The kiriko are essentially portable shrines intended to light the path for gods during festival processions.
The museum architecture is designed to mimic the feeling of walking through a nighttime festival.
Wajima Kiriko lanterns are traditionally decorated using Wajima-nuri, a high-quality lacquerware technique unique to the region.
Some of the displayed lanterns require dozens of people to carry them during actual street processions.
The Wajima Kiriko Art Museum showcases the massive, ornate kiriko lanterns used in Wajima’s summer festivals to guide the local deities. The facility houses over 30 of these towering, hand-crafted lanterns, some standing up to 15 meters tall. Designed by architect Yoshio Taniguchi, the museum utilizes dark, dramatic interior lighting to highlight the intricate lacquerwork and gold leaf decorations of the floats. Exhibits provide context for the historical connection between these lanterns and the regional Shinto traditions. The architecture incorporates sloped ramps that allow visitors to view the tall, illuminated structures from multiple vertical perspectives. The museum serves as a primary cultural repository for the Wajima Taisai festival artifacts.
From the mid-level ramp platforms, where you can capture the height of the lanterns against the dark backdrop.
Walk the entire ramp system to view the intricate carvings on the tops of the lanterns which are otherwise invisible from the ground.
Check the museum's rotating exhibit schedule as some lanterns are swapped seasonally.
Do not touch the lacquer surfaces of the lanterns, as the oils from skin can damage the delicate historical finish.
Closed on Wednesdays.
Maintain a quiet tone in the main hall to respect the religious significance of the festival artifacts.
