The National Crafts Museum 国立工芸館

The First National Art Museum by the Sea of Japan

The museum first opened in 1977 in Kitanomaru Park, near the Imperial Palace under its formal designation: "The Crafts Gallery- The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo". In 2020, it was transferred to Kanazawa city by the Japanese government to boost regional development by moving national institutions out of the capital. The gallery was then renamed the National Crafts Museum to serve as a culture communication hub for promoting crafts in Japan and around the world.

It is located in the Kenroku-en Area Cultural Zone, where historical and cultural sites dating back from the Shogunate era to the modern-day are concentrated around the beautiful Kenroku-en garden. This way, you can have an enchanting cultural tour of the town and enjoy the atmosphere from different historical periods of Japan.

 

An Essential Asset To Understanding Japanese Art and Crafts

The permanent collection comprises more than 3,900 works from a variety of fields, including ceramics, grass works, lacquerware, woodworks, bamboo works, textiles, dolls, metal works, industrial and graphic design. As it displays crafts created from the Meiji era to World War II, up until the present, it will take you through Japanese art history.

Some of the most splendid arts and crafts in the gallery were designed by preservers of Important Intangible Cultural Properties, also referred to as Living National Treasures. The museum truly stands out from other Japanese museums given its uncommonly wide variety of works and the quality of its collection. For that reason, it should not be missed when organizing an art-themed tour of Japan.

• Read also : Our selection of Japanese museums to visit

Immerse Yourself in the World of Japanese Craftsmanship

Upon arriving at the museum, visitors will find themselves in front of two Western-style buildings built during the Meiji era. They have been relocated and restored by the Ishikawa prefecture and Kanazawa city to match the exact colors and appearances they had at the time. The old 9th Division Command headquarters constructed in 1898 serves as the exhibition room and the old Army General Club built-in 1909 as the office building. They are both registered as Tangible Cultural Property and perfectly suit the museum’s atmosphere. Visitors enter through the central entrance, pass through the shop and library, and enter the exhibition rooms.

For visitors wishing to see how craftworks come to life, the museum also includes an emerging ideas section that displays sketches and designs drawn and refined by artisans.

Finally, to complete your experience you can participate in the museum’s Touch&Talk program where you will have the rare chance of using your senses to see and feel works from Living National Treasures and explore their secrets.