Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art
The Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art has a collection of over 4,000 pieces that exemplify Ishikawa’s arts and crafts traditions and demonstrate the region’s important role in the culture and history of Japan. The collection includes a National Treasure, six Important Cultural Properties, and many works by the prefecture’s esteemed Holders of Important Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The museum is one of the oldest regional art museums in the country. It was founded in 1959 at a smaller facility on the edge of Kenrokuen Garden. The current building opened in 1983 and is located at the heart of Kanazawa’s greenery-rich cultural district.
Between permanent and temporary exhibits, around 250 pieces are on display at any given time. Visitors can view craft techniques and styles synonymous with Ishikawa, such as Kutani ware, Kaga yūzen textiles, and gold-decorated lacquerware. Also on display are antiquities that reflect the region’s history, including Buddhist sutras and swords and horse tack from the ruling Maeda family. The collection spans more than two millennia, from Jōmon-period (10,000–300 BCE) pottery to twenty-first-century oil paintings and photography, illuminating the evolution of Ishikawa’s cultural heritage.