Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Traditional Arts and Crafts — Attraction in Kanazawa

Don’t be fooled by the museum’s drab exterior - this small museum located on the southeast side of Kenrokuen houses a wonderful overview of the 36 different heritage arts and crafts of Ishikawa prefecture. You can get through it in an hour and it costs under $2 (¥260), so it might be worth a quick stop if you are visiting Kenrokuen - just exit via the Kodatsuno Gate and you are right there.

To be fair, I happen to love handicrafts, so I loved learning things like why Kanazawa paper lanterns are stronger than their counterparts or all the various steps of Wajima lacquerware. But even if you’re not an arts and crafts nerd, you might just appreciate the artistry of the craftspeople. Unfortunately, not all of the displays have English translations, so bear that in mind.

The first floor is dedicated to modern artisans and also a very nice gift shop - this...

The museum is small but the right size to tell the stories of the many traditions of Ishikawa arts and crafts. The brochure calls out 36 different crafts, from porcelain to silk to gold leaf to taiko drums and fishing flies. If you are curious about old traditions here, and how things are made, this will scratch that itch. I found it fascinating, and digestible, too. Enough to explain then move on. I liked it as much as the Arts & Crafts museum in Mexico City, which is...

Genuinely my favourite part of Kanazawa. Despite being directly next to the Kenrokuen gardens, which are teeming with tourists, the museum was incredibly peaceful! I took the time to stop and sketch some things I liked, and I was undisturbed the entire time. It was an absolutely wonderful escape from the crowds outside, with so much interesting information about local crafts! If you're a crafter, this is a...