Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art in Kanazawa

Kanazawa escaped the wars that flattened so many Japanese cities, and its wealth of inherited beauty needs a keeper; that is this museum. Sitting in the cultural precinct beside Kenrokuen garden, the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art holds the region’s finest art and craft, from old Kutani porcelain blazing with overglaze colour to the gold sprinkled lacquer that the Kaga domain elevated into a regional religion.

The collection

The star piece is a national treasure, a seventeenth century incense burner in the form of a pheasant by the master potter Nonomura Ninsei, and the galleries around it rotate through paintings, ceramics, textiles and lacquer that trace how a provincial castle town became one of Japan’s great centres of refinement. Special exhibitions add contemporary and visiting shows. There is also a beloved patisserie cafe on site, run under a celebrated Ishikawa born pastry chef, and a coffee and cake here is a legitimate part of the visit.

Getting there

The museum stands just behind Kenrokuen, in the leafy cultural zone that also holds the prefectural crafts museum and the Noh museum. Loop buses from Kanazawa Station reach the Kenrokuen area stops in about 15 minutes, and everything in the precinct is then a short walk. Pairing the museum with the garden and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art makes a rounded Kanazawa day: classical, craft and contemporary within a few hundred metres.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I allow? An hour or so for the collection, longer with a special exhibition or cake involved.

Is there English? Key works carry English labels, enough to follow the story comfortably.

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