Kaga Traditional Craft Village Yunokuni no Mori, Komatsu

Kaga Traditional Craft Village Yunokuni no Mori is a sprawling heritage park located near Awazu Onsen in Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture, covering over 430,000 square meters of hillside forest. The village celebrates the centuries-old craft traditions of the Kaga region, which flourished under the patronage of the powerful Maeda family who ruled the Kaga domain from the 16th century. This patronage fostered exceptional craftsmanship in techniques such as Kaga Yuzen dyeing, Kutani porcelain, gold leaf work refined to 1/10,000th of a millimeter thickness, and Wajima lacquerware.

The village features 17 pavilions housed in authentic traditional Japanese buildings, including thatched-roof farmhouses that have been carefully relocated from across the Hokuriku region. Some structures date back to the 1780s, with historical value spanning over a century. Each building serves as both a working display and workshop where master craftspeople demonstrate traditional techniques including Wajima lacquerware, Kutani ceramics, gold leaf application, Kaga Yuzen printed silk, washi papermaking, glassblowing, and Yamanaka woodwork.

Visitors can choose from more than 50 hands-on craft experiences, with most requiring no advance reservation. Activities typically last 20 to 40 minutes, allowing guests to combine multiple workshops during their visit. Popular experiences include glass blowing and sandblasting (from 1,900 yen), pottery wheel throwing (from 3,500 yen, excluding shipping), gold leaf decoration, stencil dyeing, and traditional confectionery making. The village also features galleries displaying masterworks, tea ceremony houses, restaurants serving local cuisine, and shops selling artisan-made products and regional specialties.

General admission costs 540 yen for adults, 440 yen for junior and senior high school students, and 330 yen for children aged 4 and above, with individual craft experiences priced separately starting from 1,080 yen. The village is located approximately 20 minutes by car from Kaga-onsen Station on the JR Hokuriku Main Line and about 25 minutes by car from Katayamazu Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway. Alternatively, visitors can take the Can Bus service from Kaga Onsen Station directly to the site.