Kanazawa’s Empty Spaces

Until they rebuilt the university, it was one of only two universities within original castle grounds (the other is in Germany).

As the article mentions, it's an interesting place because it was one of the few major cities not bombed during WWII, so lots of the street layouts are still intact. The note in the article about the open air gutters was funny to me, I saw a few cars rip off their bumpers after the fell into those gutters that would have been rerouted in other cities.

Kenrokuen is an amazing, incredible garden there. I live in Portland now which has what many consider the best Japanese style garden outside of Japan. But, those imperial gardens like Kenrokuen put the Portland Japanese garden to shame. Absolutely worth a visit to Kanazawa just for Kenrokuen.

When I lived there it was considered a bit of a backwater. My Japanese friends said it was the "waki" (armpit) of Japan. Now that the Shinkansen goes there, I think things have changed radically.

I think about what circumstances would turn things around for Kanazawa but couldn’t imagine a time when people would flock back to live there. At least in the near future.

So many incredibly quiet yet beautiful neighbourhoods either abandoned or waiting to be.

Almost worth a visit if in Japan just to experience it. There is a list of beautiful things to see there.

I wonder if anyone else who’s been there felt the same ? I couldn’t tell if the author was trying to convey a similar feeling or not. Maybe the following comes close.

> Seidenberg’s photographs depict this city as storied and imperiled, poised between decline and revival.

https://spikejapan.wordpress.com/

I haven’t been to Detroit and though I’ve read of efforts ti clean up abandoned lots with decrepit housing, most of the abandoned lots and houses are left to succumb to natural deterioration or arson.