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Photo: Chongkian, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A craft museum that displays 36 types of traditional arts and crafts cultivated by the people who lived in Ishikawa. The exhibits are grouped by type and well-displayed.
The Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Traditional Arts and Crafts is a museum about traditional arts and crafts located in Kenroku-en, Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.
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石川県立美術館
This is a pleasant museum showcasing works by local artists hailing from Isihikawa prefecture. There are six galleries showing parts of the collection, which is rotated through the year. Many of the pieces come from the collection of the Maeda lords. The building provides nice views on the surrounding woods.
石川県立歴史博物館
Entry ¥250 (more when special exhibitions are held). 09:00-17:00 (last entry at 16:30). Housed in three long brick buildings, restored armouries from the time when the area was used by the Imperial Japanese Army, it features a chronological display of local history in a modern and well-laid-out setting. There is also an area for hands-on history, where you can try on various outfits, including samurai armour. As with most tourist sites in Kanazawa, an English-language pamphlet is available.
兼六園
The most famous sight in Kanazawa, the Garden of Six Attributes is considered one of Japan's Top 3 gardens. Once the outer pleasure gardens of the Maeda Lords, it gradually expanded to take over the entire block. While not completed in its final form until the waning years of the Edo Shogunate, it still represents one of the peaks of Japanese strolling garden design. The way in which water is piped from many kilometres upstream to fill its streams and ponds before going on to fill the castle moats is one of the great engineering feats of the Edo period. In part of the grounds, and with a steep separate ¥700 entrance fee, is the Seisonkaku Villa, built by a Maeda lord for his mother. Only part of it remains, but is a rare example of existing daimyo palace architecture. The upper floor, with its bright blues and reds, is in distinct contrast to the muted earth tones of Kyoto style. During cherry blossom season, entry to the park is free and it's open and lit up until 21:00.
鈴木大拙館
This small museum commemorates the life and works of Suzuki Daisetz Teitaro, a prominent Buddhist philosopher whose books were instrumental in spreading interest in Zen Buddhism in the West. The museum is organized around three areas: a first room exhibiting the writings and calligraphy of D.T. Suzuki, as well as pictures and explanations about his work and life; a second room where his books can be consulted and more can be learned about his writings. The third area is perhaps the most attractive part of the museum, as it is a contemplative space where visitors are invited to meditate and reflect while admiring the beautiful architecture and the surrounding woods. Even those not attracted to Buddhism or oriental philosophies may find the place worth a visit to enjoy the building's architecture.
金沢21世紀美術館
Located across from Kenroku-en, this modern marvel offers a fascinating juxtaposition to the traditional splendour of Kanazawa. Even if you don't enter the permanent or temporary exhibitions, the building itself is worth a look and there are usually some free exhibits inside. Some of the permanent collection can be seen for free. These include pieces by Jan Fabvre (an impressive statute on the roof of the building), the famous "swimming pool" by Leandro Erlich in the main courtyard inside the building as well as playful pieces in the garden surrounding the museum. Don't miss the cafe!
金沢城
At the center of Kanazawa is the former site of Kanazawa Castle. It has been vacated by the national university, which took over the site once used by the Ninth Division of the Imperial Army, the castle is public space now for the first time in its more than 400 years of history. The imposing Ishikawa Gate (石川門), so named as it faced the Ishikawa district, was once a side entrance to the castle grounds, but after several fires and man-made destruction, it is one of the few original buildings left on the site, the other being the Sanjikken Nagaya (三十間長屋) storehouse near the top. However the long Gojikken Nagaya (五十間長屋) that once guarded the castle palace has been rebuilt according to traditional methods, and is open to the public.