Kanazawa’s main rail­way sta­tion is a fas­ci­nat­ing fusion of past and future. In front of it sits a vast tra­di­tion­al wood­en torii gate of the sort usu­al­ly found out­side Japan­ese shrines, while the entrance to the sta­tion itself is cov­ered by the sparkling alu­mini­um-and-glass Mote­nashi Dome. Every detail has been metic­u­lous­ly thought through – includ­ing the daz­zling plat­form columns which are embell­ished with gold leaf, one of Kanazawa’s most famous exports.