Kanazawa Guide: A Change of Pace With Indoor Activities

We all hope for blue skies while on vacation, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way. So what can travelers do on bad weather days during their stay in Japan? There’s shopping, of course, but here are some indoor options that offer more than just another trawl through retail:

Craft Museums

Traditional arts and crafts are booming in places like Kanazawa City. Even if the weather is great, I recommend making the time to stop by the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Traditional Arts and Crafts.

The museum may not look very imaginative on the outside, but they have dozens of exhibits, a shop stocked with items made by local artisans, and craft workshops are offered daily upon request. On a cold and snowy Friday afternoon, I walked over to the museum reception desk and signed up for all four!

Kumiko coaster: Assemble a wooden coaster from 27 precisely notched pieces of pure cedarwood. No glue, no nails. The only things holding it together are the fit of the grooves and tension. Super fun for those who enjoy jigsaw puzzles.

Castanets: The koala castanets are assembled from leftover wooden scraps that come from a local manufacturer of taiko drums. The rhythm-popping clicky bits are actual nails that are used to tack down the hide.

Mizuhiki: This knotwork activity included folding a traditional envelope from washi paper and tying a celebratory knot with mizuhiki, or paper string. It’s harder than it looks, so be patient and take your time with this one.

Cocoon craft: Make an animal character out of a dyed silkworm cocoon and scraps of felt using plain old white glue, a box cutter, and a magic marker.

Each workshop can be completed in under 30 minutes, so if the weather outside is frightful, then this is a great way to both pass the time and gain a deeper understanding of traditional Japanese crafts. If you happen to stop in on Saturday or Sunday, additional demonstrations and hands-on events are usually being held.

Another local hands-on experience can be found not far away at the Kaga Yuzen Kimono Center. After you pay the entry fee, head downstairs to the store and workshop area where you can pick out an item to paint using traditional techniques. One of the staff will give you a quick tutorial on the brushes, paints, and blending options before you start.

Stencil a colorful design onto a tote bag or pick up a handkerchief with the design already drawn in. All you’ll have to do is paint, dry, and wash it when you get home! (The lines on the handkerchief will vanish in the wash, making the design look stenciled on.)

The Library

It might seem like a strange place to visit while you’re on vacation, but a good library can be the perfect way to unwind. The new Ishikawa Prefectural Library, completed in 2022, is a celebration of not just printed words, but of concepts existing in space and time. Say farewell to those claustrophobic aisles and towering stacks of tomes. This library resembles an amphitheater with its open space in the center and tiers of squat shelves that allow you to see over them, all the way to the other side of the structure.

There’s usually an exhibit of some kind on the second level. In the winter of 2025, work by a transparent specimen artist, Iori Tomita, was on display. There is also a video showing the process itself. Library-goers could watch as a specimen’s bones and cartilage were dyed and then its muscles became transparent. While you’re at the library, ask about workshops being held. During Iori’s exhibit, the UV printer in the library’s workspace busily churned out clear plastic charms of the artist’s work, one per visitor, for use as umbrella markers.

If the workshop isn’t your cup or tea, stroll through the stacks. I got a thrill flipping through an illustrated guide on kintsugi – bring your device’s charger and Japanese power adapter and you’ll be able to take advantage of the outlets provided at every desk. Or crack open one of the antique encyclopaedias, Oxford dictionaries, or literary classics on the library’s top level. There’s also a nook stocked with English translations of books on Japanese culture, history, and popular comics!

Masters at Work

Shops where local crafts are sold can also be a good place to while away an hour or two… and not because you’re browsing the merchandise! In Kanazawa, several gold foil (or, kinpaku) manufacturers offer hands-on workshops in their stores. Although a reservation would be best, many places accept walk-ins. Try your hand at applying a sheet of ultra-thin gold to soft-serve ice cream or a popsicle!

At Sakuda Kinpaku, a workroom has been set up where you can observe gold foil being handled by experienced craftspeople using traditional techniques, most of which are still used today as not even machines can match the intuition and experience needed to manipulate something so delicate.

Looking for a memento of your visit to Japan that will last a lifetime? Make a pair of chopsticks wrapped in Kanazawa’s gold foil to take home with you!

Choose from a variety of undecorated, lacquered novelty items to embellish with gold foil. Just be aware that the glue used to adhere the gold will need a month to dry, and then you’ll have to apply a finishing coat before your souvenir is ready for daily use. So pack your completed work with care and don’t forget about the final step after you get home.

About Keri Yazawa

Keri Yazawa, a resident of Kanazawa City since 2005, guides bicycle tours specializing in good food, quirky history, local craft making, and gorgeous landscapes.

Article photos and written content © 2025 Keri Yazawa. All rights reserved.