Kaga Iryokuen (加賀依緑園), a cultural tourism facility operated by Rinascente Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture; representative: 東海林 寿典) in the heart of Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is presenting a series of monthly solo exhibitions by local artists.
Ota Atsushi Exhibition "Re Cast – Re Form" — June 17 to July 15, 2026
Starting Wednesday, June 17, 2026, Kaga Iryokuen presents a solo exhibition by 金工作家 (metalwork artist) Ota Atsushi, who is based in Kanazawa. The show features 15 to 20 three-dimensional works in bronze and other metals using coloring techniques.
The pieces explore the interplay between an initial ideal and the unpredictable phenomena that arise during the casting process — the molten metal's flow, the material's response to heat and time — resulting in forms that were not consciously planned but emerged through the work itself. Each finished piece carries a sense of ongoing expansion rather than a fixed endpoint.
In the exhibition statement, Ota explains that "casting" (鋳金, chūkin) means pouring molten metal into a mold to obtain shape, but the process always contains uncontrollable fluctuations and unpredictable phenomena arising from the interaction of material and time. For him, making is not simply reproducing a finished image already in the mind; it is a movement in which the original ideal is transformed and updated by being pushed back and lifted up by such phenomena.
The title Re Cast / Re Form refers not only to the act of casting but also to the artist's intention to rethink and renew how images are formed, how the structure of making is approached, and how his own expression is understood.
Artist's presence: Announced via Instagram.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atsushi_ota0505/
Artist profile — Ota Atsushi (太田 篤志)
- Born 2002, Aichi Prefecture
- 2026: Graduated from Kanazawa College of Art, Faculty of Art and Craft
- 2026: Enrolled in master's program, Kanazawa College of Art Graduate School (currently in first year)
- Awards: Kanazawa City Crafts Exhibition, Selected Entry (2023, 2024); Van Cleef & Arpels Design Scholarship (2026)
Hoki Shieri Glass Exhibition "蒼雪の詩 (Poem of Blue Snow)" — July 18 to August 17, 2026
From Saturday, July 18, 2026, the facility presents a solo exhibition by glass artist Hoki Shieri (保木 詩衣吏), also based in Kanazawa. The show will feature approximately 50 works including objets d'art, flower vases, sake vessels, and tableware.
Hoki previously held a well-received solo exhibition at Kaga Iryokuen in September 2025, titled "保木 詩衣吏 展 -雪の詩-." This new exhibition marks her second solo show at the same venue.
Hoki's practice centers on painting with glaze on sheet glass, then firing and polishing to create works. Her guiding theme is the act of "catching" (留める) — preserving things that fade and decay, such as snow or fallen leaves, within the material of glass. She describes vessels as objects shaped by thought and feeling, and she creates works whose purpose is to cherish and hold what flows and disappears, like water gathering in a puddle on the ground.
Artist's presence: Announced via Instagram.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shieri_hoki/
Artist profile — Hoki Shieri (保木 詩衣吏)
- Born 1985, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture
- 2009: Graduated from Musashino Art University, Department of Craft and Industrial Design
- 2012: Completed advanced course, Toyama Glass Art Institute
- 2015: Completed residency at Kanazawa Utatsuyama Craft Workshop, Glass Studio
- 2017: Established independent studio "Hoki Shōbō" in Kanazawa
- 2023: Specialist at Kanazawa Utatsuyama Craft Workshop
- Selected awards: Koganezaki Contemporary Glass Exhibition "vessels" Encouragement Prize (2011); Grand Prix, Contemporary Glass Exhibition in Sanyo-Onoda (2015); Kanazawa City Crafts Exhibition, World Craft City Declaration Award (2024, 2025); EGK Crafts Award, Beams Prize (2025); 82nd Contemporary Art Exhibition, Second Prize / Nonoichi Mayor's Award (2026); among others
Venue Information (Both Exhibitions)
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Venue | Kaga Iryokuen |
| Address | 87-1 Yamanaka Onsen Minamicho Ro, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture |
| Phone | 0761-71-2683 |
| Hours | 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM |
| Closed | Thursdays |
| Admission | General ¥600; Groups of 20 or more ¥490 per person (one free admission per exhibition DM presented) |
| Parking | 山中温泉菊の湯駐車場 or こおろぎ橋駐車広場 |
| Official website | https://kagairyokuen.jp/ |
| https://www.instagram.com/kaga_iryokuen |
July Events at Kaga Iryokuen
In addition to the exhibitions, Kaga Iryokuen is presenting a series of seasonal experiences throughout July.
(1) Craft Experience: "Tanabata — Leisurely Sashiko Stitching" — July 5 to 8
A four-day sashiko embroidery experience at the Goten (main hall), held in the spirit of Tanabata — wishing upon the stars associated with weaving and needlework for improvement in traditional craft skills. This event was also well received last year.
Event details
- Dates: Sunday, July 5 to Wednesday, July 8, 2026
- Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM
- Participation fee: ¥2,500 (includes admission, tea, and sweets)
- Reservations required by June 30
(2) Special Experience: Bonsai — July 11 and 12
A two-day bonsai-making experience using Japanese maple, allowing participants to bring a piece of the garden home.
Event details
- Dates: Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12, 2026
- Start time: 11:00 AM
- Participation fee: ¥3,000 (tax included; includes admission, experience fee, tea, and sweets)
- Reservations required by June 30
(3) KIMONO Week — July 12 to 18
Visitors arriving in traditional Japanese clothing (wafuku) receive half-price admission (¥600 reduced to ¥300) during this period. Closed July 16 (Thursday).
(4) Special Tea Experience: "Garden and Tea" — July 22, 26, and 29
Three sessions offering Japanese and Chinese tea in a tranquil garden setting, with staff-guided tea commentary and sweets.
Event details
- Dates: Wednesday, July 22; Sunday, July 26; Wednesday, July 29, 2026
- Participation fee: ¥3,000 (tax included; includes admission, tea, and sweets)
- Capacity: 1 morning slot (up to 2 people), 1 afternoon slot (up to 2 people)
- Reservations required by July 20
About Kaga Iryokuen
Kaga Iryokuen opened in April 2024 as a cultural tourism facility in a historic building from the Meiji era, located in the center of Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. The building was formerly the annex of the long-established inn "Yoshinoya" and has hosted distinguished guests including Emperor Showa and former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida, and served as the setting for historic meetings.
Extensive restoration work was carried out from 2021, reviving the structure as a modern cultural tourism hub while preserving the distinctive features of its traditional Japanese architecture. The facility exhibits traditional Japanese techniques including gold leather paper (kin-karakami) and Inami woodcarving, as well as valuable historical artifacts such as the tableware used by Emperor Showa. Craft works by local artists are also available for purchase, creating a space where tradition and contemporary sensibility converge.
The grounds also include a garden, a tea room, and a lounge serving matcha and Japanese sweets. Accessibility improved with the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga, drawing increased attention to the area as a tourism destination.
Highlights of the Facility
- Lounge: Displays records of Emperor Showa's stays, notable literary figures' visits, and associated items
- Garden: Stroll garden in the tradition of the Enshu school of aesthetics (supervised by Yuri Ugaya)
- Exhibition room: History and technique of gold leather paper (kin-karakami)
- Kiku-no-Ma and Kiri-no-Ma: Formal modern Wa-yo rooms adorned with gold leather paper
- Goten (Imperial Visit Room): A formal space featuring Inami woodcarving and inlay decoration
- Kagetsu Wing: A wing where novelists including Yasunari Kawabata are recorded to have stayed and written (partial remains)
- Tōsen Wing and Tea Room: A space modeled after the tea room "Yūin," with craft exhibitions and sales by gallery "Enishira" (縁煌)
Facility Information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Kaga Iryokuen |
| Address | 87-1 Yamanaka Onsen Minamicho Ro, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture |
| Phone | 0761-71-2683 |
| Hours | 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM |
| Closed | Thursdays |
| Admission | General ¥600; Groups of 20 or more ¥490 per person (one free admission per exhibition DM presented) |
| Parking | 山中温泉菊の湯駐車場 or こおろぎ橋駐車広場 |
| Official website | https://kagairyokuen.jp/ |
| https://www.instagram.com/kaga_iryokuen |
