Kanazawa: Creative City of Crafts and Folk Arts
クラフト創造都市・金沢
A castle town where creativity and tradition coexist in harmony
Ever since 1583, the year when Toshiie Maeda assumed power at Kanazawa Castle as Lord of the Maeda Domain, the city of Kanazawa has been free from natural disasters and great conflicts, enjoying instead over 430 years of peace during which a unique samurai culture evolved alongside a diverse array of unusual crafts and folk arts.
Crafts and folk arts are deeply rooted in the lives of the people of Kanazawa, cultivating within them a rich aesthetic sensitivity and a refined sense of craftsmanship. The creative spirit of Kanazawa has given birth to numerous successful niche companies which have maintained a close cooperation with the region during their development. This, in turn, has given rise to the uniquely creative economy of Kanazawa in which culture and industry are strongly linked.
The central cityscape offers a glimpse into Kanazawa’s rich history. It includes numerous temples and shrines, the geisha house district, the outer defense walls, and a network of canals. At the same time many commercial complexes, cafes, galleries and studios can also be found in the center. The city welcomes a constant flow of new faces. The Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, which opened in 2004, has received many visitors from Japan and overseas each year.
The beautiful modern architecture of the Tsuzumi Gate at Kanazawa Station recalls images of the drums used in Noh theatre in a symbolic expression of the constant efforts to combine the traditional with the contemporary in Kanazawa, the Creative City of Crafts and Folk Arts.
伝統と創造が調和する城下町。
1583年、加賀藩主・前田利家の金沢城入城以来、大きな災害や戦禍に遭わず、430年余りの平和のうちに、独自の武家文化を育み、類まれな工芸が発展してきた金沢。工芸が市民の暮らしに根ざし、美に対する豊かな感性と格調高い技芸を育むとともに、ものづくりの精神は、今日、数多くのニッチトップ企業を生み、それらが地域で緊密な連携をとって発展し、金沢独自の文化と産業の連環による創造経済を生み出しています。
市中心部には、寺院群、茶屋街や惣構・用水網といった歴史的なまちなみが今も残る一方、都心軸には、商業施設、カフェ、ギャラリーやアトリエが集積し、2004年開館の「金沢21世紀美術館」には、毎年国内外から多くの来場者が訪れ、まちには絶えず新しい人の流れが生まれています。
能の鼓をイメージさせる美しい現代の建築・金沢駅の「鼓門」に象徴されるように、クラフト創造都市・金沢では、日々、伝統に革新の営みが加えられ、新たな価値を創造し続けています。
Kanazawa Castle: Home of the Maeda | 工芸、芸能の発展に尽力した前田家の居城「金沢城」
Over 99% of Japan’s gold leaf is produced in Kanazawa | 国内生産量の99％以上を占める金箔
Kanazawa: Innovating tradition in a city of trades
In Creative City Kanazawa, government and community are working together on a variety of initiatives to market the culture, cultivate talent, and to reach out to a worldwide audience. Since being designated a UNESCO Creative City, Kanazawa has engaged with the Creative Cities Network to promote exchange and share knowledge and experiences. The city hosted the UNESCO Creative Cities Network Meeting KANAZAWA 2015 in May 2015 and Crafts and Folk Art Subnetwork Meeting 2019 in October 2019, and it continues to contribute to the promotion of discussion between network members.
By serving as a meeting place for people, products and information from around the world and by working to create new value through interchange, Kanazawa ai ms to be not only a Creative City but also a permanently developing hub of exchange.
伝統に革新の営み 手仕事のまち・金沢
創造都市・金沢として、文化のビジネス化、人材の育成、世界への発信という観点から、官民が協力して、さまざまな取り組みを実施。ユネスコ創造都市として認定されて以来、ネットワークを通じた人材の交流や事例の共有を行い、2015年5月には「ユネスコ創造都市ネットワーク会議金沢2015」を、2019年10月には「クラフト＆フォークアート分野別会議2019」を開催するなど、ネットワーク内の議論の促進にも貢献しています。
世界中から多くの人・モノ・情報が集まり、交流を通じて新たな価値を創造し、持続的に発展するまち「世界の『交流拠点都市・金沢』」をめざしています。
UNESCO Creative Cities Network Meeting KANAZAWA 2015 | ユネスコ創造都市ネットワーク会議2015の開催
Elegant wagashi sweets, a part of tea ceremony culture | 茶の湯文化とともに洗練された和菓子
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa | 現代アートを紹介する金沢21世紀美術館
Kanazawa Kutani Porcelain | 金沢九谷
Kaga Makie | 加賀蒔絵
Encouraging future artisans at the Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo | 工芸の担い手を育成する金沢卯辰山工芸工房
Kaga Yuzen Silk Dyeing | 加賀の彩色友禅
Carefully crafted Kaga embroidery designs almost leap off of the fabric | 繊細な技術で立体感のある図柄を浮かび上がらせる加賀繍
Treat Your Senses. Kanazawa
See. Touch. Smell. Hear. Taste: The rich food culture of Kanazawa.
The richness of Kanazawa food culture goes far beyond simply tasting food―it provides a feast for all five senses. Food preparation and processing techniques, the choice of tableware, refined etiquette and presentation, all contribute to creating the perfect setting for a truly satisfying dining experience. Elegant, traditionally crafted tableware enhance the flavors of dishes as an indispensable part of Kanazawa’s gastronomic culture, which traces its origins to feudal times. The city’s government and citizens are working together to promote and document the preparation and presentation methods and pass on the accumulated learning of its unique gastronomy to the next generation of food-focused artisans.
五感に ごちそう かなざわ
見る。触れる。香る。聴く。味わう。金沢の豊かな食文化
五感のすべてをひっくるめて「食べる」と考えるところに、金沢の食文化の豊かさがあります。素材を活かしきる調理や加工の技術、それらを供する器や空間、美しい作法やしつらえ等により、さまざまな角度から食べる人をもてなします。料理の味を際立たせる伝統工芸の華やかな器は、藩政時代から培われてきた金沢の食文化には欠かせません。固有の食文化について、普及・啓発を図り、料理や嗜み等を学ぶほか、次世代の職人を育てるしくみを検討するなど官民が連携して、継承・振興に取り組んでいます。
CITY INFORMATION
Nestling between the mountains and the sea and possessing a rich profusion of natural features, Kanazawa has a population of approximately 460,000. The layout of the ancient castle town remains intact within the city and the two rivers running through it feed the surrounding latticed network of canals, contributing to the city’s distinctive atmosphere which percolates the numerous artisan studios and handicraft shops whose wares display the high standard of local craftsmanship. Having many institutions of higher education in the area, Kanazawa can also be called an academic city: the percentage of the population made up by students is among the highest in Japan. In June 2009 Kanazawa became the first to be designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Arts in Japan.
URL: https://www4.city.kanazawa.lg.jp/17014/souzoutoshi/english/index.html
都市情報
人口約46万人。山や海など自然環境に恵まれている。城下町の都市構造が残り、市内を流れる２つの河川を水源とする用水が、平野部に網の目のようにはりめぐらされ、まちなみに風情を醸し出している。そうしたまちなかに、工芸を支える職人の工房や工芸品店が集積。周辺に多くの高等教育機関を擁す学術都市でもあり、人口あたりの学生数は国内有数の規模である。2009年6月、世界初の「クラフト創造都市」に認定された。
URL: https://www4.city.kanazawa.lg.jp/17014/souzoutoshi/index.html
写真提供：金沢市
