Kanazawa's Modern History: From Spared Streets to the Shinkansen
Kanazawa escaped large-scale bombing in the Second World War, an unusual survival that preserved its Edo-period streetscape into the present. From its 2009 UNESCO Creative City designation to the 2015 Hokuriku Shinkansen extension and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, here is its modern story, with sources.
Kanazawa is one of the few major Japanese cities that escaped large-scale bombing in the Second World War. That stroke of fortune is the foundation that let its Edo-period street layout and teahouse buildings survive into the present. In the postwar era, the city has passed through major turning points, including its 2009 UNESCO Creative City designation and the 2015 opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa.
This article explains how Kanazawa came to be spared from bombing, its international recognition as a UNESCO Creative City, the changes brought by the Shinkansen's arrival, and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art as a symbol of the city's modern side, with sources.
Why did Kanazawa escape large-scale bombing?
It's said to have been dropped from the bombing target list near the war's end, though the full reasoning is still debated.
Dropped from the bombing target list
Unlike many other major Japanese cities, Kanazawa escaped large-scale bombing during the Second World War. Recent research confirms it was removed from the bombing target list close to the war's end, but even a review of American wartime records hasn't fully settled why, with weather conditions and strategic calculations both suggested as possible factors. Older explanations, that the city was simply spared out of respect for its history, or that the war ended before its turn came, are viewed skeptically by more recent research.
Kanazawa's UNESCO Creative City designation
In 2009, Kanazawa became the world's first UNESCO Creative City for crafts, recognized for gold leaf and Kaga Yuzen.
The world's first designation in the crafts field
On June 8, 2009, Kanazawa was registered in the "Crafts and Folk Art" field of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, the first designation of its kind anywhere in the world in that category. The decision reflected the density of nationally designated traditional crafts concentrated in the city, including gold leaf, Kaga Yuzen, Kanazawa lacquerware, Kaga embroidery, and Kanazawa Buddhist altars.
Source:From application to designation: Kanazawa's path to UNESCO Creative City status
What changed when the Hokuriku Shinkansen reached Kanazawa?
The March 2015 opening cut Tokyo-Kanazawa travel to 2 hours 28 minutes, and ridership roughly tripled.
The March 14, 2015 opening and shorter travel times
The Hokuriku Shinkansen extended from Nagano to Kanazawa on March 14, 2015. Its fastest service, the Kagayaki, connects Tokyo and Kanazawa in as little as 2 hours and 28 minutes, up to 1 hour and 23 minutes faster than the previous route via the Joetsu Shinkansen and a connecting limited express train.
Higher ridership and economic impact after opening
After the Kanazawa extension opened, ridership climbed to roughly three times its pre-opening level, exceeding initial projections. The economic ripple effect on Ishikawa Prefecture from the resulting tourism growth is estimated at 45.4 billion yen in direct effects alone, and the extension has continued to drive corporate relocation and inbound migration to the region.
The 21st Century Museum, a symbol of Kanazawa's contemporary art
A circular, glass-walled museum opened in 2004, symbolized by Leandro Erlich's permanent installation "Swimming Pool."
The 2004 opening and a design meant to welcome the whole town
The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, opened in October 2004 as a symbol of the city's newer, contemporary side. Its glass-walled building looks circular from any angle, and while each gallery inside remains self-contained, the overall design lets anyone wander freely through the building, much like a public park.
Leandro Erlich's "Swimming Pool"
"Swimming Pool," created by Argentine artist Leandro Erlich, is a permanent installation that treats an underground gallery space as the basin of a swimming pool, with a thin layer of water resting on a transparent ceiling above it, so that from ground level, visitors below appear to be walking underwater. From the museum's opening until some time after the Hokuriku Shinkansen reached Kanazawa in 2015, it was commonly known by the informal nickname "Leandro's Pool" rather than its official title.
Source:Leandro Erlich visits the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
FAQ
Did Kanazawa escape all wartime damage, not just bombing?
It wasn't entirely untouched, but the damage it did suffer was limited compared with other cities. A few wartime relics survive around the city, including tunnels once used as air-raid shelters.
Are there other UNESCO Creative Cities besides Kanazawa?
Yes. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network spans several fields, including literature, music, film, and gastronomy, with member cities worldwide. Kanazawa stands out as the first city anywhere designated in the "Crafts and Folk Art" field specifically.
Will the Hokuriku Shinkansen extend further?
Yes, plans are underway to extend the line further west within Ishikawa Prefecture, part of an ongoing push toward a fully completed line across the prefecture. Each new stretch that opens tends to draw fresh attention to its economic impact on the surrounding region.
Is there other notable contemporary architecture in Kanazawa?
Yes. The D.T. Suzuki Museum, dedicated to the thought of Zen philosopher D.T. Suzuki, is another piece of contemporary architecture, designed by Taniguchi Yoshio and opened in 2011. Its quiet spaces, built around a reflecting water garden, showcase Kanazawa's blend of old and new in a very different register from the 21st Century Museum.
Sources & references
- Memories of Kanazawa as a military city: why was it spared bombing? U.S. forces targeted military facilities, and the Ninth Division's transfer may have helped
- From application to designation: Kanazawa's path to UNESCO Creative City status
- Five years after reaching Kanazawa, the Hokuriku Shinkansen's report card looks strong, even as the older line struggles
- Development Bank of Japan, Hokuriku Branch, FY2016 report: the economic ripple effect of tourism growth from the Hokuriku Shinkansen's Kanazawa extension on Ishikawa Prefecture
- Highlights of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa: an "art plaza" that overturns expectations of a museum
- Leandro Erlich visits the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa