSPORTATION From Tokyo, the Hokuriku Shinkansen zips to Kanazawa in 2 hours.

Covered by the Japan Rail Pass; reservations required. Hokutetsu Bus offers loops of the city ($4 day pass). WHERE TO STAY Hotel Pacific: Boutique hostelry; single rooms about $42 and up WHERE TO EAT MoriMoriZushi: Excellent sushi in the Omicho market and in the Forus Department Store, next to the station. WHAT TO DO Kenrokuen Garden: One of three best gardens. Adults about pref.

ishikawa.jp/siro-niwa/ Kanazawa Castle: Little is historic, but it looks the part and is the focus of a pleasant park. Grounds are free; tickets to the inner castle cost about $2.50 (pref.ishikawa.jp/siro-niwa/ 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art: Very recent art, with an emphasis on interactive, site-specific work (free; kanazawa21.jp/en). INFO Web: Tourist information office: 011-81-76-231-6311. Take the bullet train to historic Kanazawa HERE Tokyo Sea of Japan Osaka Kanazawa Ocean JAPAN RUSSIA Photos by LINDA DAVIDSON Washington Post Young women in kimonos at the coming-of-age ceremony in Kanazawa. Japanese men and women at the legal age of 20 were honored as shin-seijin, or adults, during the national holiday.

To protect the Karasakinomatsu pine trees from heavy snow in winter, workers at Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa attach ropes to frail branches and support the trees with bamboo poles. Inside a train on the new high-speed Shinkansen line, which offers trips from Tokyo to Kanazawa in 2 hours. G6 TRAVEL STAR TRIBUNE SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016 BLOOMINGTON HolidayInn 1201W.94thSt. PLYMOUTH ComfortInn 3000HarborLn.N. SHOREVIEW 5995RiceCreekParkway ST.PAUL HolidayInnEast 2201BurnsAve.

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