ST066 National Museum of Crafts

Snow Treasure

Painting size: 16cm x 23cm

Framing size: 26cm x 34cm

Next to the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art is the National Crafts Museum, Japan's only national museum specializing in crafts and design, which relocated from Tokyo to Kanazawa City in 2020.

The building is fascinating, and it is said to be a relocated and restored version of the former Imperial Japanese Army's "9th Division Headquarters Building" and "Kanazawa Military Police Headquarters Building," which were built during the Meiji period.

It possesses a retro and modern feel that belies the imposing image often associated with military buildings. The vibrant turquoise blue adorning the window frames is particularly striking.

The museum features a recreation of the workshop of Gonroku Matsuda, a lacquer artist from Kanazawa, and I was captivated by the documentary video showing him at work.

I was amazed at the meticulous, careful, and incredibly painstaking work involved. It's something you could never do unless you truly loved it. True authenticity is born only when you refuse to compromise and pursue it to the absolute limit.