In this article, we would like to continue introducing the charms of Kanazawa that we discovered through KAMU kanazawa (or “KAMU”). If you have not read the last article on KAMU, check it out here ⇒Art spots dotting Kanazawa: Visiting “KAMU kanazawa” (Part. 1)

We got on a bus again after finishing our gold leaf application experience at crafts shop Sakuda in Higashi Chaya District. I have a habit of getting at least one piece of clothing while traveling, and I wanted to make a side trip and stop by some shops before going to the next exhibition room, so we came to Katamachi Shotengai, which is known as Japan’s oldest shopping district, where there are a wide variety of shops such as boutiques that carry items of Japanese fashion brands, anime shops, and concept cafés.

When we were walking around enjoying shopping, we found a KAMU exhibition room here too. At KAMU Black Black, you can appreciate Líthi, an installation of light and sound by Ryoichi Kurokawa. The word “Líthi” means “forgetfulness” in Ancient Greek, and it is also the name of a river that appears in Greek mythology. Just like drinking the water from the river makes you experience forgetfulness, being in the river of forgetfulness that is created by light and sound feels as if it releases the viewer from one’s everyday life and takes the viewer far into forgetfulness.

KAMU Black Black　 Ryoichi Kurokawa≪​Líthi≫​

Near the shopping district, there is another exhibition room, KAMU k≐k, which features another work by Ishu Han, whose work is also exhibited at KAMU sky. Here you can relax and enjoy his video art, sitting on a bean bag. What sort of sensation will you experience when you see a person who just keeps sweeping the surging waves with a bamboo broom?

KAMU k≐k 　　 Ishu Han≪A person cleaning waves≫

After a nice art experience, we headed to Teramachi. As its name suggests, Teramachi is a temple town with about 70 temples. Out of all the temples in this area, including Myouryuji, which is known as the ninja temple, the one that appealed to us the most was Kourinji. The temple has been drawing so much attention on social media for the unique style of worship and the variety of colorful and cute charms. For details, please check out our article here⇒Kourinji—a unique “temple of wishes” that is said to make any single wish come true.

Kofuku no Michi (left) and Shusse Daruma (right) at Kourinji

When we opened the KAMU map after completing the steps of worship, we realized that we had missed the exhibition room, KAMU SsRg, located a little away from there. There was not much time left until its closing time, so we rushed there and made it just in time. The exhibit Once Upon a Who? by Simon Fujiwara is a roughly five minutes long video art, which addresses various issues, such as gender, race, social media, colonization, and stolen goods, that we face throughout the world. The gap between the serious topics and the colorful, cute interior with pop images creates an indescribable sense of strangeness.

KAMU SsRg 　 Simon Fujiwara≪Once Upon a Who？≫

　We visited pretty much all the places we wanted to visit, so we went back to our hotel. As we were taking a rest, it started to get dark outside. The night-time entertainment district of Kanazawa is said to be the best in the Hokuriku region, and it has a completely different vibe from that of the daytime. We left our hotel for a bar to enjoy a night in Kanazawa. As we were walking, we noticed some utility poles and signboards had black-and-white pictures on them. Actually, these are also part of the KAMU art project, which uses the entire city as its exhibition space. Being able to discover art just by stepping off into back streets—such an experience makes Kanazawa even more fascinating.

Some of the art signboards around the city. There are many more, so let’s go find them!v

We finally arrived at our destination, Lip Bar. This bar is filled with the signature lip motif by a famous Japanese photographer, Daido Moriyama. This space is one of KAMU’s exhibits during the daytime, but it turns into a bar at night where you can enjoy drinks, immersing yourself in the work of art. You should definitely try the original cocktail named “Lip,” which is inspired by Moriyama’s works. This Japanese sake-based cocktail, combined with cranberry juice, contains jelly with a lip-like texture that makes you go, “Wow,” every time you take a sip.

There is no cover charge if you show your KAMU ticket.

Food, tradition, and contemporary art—we could enjoy various aspects of Kanazawa despite the quick trip around the city. The city has so much more to offer, including the tourist spots like Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen, as well as traditional crafts such as Kutani ware and Wajima-nuri lacquerware. If you are having a hard time deciding your travel destination, we recommend Kanazawa—a city filled with a variety of the charms of Japan.

■DATA ▼KAMU kanazawa Address:1-1-52, Hirosaka, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture Opening hours:11:00-18:00 Closed on Monday online ticket : https://artsticker.app/events/1261 Instagram： https://www.instagram.com/kamu_kanazawa/ ▼Katamachi Shotengai Official website: https://www.e-katamachi.com/ ▼Kourinji, the temple of wishes Address: 1-3-15 Nomachi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Open hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission fee: 500 yen for adults, 400 yen for middle schoolers or younger, 400 yen for a group of 60 people or more

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