KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa 2026 Opens November 27; A Record 49 Galleries

“KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa 2026,” an art fair dedicated to kogei (crafts), will be held at Hyatt Centric Kanazawa in Kanazawa from Friday, November 27 to Sunday, November 29, 2026. This year, its 10th edition, a record 49 galleries will take part. The fair uses hotel guest rooms, with each gallery exhibiting and selling works in one room. The 27th is a VIP preview for invited guests only, and the fair is open to the public on the 28th and 29th. It is organized by the KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa Executive Committee.

A crafts art fair that began in 2017 reaches its 10th edition

The executive committee bills it as “the only art fair in Japan dedicated to kogei” (according to the committee’s own research). It has been held in Kanazawa since 2017, and this year marks its 10th edition and 10th anniversary. It positions itself as a place to present new aesthetics and values in kogei, from young artists in Japan and abroad to internationally active ones. Its tagline is “The kogei you should acquire now is here.”

The executive committee is chaired by Matsutaro Fukumitsu, chairman of the Kanazawa Craft Business Creation Organization. The fair is managed by the certified NPO Shuto Kanazawa and co-organized by that organization and Kanazawa Art Space Link. Its adviser is Yuji Akimoto, professor emeritus at Tokyo University of the Arts, with cooperation from the kogei project “GO FOR KOGEI.” Ishikawa Prefecture, Kanazawa City, The Hokkoku Shimbun and others are listed as supporters.

Which galleries and artists are taking part?

Of the 49 galleries, 48 are from Japan and one, GalleryLVS, is from South Korea; nine are taking part for the first time. The number is up from 42 galleries last year (2025) (according to the organizer). From Tokyo come TARO NASU, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Röntgenwerke and Shibuya Kuroda Toen, among others, and from Ishikawa, ArtShop Tsukibae, Yamanoue Gallery and others. Galleries from Aichi, Osaka, Kyoto, Gifu, Hyogo and elsewhere also take part.

An August press release listed some of the participating artists (subject to change), including Ayaka Miyata (YOD Gallery), Koichi Uchida (Shibuya Kuroda Toen), Peter Voulkos (Gallery Kenmiko & Kenji Taki Gallery), Mayu Nakata (ArtShop Tsukibae) and Mika Tajima (TARO NASU). The release also includes an image of Naoki Koide’s “Matchutcho Pi” (2025, Tomio Koyama Gallery). The names of Ryan Gander, Wang Yu-lin and others also appear on the official website’s top page.

A 10th-anniversary symposium: “What Kind of Relationship Will KOGEI Form with the World?”

On Saturday, November 28, from 14:30 to 17:30, a symposium will be held on the venue’s 2nd floor as a special 10th-anniversary program. Planned jointly with GO FOR KOGEI, it features three speakers discussing kogei from their respective standpoints to consider what kind of relationship “KOGEI” can build with today’s world.

Cultural researcher Hiroki Yamamoto (associate professor, Jissen Women’s University), who curated the Japan Pavilion at the 2024 Gwangju Biennale, will give a lecture titled “Craft Currents Read Through the History of Contemporary Art.” Gong Jow-jiun, director of the Tainan Art Museum, will speak on “The Possibilities of Craft Seen Through the Exhibition ‘Skin and Viscera: Self, World, Time’” (with consecutive interpretation), and moderator Yuji Akimoto will also give a lecture. The program ends with a panel discussion.

Participation is free, but an invitation or admission ticket for the fair is required, and applications through a Google Form are given priority. According to the August press release, gallery tours, artist talks and other events are also planned to mark the 10th anniversary.

Tickets, prices and opening hours

Tickets cost 2,500 yen in advance and 3,000 yen on the day, and both are passes valid for the two public days. They can be bought on the ticket site “ART PASS,” linked from the official website.

Public hours are 11:00 to 19:00 on Saturday, November 28 (last entry 18:30) and 11:00 to 18:00 on Sunday, November 29 (last entry 17:30). The venue occupies the 2nd, 4th and 5th floors of Hyatt Centric Kanazawa, with reception on the 2nd floor.

Editor’s perspective

The 10th edition of the fair has expanded its number of participating galleries to a record, and its 10th-anniversary symposium asks about the relationship between “KOGEI” and the world. Because each gallery uses one guest room, visitors view the works by moving from room to room, from the reception on the 2nd floor to the guest rooms on the 4th and 5th floors.

At the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, “From Today to Tomorrow: Passing On Artworks,” the last special exhibition before the museum’s long-term closure from May 2027, opened on Saturday, October 31. The artists in Gallery 4, “Laboratory of Passing On,” include Mika Tajima, who is also named among TARO NASU’s artists at the fair. The exhibition is introduced in detail in our article on the last special exhibition before the closure. Fairs from winter onward are compiled in our art fair and art festival calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Are tickets valid for one day only?

Both advance tickets (2,500 yen) and same-day tickets (3,000 yen) are passes valid for both public days, November 28 and 29.

Can I enter on Friday, November 27?

The 27th is a VIP preview for invited guests only, so general visitors can enter on the 28th and 29th.

Can I buy works?

According to the official website, it is a fair at which participating galleries exhibit and sell works by artists ranging from young talents to internationally active figures.

Overview

Name: KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa 2026
Dates: Friday, November 27 – Sunday, November 29, 2026 (VIP preview, by invitation only, on the 27th)
Hours: Friday, November 27, 13:00–19:00 (VIP preview); Saturday, November 28, 11:00–19:00; Sunday, November 29, 11:00–18:00 (last entry 30 minutes before closing each day)
Venue: Hyatt Centric Kanazawa, 2F, 4F and 5F (reception on 2F)
Address: 1-5-2 Hirooka, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture
Admission: Advance tickets 2,500 yen, same-day tickets 3,000 yen (both valid for two days)
Organizer: KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa Executive Committee
Management: Shuto Kanazawa (certified NPO)
Co-organizers: Kanazawa Craft Business Creation Organization, Kanazawa Art Space Link
Cooperation: GO FOR KOGEI
Official website: https://kogei-artfair.jp/
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Mayu Nakata [ArtShop Tsukibae] (from a press release by the KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa Executive Committee)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on a press release from the KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa Executive Committee (August 3, 2026) and information on the official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team