Kanazawa Museum Guide

There are many museums throughout Kanazawa, with a number of them, including the Prefectural Art Museum, Prefectural History Museum, Honda Museum and 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, concentrated around Kenrokuen. Note that various combination tickets are available for the museums.

Around Kenrokuen

21st Century Museum

Hours: 10:00 to 18:00 (Friday and Saturday until 20:00)
Closed: Mondays and New Year holidays
Admission: Varies by exhibition, typically 1200 yen

The 21st Century Museum is a popular museum which exhibits contemporary art by acclaimed artists from across the world. Well known, permanent installation include Leandro Erlich's "Swimming Pool" and James Turrell's "Blue Planet Sky".
Prefectural History Museum

Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (entry until 16:30)
Closed: December 28 to January 3 and irregular closures for maintenance
Admission: 300 yen (permanent exhibition)

Located in former factory buildings used for silk production, this well done museum introduces the natural and cultural history of Kanazawa and Ishikawa Prefecture. Information is available in English and Japanese. It displays both a permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Honda Museum

Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (entry until 16:30)
Closed: Thursdays in winter, December 29 to January 3
Admission: 400 yen

This museum exhibits treasures of the Honda family, the second most powerful family of Kanazawa during the Edo Period. Objects on display include samurai weapons and armor as well as paintings and calligraphy. The museum is located in the same brick building complex as the Prefectural History Museum.
D.T. Suzuki Museum

Hours: 9:30 to 17:00 (entry until 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday), December 29 to January 3
Admission: 310 yen

This museum commemorates the life and works of Buddhist philosopher Suzuki Daisetz Teitaro who was born in Kanazawa. The exhibitions introduce the visitor to Suzuki and his writings, while the architecture of the museum is an embodiment of his life and philosophy.
Prefectural Museum of Art

Hours: 9:30 to 18:00 (entry until 17:30)
Closed: No closing days
Admission: 370 yen

This museum hosts permanent and temporary exhibitions of local fine arts from the 15th to 20th centuries. On display are pieces of lacquerware, porcelain, swords, kimono, paintings, sculptures and more.
Museum for Traditional Products and Crafts

Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (entry until 16:45)
Closed: 3rd Thursday of the month (every Thursday in winter), New Year holidays
Admission: 260 yen

This museum displays famous handicrafts and products produced in Ishikawa Prefecture. Gold leaf and dyed silk kimono (using the local Kaga Yuzen technique) are some of the numerous products on exhibit.
Kanazawa Noh Museum

Hours: 10:00 to 18:00 (entry until 17:30)
Closed: Mondays (or Tuesdays if Monday is a holiday), New Year holidays
Admission: 310 yen

Standing not far from the 21st Century Museum, the Kanazawa Noh Museum introduces the traditional Japanese theater Noh with exhibits about theater architecture, costumes, masks and props used in performances. Visitors can also try on Noh masks and costumes in the experience corner.

Nagamachi District

Maeda Tosanokami-ke Shiryokan

Hours: 9:30 to 17:00 (entry until 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (or next day if Monday is a holiday), New Year holidays
Admission: 310 yen

This museum is dedicated to the Maeda family who once ruled over the region that is now Ishikawa Prefecture. The museum features samurai armor and other relics of the Maeda Clan.
Shinise Kinenkan Museum

Hours: 9:30 to 17:00 (entrance until 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (or next day if Monday is a holiday), New Year holidays
Admission: 100 yen

The Shinise Kinenkan is a restored shop from the Edo Period (1603-1868). Once a prominent pharmacy, it now is a museum that also displays local Kanazawa crafts.
Ashigaru Shiryokan Museum

Hours: 9:30 to 17:00
Closed: No closing days
Admission: Free

The ashigaru, or foot soldiers, were the lowest ranked soldiers of the samurai class. This small museum consists of two of their reconstructed homes, which illustrate the relatively austere lifestyle of the ashigaru.

Combination tickets

There are several combination tickets that provide entry to museums around Kanazawa and may be of interest to visitors. They can purchased at the ticket counters of each museum covered:

Kenrokuen Plus One Ticket (2-day pass for 500 yen)
This ticket is valid over two consecutive days and includes admission to Kenrokuen Garden and one of the following attractions of your choice: Kanazawa Castle, the Prefectural History Museum, the Prefectural Museum of Art, the Honda Museum, the Museum for Traditional Products and Crafts and the Ishikawa Kikokinen Cultural Exchange Center.
Kanazawa Cultural Attraction Passport (1-day pass for 520 yen, 3-day pass for 830 yen)
Available in one and three day versions, this pass covers entry to 17 cultural attractions around Kanazawa, including free admission to the Noh Museum, the D.T. Suzuki Museum, the Maeda Tosanokami-ke Shiryokan and the Shinise Kinenkan Museum. Passport holders also get discounted admission to the Prefectural History Museum, the Prefectural Museum of Art, the Honda Museum, the Museum for Traditional Products and Crafts and the Ishikawa Kikokinen Cultural Exchange Center.

How to get to and around Kanazawa

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Around Kenrokuen

Nagamachi District

Combination tickets

English

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art

Honda Museum

Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art

Ishikawa Prefectural History Museum

Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Traditional Arts and Crafts

Maeda Tosanokami-ke Shiryokan

D.T. Suzuki Museum

Kanazawa Noh Museum

Kanazawa Shinise Memorial Hall

Japanese