Experience the Extraordinary 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa: Interactive Exhibits& Unique Architecture
During the Edo period, Kanazawa flourished as a castle town of Kaga's "million koku," and today it remains a beautiful city where history and tradition are still very much alive. "Million koku" refers to rice production volume - a unit that represented economic power in those days - meaning that the former Kaga Domain boasted top-class prosperity in Japan at that time.
The remnants of this prosperity can still be found throughout the city today, with numerous spots where you can feel the essence of "traditional Japan" wherever you walk, such as Kenroku-en Garden and Higashi Chaya District.
On the other hand, Kanazawa is also known as a city of contemporary art. This time, we'll introduce the notable spot "21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa," which is a symbolic presence of Kanazawa as a contemporary art city, along with its many attractions.
Table of Contents
-Overview and Concept of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
-Highlights and Attractions of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, -Kanazawa
-Popular Exhibition Works at 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
-Top 3 recommended tourist destinations for people interested in art
Kanazawa is known not only for its gourmet food and traditions, but also as a city of contemporary art
When people think of Kanazawa, many will recall Kenroku-en Garden (one of Japan's three most famous gardens), the historic tea districts that have continued since the Edo period, and fresh seafood caught in the Sea of Japan. In fact, this beautiful castle town is also known as a city of contemporary art. First, let me introduce the "21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa," which is a symbolic presence of Kanazawa as a contemporary art city.
Particularly famous is the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, created with the aim of "creating new culture"
The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa is a symbolic presence of Kanazawa as a contemporary art city. Opening in 2004, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa was born not merely as an exhibition facility, but with clear missions of "creating new culture" and "creating new vitality for the city."
The circular glass building designed by architect SANAA adopts an innovative design that allows entry from any direction, based on the concept of "a museum like a park open to the city." (I will introduce architect SANAA later.)
Inside the museum, numerous experiential contemporary art works are displayed, including Leandro Erlich's "Swimming Pool," realizing a transformation from the traditional "viewing" museum to an "experiencing" museum, making it the center of Kanazawa as a contemporary art city with over one million visitors annually. (I will introduce the "Swimming Pool" later.)
Overview and Concept of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
Source:Official website
Located in the center of Kanazawa city, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa opened in 2004 with the concept of "a museum like a park open to the city." The circular glass architecture creates an open feeling where you can enter and exit from anywhere in the building, allowing you to casually drop by as if it were part of the city.
The exhibited works are contemporary art by domestic and international artists, with abundant experiential installations that you can not only view but also touch and enter. A key feature is that it's designed to be enjoyable for families with children and is accessible to art beginners.
The architecture is designed by the world-renowned architect unit SANAA (Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa). SANAA has won numerous international architectural awards including the Pritzker Prize and the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects, and the building itself attracts attention as a work of art.
This 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, where art seems to blend into the city, is a spot beloved by both tourists and locals. If you visit Kanazawa, this is definitely one of the places you should stop by.
Highlights and Attractions of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
Experience the mysterious sensation of becoming one with the artworks
Source:Official website
The greatest attraction of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa is that visitors can experience the mysterious sensation of "becoming one" with the artworks, rather than simply "viewing" them.
In the "Swimming Pool," a mechanism with a thin layer of water on transparent glass makes people appear to be underwater when viewed from above, while those entering the underground section can experience looking up at the water surface from underwater.
"Blue Planet Sky" is a meditative space where you quietly observe natural light streaming through a square opening in the ceiling. When I actually visited, I was enveloped in a sensation different from usual.
The circular glass architecture designed by SANAA is also one of the highlights. The transparency makes the boundary between inside and outside ambiguous, and the multi-directionality allowing entry from anywhere creates a maze-like circulation experience.
Many works that you can actually touch and play with, allowing you to enjoy interaction with art
Source:Official website
The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa displays numerous "experimental contemporary artworks that visitors can touch and sit on," providing a space enjoyable for everyone from children to adults.
The "Rabbit Chair" designed by SANAA, who designed the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, is popular as an Instagram-worthy spot. These adorable chairs that mimic rabbit ears can actually be sat on and are installed in the free area, making them easily accessible.
Outdoors, there are also plenty of interactive works that children can play with. Florian Claar's "Klangfeld Nr. 3 für Alarena" consists of 12 tubes paired underground as speaking tubes, where voices can be heard from unexpected places, which is delightful.
Many works are displayed that can be viewed for free
Source:Official website
At the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, many artworks can be enjoyed for free. The museum is divided into the "Communication Zone (free)" and "Exhibition Zone (paid)," and the Communication Zone alone offers plenty to see.
For example, the aforementioned "Blue Planet Sky" and "Color Activity House," where you can experience changes in color and light, are works by world-class artists that can be viewed for free.
The Citizens' Gallery, Art Library, and Museum Shop are also free to enter. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa is perfect for those who find visiting art museums somewhat intimidating.
Popular Exhibition Works at 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
Here we introduce three popular exhibition works at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. Some works can be viewed for free, so please check them out.
Swimming Pool (by Leandro Erlich)
"Swimming Pool" is one of the representative artworks at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. The mysterious sight of people appearing to stand underwater makes you wonder about the mechanism behind it.
The mechanism of this work is ingenious - by placing just 10 centimeters of water on transparent glass and creating a "waterless" space underground, it creates the illusion from above that people are walking underwater. Additionally, visitors can view this work from both the ground level and underground sections.
In fact, the experience of looking up at the water surface from the underground section is fantastical, and the mysterious experience of feeling like you're underwater is impressive - I can't forget my experience at that time.
"Swimming Pool" is located in the "Exhibition Zone (paid admission)," so viewing requires purchasing an exhibition ticket. Also, entering the underground section of "Swimming Pool" requires advance reservation.
<Information>
Swimming Pool Viewing Reservation:https://www.kanazawa21.jp/data_list.php?g=120&d=1
The Man Who Measures the Clouds (by Jan Fabre)
The impressive bronze statue standing on the rooftop of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa is "The Man Who Measures the Clouds." Created in 1998, this work was inspired by the 1961 American film "Birdman of Alcatraz," and the title's origin comes from a prisoner's line who, when deprived of research freedom, answered "I'll spend my time measuring clouds."
This statue, molded from the artist's own body, contains various themes including thoughts about his deceased brother, human life and death, and natural science and poetic acts.
The Green Bridge (by Patrick Blanc)
Source:Official website
The "green wall" placed on the wall facing the glass corridor was created by Patrick Blanc, who is also a botanist.
As many as 100 species of plants are planted on a wall surface of just 14 centimeters. This work features a well-balanced arrangement of diverse plants: deutzia and iris in spring, hosta and hydrangea in summer, bush clover in autumn, and farfugium in winter.
I felt it was very beautiful with the green standing out against the white building.
The vertical garden, 13 meters long and 5 meters high, has different sunlight exposure depending on location, so plants suitable for each condition are selected. This work expresses the artist's theory that plants can adapt even in limited environments.
Access to 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
Address: 1-2-1 Hirosaka, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Opening Hours: Community Zone: 9:00-22:00
Exhibition Zone: 10:00-18:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays)(Opening hours vary for each facility.)
Closed Days: Community Zone: New Year holidays
Exhibition Zone: Mondays (if it's a holiday, closed the following weekday), New Year holidays(Closure days for each facility follow the Exhibition Zone schedule.)
Phone Number: 076-220-2800
Official Website: https://www.kanazawa21.jp/
Access: From JR Kanazawa Station Bus Terminal Kenrokuen Exit (East Exit) platforms 3 and 8, approximately 10 minutes to "Hirosaka・21st Century Museum" stop, immediately upon alighting.
When you come to Kanazawa, enjoy the traditional streetscapes with local guidance
If you want to know more about Kanazawa's charm, we recommend the Kanazawa Half-day Historical Walking Tour, where you can walk through the city with a local guide. This tour packs in Kanazawa's representative attractions and allows you to visit them all in just half a day.
First, let's enjoy fresh seafood and Kaga vegetables at Omicho Market, which has over 300 years of history. Next, we'll visit Kenroku-en Garden, which boasts beauty in all four seasons, and Kanazawa Castle Park, which is associated with the Maeda family who ruled the Kaga domain. Furthermore, after experiencing traditional Japanese confectionery making at the Wagashi Museum and tasting it with matcha tea, we'll stroll through the Higashi Chaya District.
The charm of this tour is that while walking through tourist attractions, the guide shares local episodes and insider knowledge, making the city's history and culture feel much more familiar and accessible.
This is the perfect tour for those who want a special experience where they feel they've not just "seen" Kanazawa, but truly "gotten to know" it. By the time you return, you'll surely love Kanazawa even more!
Meeting point: In front of FamilyMart + Drug Komeya Kanazawa Musashi Store
Tour area: historical sites of Kanazawa
Start time: 10:00
Top 3 recommended tourist destinations for people interested in art
Ishikawa Prefectural Library
Source:Good Design Award
Ishikawa Prefectural Library has become a new style where you can enjoy encounters with books in a beautiful space that's like an art museum.
The Ishikawa Prefectural Library, nicknamed "Hyakumangoku Biblio Baum," which opened in 2022, features an innovative exterior design that truly resembles "turning the pages of a book." Inside, there's a magnificent atrium space like a circular theater, with 70,000 books arranged in terraced steps.
This library overturns the conventional concept of a "quiet library" and is designed as an open space where conversation is welcome. It also has about 500 diverse reading seats, maker spaces, and cafes.
The architecture of Ishikawa Prefectural Library has been highly praised internationally and won the iF Design Award 2024, a global design award. Since photography is allowed, it's also gaining popularity as an Instagram-worthy spot and becoming a new standard destination.
Information:
Address: 2-43-1 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Operating hours: Reading area: Weekdays 9:00-19:00, Weekends and holidays 9:00-18:00
Cultural exchange area: Weekdays 9:00-21:00, Weekends and holidays 9:00-18:00
Closed: Mondays
Phone: 076-223-9565
Official website: https://www.library.pref.ishikawa.lg.jp/
Access: From JR Kanazawa Station, take Hokutetsu bus to "Ishikawa Kenritsu Toshokan" or "Sakiura/Kenritsu Toshokan-guchi"
HIMITO
Source:Google Maps
HIMITO is a small gallery quietly nestled on the first floor of a 6-story building along the Sai River.
HIMITO's charm lies in its unique artistic expression called "peel art." This art form creates beautiful lanterns and decorative items using orange and lemon peels that would normally be thrown away, representing a contemporary expression of Japan's "mottainai" (waste not) spirit.
The most impressive feature inside the gallery is the fantastical space created by over 10,000 dandelion seeds. I experienced a sensation as if I had wandered into another world. It's also popular as a photo spot for social media. Not only can you observe, but peel art workshops are also held (reservation required).
Information:
Address: Hakuo Building 1F, 51 Nakagawa-yokecho, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Operating hours: 12:34-16:30 (last entry 16:30)
Special time: 11:30-12:30 (reservation-only private booking)
Peel art experience: 11:00-12:30 (reservation required)
Closed: Irregular holidays
Phone: 076-224-3730
Official website: https://www.himitokanazawa.com/
Access: From JR Kanazawa Station, take the loop bus to Sakurabashi, then 3 minutes on foot
KAMU KANAZAWA
Source:Google Maps
KAMU KANAZAWA is a private contemporary art museum in Kanazawa City that opened on June 21, 2020. The most innovative feature of this museum is its "touring museum" concept, where instead of displaying all works in a single building like conventional museums, it scatters art spaces throughout multiple locations in Kanazawa City.
KAMU KANAZAWA currently operates six spaces, and visitors purchase tickets at the core facility "KAMU Center," receive a map, and explore each space's artworks while walking through the city. Each space is located within a 5-15 minute walk, providing a new museum experience of encountering art while enjoying city strolls.
The highlight is "INFINITE STAIRCASE." This is a work by world-renowned artist Leandro Erlich, who is known for his "Swimming Pool" at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, making this connection particularly special for art enthusiasts familiar with Kanazawa's contemporary art scene.
Photographer Daido Moriyama's "Lip Bar" is a space with a lip motif that actually operates as a bar at night.
Information:
Address: KAMU Center, 1-1-52 Hirosaka, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Operating hours: 11:00-18:00
Closed: Mondays (open if Monday is a holiday)
Phone: (None)
Official website: https://www.ka-mu.com/
When you come to Kanazawa, also savor the local exquisite cuisine!
If you want to enjoy food in Kanazawa, we recommend the Kanazawa Night Foodie Tour! This 3.5-hour tour features an English-speaking local guide who will take you to hidden gem restaurants that tourists can rarely find on their own.
Centered around Kanazawa's entertainment district, the Katamachi area, you'll visit three popular local izakayas and bars, savoring Kanazawa's distinctive cuisine including sashimi, fried foods, and heartwarming oden. At each establishment, you can also enjoy drinks such as local sake, matcha, and Japanese sweets, and since all food and beverages are included, you can participate empty-handed.
Furthermore, you can stroll through the historic samurai district streets with your guide and hear fascinating stories about Kanazawa's culture and history. Since it's a small group tour, first-time visitors and solo travelers can participate with peace of mind. The guide will also support you with ordering food and menu selection, so there's no need to worry about language barriers.
This is the perfect tour for those who want to experience Kanazawa's authentic flavors and atmosphere. Why not spend an unforgettable evening at restaurants beloved by locals?
Meeting point: In front of the clothing store "BEAMS" in Korinbo Ramoda Bldg.
Tour area: Katamachi
Start time: 18:00