Himi Shōwa Museum

Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast


This fabulous little museum is a good reason to pass through Himi. It showcases all manner of memorabilia from the Shōwa period (1926–89), encompassing the pre- and postwar manufacturing boom and the golden era from the '60s to the '90s when Japanese ingenuity and design were planets ahead of the competition. Great for kids, and adults who remember Astro Boy!


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast attractions

1. Risaburō Foundry

5.26 MILES

This factory has been producing traditional Takaoka bronzeware since the Meiji era and allows visitors a rare and fascinating glimpse of the casting…

2. Kojō Park

5.52 MILES

This big park is the site of the old Takaoka castle (kojō means – you guessed it – 'old castle'), demolished in 1615 after being in use only six years…

3. Takaoka Great Buddha

5.68 MILES

Construction of this great bronze Buddha statue began in 1907 and was completed in 1933. The statue was moved to its present location in 1981 after the…

4. Zuiryū-ji

6.29 MILES

One of Japan's National Treasures, the temple of the second generation of feudal lord Maeda Toshinaga's family is rightly famous for its manicured lawns,…

5. Cosmo Isle Hakui

12.52 MILES

One for X-Files fans, this quirky space and science museum features ’60s and ’70s USSR space-mission relics and several UFO and alien exhibits (including…

6. Chōkei-ji

13.37 MILES

This hilltop temple has a wonderful outlook, but you've come to see the 500-plus stone statues of rakan (Buddha's disciples) lined up in the forest. It's…

7. Toyama Municipal Folkcraft Village

13.42 MILES

Here you'll find folk art, ceramics, sumi-e (ink brush paintings) and more in a cluster of hillside buildings. Toyama's free Museum Bus (10 minutes,…

8. Kita-ke

14.14 MILES

During the Edo period the Kita family administered over 200 villages from Kita-ke, the pivotal crossroads of the Kaga, Etchū and Noto fiefs. Inside this…