[Autumn/Winter 2026] Art Spots in Kanazawa: Before the 21st Century Museum Closes, Plus the National Crafts Museum and D. T. Suzuki Museum

In Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, the National Crafts Museum, the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art and the D. T. Suzuki Museum are clustered in the area stretching from Hirosaka to Dewamachi and Hondamachi. In Teramachi is the Yoshiro and Yoshio Taniguchi Museum of Architecture, Kanazawa. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa is scheduled to close from May 6, 2027 to March 2028 for major repair work. On Saturday, October 31, its final special exhibition before the closure, “From Today to Tomorrow: Passing On Works of Art,” opened. Here are each facility’s exhibitions, opening hours, prices and access.

Why Kanazawa now? The 21st Century Museum’s closure and “passing on”

According to press materials from the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa in February 2026, the closure is for renewing and repairing equipment such as air conditioning and electrical systems, and will be the museum’s first major renovation. During the closure, it plans to hold the “Kanazawa Machinaka Art Festival,” with details to be announced once decided.

The final special exhibition before the closure, “From Today to Tomorrow,” reexamines what it means to pass works of art on to the future. It presents the processes of research, restoration, re-performance and documentation as part of the exhibition, and treats the permanent works inside and outside the museum as part of the display as well. Ahead of the closure, it shows the very work of a museum: preserving artworks for the future.

Other facilities in the city are also active. The National Crafts Museum, which relocated to Ishikawa Prefecture and opened in 2020, is holding its first exhibition since the move that comprehensively introduces three-dimensional and graphic design. From Friday, November 27 to Sunday, November 29, “KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa 2026,” an art fair specializing in crafts, will be held at Hyatt Centric Kanazawa with 49 participating galleries (our article on KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa 2026).

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa: the final special exhibition before the closure and free exhibitions

“From Today to Tomorrow: Passing On Works of Art” runs from Saturday, October 31 to Sunday, April 18, 2027, in Galleries 1 to 6 and the free zone. In Gallery 2, James Turrell’s “Gasworks,” in which visitors lie down and enter a sphere to experience changes in light and color, is shown for the first time in 16 years. The experience is free but requires a same-day exhibition ticket; registration is on the day, first come, first served, for 8 people each in the morning and afternoon, with about 10 minutes per person.

Gallery 4, “Laboratory of Inheritance,” shows works by Kiyoshi Awazu, Yoshitomo Nara, Yuko Mohri, Rhizomatiks and others in three periods. Gallery 5 changes from Kenji Yanobe (until January 31, 2027) to Chiharu Shiota (from February 2). In Gallery 6, “About the Room of Memories” by Chiharu Shiota + Toshiki Okada is performed and exhibited, with performances planned in three periods: November 19 – December 1, January 19–31, 2027, and March 26 – April 4. Details are introduced in our article on the final special exhibition before the closure.

Two free exhibitions are also on view. In “Hitoshi Ushijima and Hiraki Sawa: Landscapes Together,” part of the series “With Noto,” Ushijima has moved and reconstructed “Pine Cloud, Sea Wind, Barge Cloud.” The work was shown at the Oku-Noto Triennale 2023, collapsed in a landslide caused by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and had been slated for dismantling. Sawa presents a new video installation, “Black and White” (2026), based on research in Suzu.

The Design Gallery is showing “NEUTRAL COLORS NEW CIRCUIT,” which introduces the activities of the independent publisher NEUTRAL COLORS, founded in 2019. The venue transforms into a publishing house and a printing and binding workshop in step with the work from editing to printing and binding. Both exhibitions run until April 18, 2027.

The free zone (entering the building) is free. To enter the underground part of Leandro Erlich’s “Swimming Pool,” you need a ticket for the special exhibition or the collection exhibition, and then must make a time-slot reservation, accepted from 9:00 on the day (online or at the ticket machine at the Hondadori entrance information desk). The underground part is closed until Friday, October 30 for an exhibition changeover.

Hours: Exhibition zone 10:00–18:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays); free zone 9:00–22:00
Closed: For “From Today to Tomorrow,” Mondays (open on November 23, January 11 and March 22), November 24, December 29 – January 1, January 12, March 23. Special opening on October 26 and special closure on October 27
Admission: “From Today to Tomorrow”: adults 1,200 yen (1,000 yen online and for groups), university students 800 yen, elementary, junior high and high school students 400 yen, 65 and over 1,000 yen
Address: 1-2-1 Hirosaka, Kanazawa, Ishikawa
Access: About 10 minutes by bus from stop 3 or 8 at the Kenrokuen Exit (East Exit) of JR Kanazawa Station; right by the “Hirosaka / 21seiki Bijutsukan” stop
Official website: https://www.kanazawa21.jp/

National Crafts Museum: the Design Chronicle exhibition, followed by a kintsugi exhibition from February

The National Crafts Museum occupies buildings that relocated and reuse the former Army Ninth Division Headquarters, built in 1898 (Meiji 31), and the former Army Kanazawa Kaikosha, built in 1909 (Meiji 42). The two buildings became national Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in 1997. On the 2nd floor is “Gonroku Matsuda’s Workshop,” a relocated and restored version of the studio of Kanazawa-born lacquer artist Gonroku Matsuda. The collection numbers about 4,400 works.

“Design Chronicle: What Was Born, What Changed?” runs until Monday, January 11, 2027 (a public holiday). Centered on the museum’s design collection, the exhibition traces just over 100 years in four chapters, from the Arts and Crafts movement and Art Nouveau to Art Deco, modernist design and postwar developments. Major works include Christopher Dresser’s “Kettle and Stand” and Charles and Ray Eames’s “Wire Mesh Chair” (our article on the Design Chronicle exhibition).

Next, the “Kintsugi Exhibition” runs from February 26 to June 6, 2027. The museum is also providing special cooperation for the exhibition “Who Does Jewelry Dream Of?” opening October 24 at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (our museum guide to Okazaki, Kyoto).

Hours: 9:30–17:30 (last entry 17:00)
Closed: Mondays (open on November 23 and January 11), Tuesday, November 24, December 29 – January 1
Admission: Design Chronicle: adults 1,200 yen, university students 800 yen. Free on Culture Day (November 3)
Address: 3-2 Dewamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa
Access: About 12 minutes by bus from stop 6 at the Kenrokuen Exit (East Exit) of JR Kanazawa Station (except buses bound for Yanagibashi), then a 5-minute walk from the “Dewamachi” stop
Official website: https://www.momat.go.jp/craft-museum/

Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art: from Shugoro Hasuda to autumn and winter special displays

At the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art, also in Dewamachi like the National Crafts Museum, the special exhibition “Shugoro Hasuda: A Window Opening onto the World” runs until Sunday, October 25. Kanazawa-born Shugoro Hasuda (1915–2010) was an artist who worked across metal craft, sculpture and architecture. After visiting Germany, he added “metal forms connected with architecture” to his themes. Hasuda is also among the artists in “Laboratory of Inheritance” at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa.

After closing for an exhibition changeover (October 26–29), the museum holds special displays including “Kazuya Takamitsu: 40 Years After His Death” from Friday, October 30 to Monday, December 7. “Crafts and Design of Kenko: 140th Anniversary of Ishikawa Prefectural Technical High School” runs over the same period. The group exhibition “73rd Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition, Kanazawa” was held from October 30 to November 8. According to the annual schedule, the National Treasure “Pheasant-shaped Incense Burner with Overglaze Enamels” (Nonomura Ninsei) and the Important Cultural Property “Female Pheasant-shaped Incense Burner with Overglaze Enamels” are shown in Gallery 1 (the Pheasant Incense Burner Room).

Hours: 9:30–18:00 (entry to galleries until 17:30)
Closed: Open every day during exhibitions. Closed during exhibition changes and over the New Year holidays (October 26–29, December 8–11, December 29 – January 3, January 25 – February 10, 2027, etc.)
Admission: Collection exhibition: adults 370 yen, university students 290 yen, 65 and over 290 yen, high school students and younger free / Shugoro Hasuda: adults 1,000 yen, university students 800 yen
Address: 2-1 Dewamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa
Access: About a 5-minute walk from the “Dewamachi” bus stop, or about 5 minutes from “Hirosaka / 21seiki Bijutsukan (Ishiura Jinja-mae)”
Official website: https://www.ishibi.pref.ishikawa.jp/

D. T. Suzuki Museum and the Yoshiro and Yoshio Taniguchi Museum of Architecture, Kanazawa

There are two museums designed by architect Yoshio Taniguchi. The D. T. Suzuki Museum, built in 2011, is a facility for conveying and experiencing the thought and footsteps of Kanazawa-born Buddhist philosopher D. T. Suzuki. It links three spaces, the Exhibition Space, Learning Space and Contemplative Space, with corridors, and has three gardens: the Vestibule Garden, the Roji Garden and the Water Mirror Garden.

The Yoshiro and Yoshio Taniguchi Museum of Architecture, Kanazawa opened in July 2019 on the site of the residence of Kanazawa-born architect Yoshiro Taniguchi, designed by his son Yoshio. A museum on the theme of architecture and urban development, it recreates the main Japanese-style room and tearoom of “Yushintei,” the Japanese-style annex of the State Guest House Akasaka Palace designed by Yoshiro. The opening information for the two museums is from “Kanazawa Tabi Monogatari,” Kanazawa City’s official tourism website run by the Kanazawa City Tourism Association.

D. T. Suzuki Museum: 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30). Closed on Mondays (the next weekday if a public holiday), over the New Year holidays and during exhibition changes. Admission: adults 310 yen, 65 and over 210 yen, high school students and younger free. 3-4-20 Hondamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa; about a 5-minute walk from the “Hondamachi” bus stop
Yoshiro and Yoshio Taniguchi Museum of Architecture, Kanazawa: 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30). Closed on Mondays (the next weekday if a public holiday), December 29 – January 3 and during exhibition changes. Admission: adults 310 yen, 65 and over 210 yen, high school students and younger free (separate fee for special exhibitions). 5-1-18 Teramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa; about a 3-minute walk from the “Hirokoji” bus stop

Access and getting around

From Kanazawa Station, route buses leave from the bus terminal at the Kenrokuen Exit (East Exit). For the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, the nearest stop is “Hirosaka / 21seiki Bijutsukan,” about 10 minutes from stop 3 or 8. For the National Crafts Museum, get off at “Dewamachi,” about 12 minutes from stop 6, and walk 5 minutes along a relatively flat road. From “Hirosaka / 21seiki Bijutsukan” to the National Crafts Museum is a 7- to 9-minute walk uphill.

On Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays until January 11, 2027 (except the Crafts Museum’s closed days and October 25), a free direct shuttle bus also runs between the West Exit of Kanazawa Station and the National Crafts Museum. It departs the West Exit at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00, with 15 seats per trip on a first-come, first-served basis. The Kanazawa Loop Bus leaves from stop 7 at the East Exit of Kanazawa Station; the nearest stop for the D. T. Suzuki Museum is “Hondamachi,” and for the Museum of Architecture “Hirokoji.”

By car, the National Crafts Museum and the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art can use a free parking lot (about 230 spaces) shared with nearby cultural facilities. For the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, use the underground “Kanazawa City Hall / Museum Parking” (319 spaces). The D. T. Suzuki Museum and the Museum of Architecture have no parking for general visitors.

Frequently asked questions

How long will the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa be open?

It is scheduled to close from May 6, 2027 to March 2028. Its final special exhibition before the closure, “From Today to Tomorrow,” runs until Sunday, April 18, 2027. During the closure, it plans to hold the “Kanazawa Machinaka Art Festival.”

Which exhibitions can I see for free?

The free zone of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa is free to enter, and the series “With Noto” and “NEUTRAL COLORS NEW CIRCUIT” are also free. At the National Crafts Museum, November 3, Culture Day, is a free admission day.

How do I get inside the “Swimming Pool”?

With a ticket for the special exhibition or the collection exhibition, make a time-slot reservation, accepted from 9:00 on the day. Phone reservations are not accepted, and visits to the underground part are limited to 5 minutes. The underground part is closed until October 30 for an exhibition changeover.

What about the light-ups at Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen?

The autumn installment of “Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Four Seasons Story” takes place on seven Saturdays and Sundays in November 2026 (November 7–29), and the winter installment on eight days between Saturday, February 6 and Saturday, February 27, 2027 (planned). Both run from 18:00 to 21:00, and Kanazawa Castle Park and Kenrokuen can be entered free of charge during the light-up hours. Schedule details and winter light events in Hokuriku and Koshinetsu are organized in our roundup of illuminations and light events in Hokuriku and Koshinetsu.

*Information as of October 20, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Marianne Brandt, “Tea Set,” c. 1925, collection of the National Crafts Museum. Photo: Arrow Art Works (from a press release by the Agency for Cultural Affairs)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on official announcements by each organizer and facility (as of October 20, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team