21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa金沢21世紀美術館
A round, glass-walled museum of contemporary art. The piece that lets you stand under a swimming pool is the favorite. Busy on holidays.
- Museums
- With kids
- about 1.5 hr
- Partly paid
- Fine on a rainy day
- Wheelchair & stroller friendly
Bus · About 20 min from Kanazawa ・ Bus to Hirosaka / 21st Century Museum
Kanazawa guide
A castle town of the Maeda lords. Kenrokuen Garden, the castle, teahouse districts and samurai lanes are all a short bus ride or walk apart, with a seafood market and modern art too.
Things to see 9 classics
"Classics" and "Hidden gems" are this site's editorial picks, not a measured popularity ranking.
By interest
By how you get there
By distance
- 1
Kenrokuen Garden
One of Japan's three great gardens, known for the stone lantern by its pond and the rope supports that protect the pines in winter.
Introduced by JNTO
Named as a stop in Kanazawa on a route away from the usual Tokyo-Kyoto path. Source: JNTO, Off the Beaten Track in Japan
Many overseas visitors
532,879 foreign visitors in 2024, a record high Source: Kanazawa City, Kanazawa Tourism Survey Report 2024
- Nature
- History & buildings
about 1.5 hrPaid entryPartly step-free
Bus · About 20 min from Kanazawa ・ Bus to Kenrokuen-shita, then about 5 minutes on foot ・ 400m from here
- 2
Higashi Chaya District
A stone-paved street of old teahouses with wooden lattices, now with gold-leaf shops and cafes. Quiet early and late in the day.
- History & buildings
- Shopping & strolling
- Food & markets
about 60 minFree
Bus · About 20 min from Kanazawa ・ Bus to Hashibacho, then about 5 minutes on foot ・ 1.5km from here
- 3
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
A round, glass-walled museum of contemporary art. The piece that lets you stand under a swimming pool is the favorite. Busy on holidays.
- Museums
- With kids
about 1.5 hrPartly paidFine on a rainy dayWheelchair & stroller friendly
Bus · About 20 min from Kanazawa ・ Bus to Hirosaka / 21st Century Museum ・ 100m from here
- 5
Kanazawa Castle Park
Site of the Maeda lords' castle. See Ishikawa Gate and the long turrets rebuilt in wood. A bridge links it to Kenrokuen.
- History & buildings
- Nature
about 60 minFreePartly step-free
Bus · About 20 min from Kanazawa ・ Bus to Kenrokuen-shita, then about 5 minutes on foot ・ 400m from here
- 6
Nagamachi Samurai District
Narrow lanes lined with earthen walls where samurai families lived. In winter the walls are covered with straw mats.
- History & buildings
about 60 minFree
Bus · About 20 min from Kanazawa ・ Bus to Korinbo, then about 5 minutes on foot ・ 800m from here
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21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
Within walking distance of here
See nearby on a mapWalking times are estimates from the straight-line distance.
- Go hereKanazawa Castle ParkAbout 6 min on foot
Site of the Maeda lords' castle. See Ishikawa Gate and the long turrets rebuilt in wood. A bridge links it to Kenrokuen.
- Go hereKenrokuen GardenAbout 7 min on foot
One of Japan's three great gardens, known for the stone lantern by its pond and the rope supports that protect the pines in winter.
- Go hereNational Crafts MuseumAbout 6 min on foot
A museum of crafts and design that moved here from Tokyo, housed in Meiji-era Western-style buildings. Walkable from Kenrokuen.
- Go hereD.T. Suzuki MuseumAbout 7 min on foot
A museum for the Kanazawa-born Buddhist philosopher. Sit quietly facing a still pool of water that mirrors the building.
Sights are this site's picks, not a popularity ranking.
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