KANAZAWA, Japan – The National Crafts Museum, Japan’s only national art museum specializing in “kogei” (crafts), will hold the third of its Grand Opening Exhibitions titled “Modern Crafts and Tea Utensils: Furnishings in Each Season” from April 29 to July 4.
The museum houses about 3,900 works from the late 19th century to the present. These works cover various fields including ceramics, glass, lacquerware, woodwork, bamboo work, textiles, dolls, metalwork, industrial design and graphic design. The museum was originally located in Tokyo but relocated and reopened in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture in the northwest of Japan in 2020.
The museum buildings are renovated wooden Western-style buildings built about 100 years ago. In addition to exhibition rooms, the museum features the relocated and reassembled studio of lacquer artist Matsuda Gonroku, in an area that gives visitors a better feel for how the artisan worked and the tools he used, as well as permanently installed touch panels and video installations which explain Japanese crafts terminology and techniques. All of these are available in English, Chinese and Korean and can be enjoyed by both adults and children.
In the vicinity of the National Crafts Museum are Kenroku-en, one of Japan’s three most beautiful gardens, and the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art, which houses 17th-century national treasures and other great pieces of art. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa is also within a walking distance.
Kanazawa is a city with many historical buildings and rich traditional culture. There are several tea house streets lined with traditional townhouse architecture, and there are many shops where visitors can buy craft goods. In the evening, they can enjoy sushi made with fresh seafood, along with locally made sake.
It is a 2 1/2-hour train ride from Tokyo to Kanazawa on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. The National Crafts Museum is attracting attention as a new base for travel to Kanazawa, where visitors can fully experience Japanese culture, from the samurai era to the present.
Upcoming exhibition
April 29 – July 4, 2021
Modern Crafts and Tea Utensils: Furnishings in Each Season — The Third of the National Crafts Museum’s Grand Opening Exhibitions
Website: https://www.momat.go.jp/english/cg/
SOURCE National Crafts Museum