Kanazawa Castle Park — Part 10

Just before reaching the Tatsumi Turret Ruins, the morning sun cast a soft orange light through the evergreen grove on my left, turning it into gentle rays of sunlight filtering through the trees. Beyond my field of vision, dark-colored fences surrounded the area, and a quiet layer of snow rested on top of them. Below the fences, evergreens grew thick at the foot of the slope, and farther in the distance, blue mountain ranges stretched across the horizon. Between them, I could just barely see parts of Kanazawa's cityscape. This view was truly beautiful.

The sky, which had been an unstable blanket of morning clouds, now opened up to reveal patches of blue, and the scenery from the Tatsumi Turret Ruins felt like a small place of rest. There was something quietly calming about the view from this area. It felt like a spot that invited a brief pause, a place to take “a little break.” I stood there for a while, looking at the scenery without thinking about anything in particular, then once again set off along the snowy path that would lead me back.

I re-entered the forest around the main bailey. After walking for a while, I noticed a sign at my feet. It read “Ishikawamon Entrance,” and below it, a red arrow pointed to the left with the word “Kenrokuen.” Feeling reassured, I continued on in that direction.

Along the way, I came across a section of the path where the snow had melted, turning it into something like a marshy patch. “This might be tricky,” I thought. I paused for a moment. I felt somewhat relieved to be wearing snow boots, but still, I moved carefully and walked slowly forward. I encountered a few similar spots here and there, but made my way through them with care, continuing to walk along the snowy path. The sun had climbed much higher in the sky by then, and my surroundings were gradually growing brighter.

In the distance ahead, the Hishi Yagura Turret and the Gojukken Nagaya Storehouse, both covered in snow, quietly appeared into view. Seen from a place where winter-bare cherry trees stood, the Hishi Yagura and Gojukken Nagaya offered a winter landscape that could be savored in its own right, even though the cherry blossoms were not in bloom. Looking down from there, I could see the Tsurumaru Storehouse below.

I noticed a small path on my right and decided to follow it further. It seemed there might be another kind of viewing spot ahead. Guided by the morning light, I continued along the snowy path.

As I drew closer, I saw a set of steps half-buried in snow. Under a sky where blue and clouds blended together, soft orange morning light shone down from the upper right. Above me, the winter-bare branches of cherry trees arched overhead, and the contrast of all these elements was so beautiful that I took a photo. It was a scene that could only be described as a heavenly staircase. The snow-covered steps seemed to stretch upward, as if leading directly into the sky. I stood there for a while, simply taking in this beautiful sight.

In front of me stood a wooden signboard with a snow-covered roof. It was made in the same style as the signs I had seen earlier at the main bailey and the Tatsumi Turret Ruins. This place, I realized, was the Ushitora Turret Ruins. From here, I could see the cityscape of Kanazawa off to the left in the distance, while evergreens and snow-covered buildings spread out in the foreground. The scenery ahead and all around was now bathed in soft morning light, and everything had grown much brighter.

Leaving the Ushitora Turret Ruins behind, I headed next for the Tsurumaru Storehouse, which is designated as an Important Cultural Property. I walked down a snowy slope, and since I could already see the building ahead, I reached it without any trouble. Under a blue sky streaked with white clouds, with winter-bare cherry trees visible on the left, the Tsurumaru Storehouse stood before me in a dignified way as an Important Cultural Property. I stopped there for a moment and quietly took in its presence.

After that, I continued walking through an open snowy landscape, and soon the Ishikawa Gate, also an Important Cultural Property, came into view. Its form as a double turret gate, with a white plastered upper level and a dark brown lower level clad in wooden siding, stood quietly in the morning light. Crossing the Ishikawa Bridge just beyond it, I finally arrived at Kenrokuen Garden.

I entered Kenrokuen using the ticket I had purchased earlier at the “Hishi Yagura Turret, Gojukken Nagaya Storehouse, Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki Yagura Turret, Hashizume-mon Gate Entrance.” There were already a fair number of visitors scattered around the garden. Being able to spend the final part of this journey strolling slowly through Kenrokuen, taking in the atmosphere and elegance of the garden with its scattered yukitsuri snow supports, was, needless to say, a quiet joy.

金沢城公園 ― Part 9

辰巳櫓跡の手前では、朝のオレンジ色の光を放つ太陽が、左手前の常緑林を通して木漏れ日となり、柔らかく差し込んでいた。 視界の向こうには黒っぽい柵が周囲を囲んでおり、その上には雪が静かに積もっている。 柵の先のふもとには常緑樹が生い茂り、さらに遠くには青い山脈が連なっていた。 その間から金沢の市街地がわずかに見える。 この光景が、本当に美しかった。

朝の不安定な曇り空から、今は青空がのぞき、辰巳櫓跡から見えるこの景色は、ちょっとした安息の地のようであった。 そして、この辺りからの景色は、どこか落ち着く。 そんな “少し一休み” といった雰囲気のある場所でもあった。 しばらくここで何も考えずに景色を眺め、再び戻り道の雪道へと歩を進めていった。

再び本丸の森の中へと入っていく。 しばらく歩いていくと、足元に看板が見えた。 「石川門口」と書かれ、その下には左方向を示す赤い矢印と「兼六園」の文字。 よし、と思い、そのまま進んでいく。

途中、雪が解けて沼地のようになった歩道に遭遇する。 「これは……」と一旦立ち止まる。 スノーシューズを履いていたので少し安心しつつも、気を付けながらゆっくりと歩いていく。 ところどころ同じような場所に出くわしながらも注意して進み、雪道の中をさらに歩いていく。 太陽の位置もだいぶ高くなってきたのか、視界が徐々に明るくなってきた。

視界の先には、雪をかぶった菱櫓と五十間長屋がふっと姿を見せる。 桜の冬木立のある場所から眺める菱櫓と五十間長屋は、桜こそ咲いていないものの、今の季節ならではの冬景色を堪能できる。 この下を降りていくと、鶴丸倉庫が見えていた。

ここで右側に小道を見つけ、さらに歩いていく。 どうやらこの先にも展望台のような場所がありそうだ。 朝の光に導かれるように、雪道を進んでいく。

近づくと、雪で半分埋もれた階段が見えてきた。 青空と雲が混じり合う空模様の中、右上からは朝の柔らかなオレンジ色の光が差し込んでいる。 頭上には桜の冬木立がアーチ状に広がり、これらすべてのコントラストがあまりにも美しかったため、写真を撮る。 天国への階段、とでも言うべき光景。 そんな美しい雪景色の階段が、まるで空へと続くかのように伸びていた。 しばらくそこで、この美しい光景を眺める。

手前には、屋根に雪をかぶった木製の看板が立てかけられている。 以前見た本丸や辰巳櫓跡の看板と同じ作りだ。 そして、この場所が丑寅櫓跡だった。 そこからは市街地が左奥に見え、手前には常緑樹や雪に覆われた建物が広がっていた。 景色の先や周辺は、柔らかな朝の光で大分明るく照らされていた。

丑寅櫓跡を出て、次は重要文化財の鶴丸倉庫へ向かう。 積雪の中、下り坂を進んでいくと、すでにその姿が見えていたため、迷うことなくたどり着く。 白い雲の混じった青空、左側に見える桜の冬木立、そして重要文化財の鶴丸倉庫が堂々とした姿で目の前に現れた。 ここで一度立ち止まり、その姿を静かに眺める。

その後、視界が開けた雪景色の中を歩いていくと、重要文化財の石川門が見えてきた。 白漆喰の上層と、黒褐色の下見板張りの下層を持つ二重櫓門の姿が、朝の光の中で静かに佇んでいる。 その先の石川橋を渡り、たどり着いたのが兼六園だった。

「菱櫓 五十間長屋 橋爪門続櫓 橋爪門の入口」で購入したチケットで兼六園を訪れる。 すでに観光客の姿もちらほら見える。 旅の最後に、雪吊りが点在する兼六園の風情と趣のある庭園を、ゆったりと楽しむことができたのは言うまでもない。

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