VISIT KANAZAWA, JAPAN - Official Travel Guide

Kogei, or artisanal crafts, have been a point of local pride in Kanazawa and Ishikawa for centuries: back in the day of the samurai, modern-day Ishikawa was ruled from Kanazawa by the wealthy Maeda family. Rather than using their considerable fortune for military or political goals, they opted instead to focus on building their feudal domain into a center of arts and crafts, inviting artisans from around the country to set up shop here, and encouraging and supporting various craft industries. For centuries, Kanazawa and Ishikawa have been known nationwide for a broad variety of hand-crafted items that run the gamut from practical everyday tools to opulent decorations.

KOGEI Art Fair Kanazawa 2024 is this year’s installment of Japan’s only art fair focused specifically on these crafts, held in a city with a profound history of artistic excellence. The event is an art fair, but also much more: it aims to show off innovative new approaches to kogei crafts, and the value of these artistic techniques in the contemporary world. These artists breathe fresh, contemporary sensibilities into techniques that have centuries of history, making this a very exciting time for art lovers to be in Kanazawa. Much like the subject of the art fair, the event itself is also carefully assembled for maximum effect, taking place at one of the city’s leading hotels, with hundreds of works on display across multiple floors. 

Forty galleries from Japan and abroad come together at the Hyatt Centric Kanazawa, to exhibit and sell works by promising up-and-comers as well as well-established internationally active artists. This year’s KOGEI Art Fair features a special VIP-style tour of the event floor, with commentary, for an excellent opportunity to hear about recommended artists, popular galleries, and trends in crafts, and to get a closer look at the works on display. Bilingual interpreters are available, to ensure that guests who don’t speak Japanese still won’t miss a thing.