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~4.5h金沢21世紀美術館

21st Century Museum

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21st Century MuseumPhoto: 金沢市 / CC BY 2.1 jp

Tap a photo to see it large. 10 photographs, every one credited.

Round trip
4 hr 30 min
From the ship and back
Fits
a 6.5-hour call or longer
Margin already counted
Getting there
Beside Kenroku-en
See the rides below
Booking
Just turn up
Nothing to reserve

Checked against official sources · updated · Takumi Yamada

Why we send people here

Leandro Erlich’s "Swimming Pool" lets you stand underwater, dry — but going below needs an exhibition ticket and a same-day time slot, and the exhibition zone closes on Mondays; the whole museum closes for renovation from 6 May 2027 to about March 2028.

Why it earns the hours
  • Public zone free; two exhibitions free; new collection exhibition (31 Oct 2026–18 Apr 2027) is paid; price not confirmed to visit — price of the new collection exhibition not confirmed. the swimming pool underground needs an exhibition ticket plus a same-day waiting-list number..
  • On a 4–6h ashore call our verdict is "Tight" — possible as your one stop if the swimming pool is open: book the waiting-list slot the moment you arrive.
Before you count on it
  • Exhibitions 10:00–18:00 (to 20:00 Fri and Sat), closed Mondays; public zone 9:00–22:00 — ticket sales end 30 min before closing. whole museum closes from 6 may 2027 to about march 2028..
  • 4 hr 30 min door to door needs a 6.5-hour call: a 2–3 hour stop cannot hold it. Pick something closer instead.
  • No single published ride covers this one. Budget for a taxi both ways, or fold it into a guided day.
Open the full guide →
The story

Why 21st Century Museum is famous

A circular museum with no front and no back, designed by SANAA and opened in 2004, with glass walls so passers-by can see in. Leandro Erlich's Swimming Pool, where visitors appear to stand underwater, is permanent. It was built deliberately opposite the castle, new against old.

The museum opened in October 2004, and its own site says its aim is to create new culture and liven up the town. That makes it unlike the other sights in Kanazawa: contemporary and free to wander. The public zone is open 9:00 to 22:00 every day except the New Year holidays.

The famous piece is Leandro Erlich's 'The Swimming Pool'. From above it looks like a pool of water; down below you stand in a dry space under it. The underground part needs an exhibition ticket and a same-day waiting-list number, you may stay five minutes, and late arrivals lose their slot. Two current exhibitions (Hitoshi Ushijima and Hiraki Sawa, and NEUTRAL COLORS) are free through 18 April 2027.

The catch is timing. The exhibition zone is closed on Mondays, and from 6 May 2027 the whole museum closes for renovation until about March 2028. Check the date of your call first; outside those dates, the free zone still rewards a stop.

Before you go

Things worth knowing

  • Take the Swimming Pool waiting-list number first: same-day reservations run 9:00–17:30, and to 19:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, online or at the machine by the information desk at the Honda Street entrance.
  • Late arrivals have their reservation cancelled automatically. Stay within sight of the museum once you have a number.
  • The Swimming Pool entrance is inside the collection exhibition area, so buy an exhibition ticket first.
  • The exhibition zone is closed on Mondays.
Where it is

21st Century Museum and your ship

Both pins on one map, so the distance is a fact rather than a feeling.

Asked about 21st Century Museum

Questions people send us

Is the 21st Century Museum free?

The public zone (9:00–22:00) is free and so are the two current exhibitions by Hitoshi Ushijima and Hiraki Sawa and the NEUTRAL COLORS show, which run to 18 April 2027. The collection exhibition, which includes the Swimming Pool, is a paid ticket.

Can I visit the Swimming Pool when my ship is in Kanazawa?

Yes, until the renovation closure that starts on 6 May 2027. You need a collection exhibition ticket and a same-day waiting-list number, and you may stay five minutes underground. The museum closes on Mondays.

Is the museum closing?

Yes for renovation: the museum's notice gives 6 May 2027 to about March 2028 (planned). After that date nothing here will be open.

The day this belongs to

Routes that already include it

Each one is a finished day timed from the official timetables, with this stop in it. Read the route rather than assembling it yourself.

The rainy-day KanazawaA wet day · ~5h door to doorWet weather — and Kanazawa is wet, by designThe grand loopNeeds a 10-hour call · ~8h door to doorLong calls — garden, gold leaf, geisha lanes and the pool
Pairs well with

What to put beside it

Each of these still lands you back aboard with the hour to spare.

Build your own day
Kenroku-en garden, KanazawaSee · ~4.5h with transfers

Kenroku-en garden

One of Japan’s three perfect gardens — two-legged lanterns, ancient pines under snow ropes, water borrowed from a river ten kilometers away.

See the detailHigashi Chaya teahouse district, KanazawaSee · ~4h

Higashi Chaya teahouse district

Lattice-fronted geisha houses from the 1820s, now cafes and gold-leaf ateliers.

See the detailSeafood bowl at Omicho, KanazawaEat · ~3.5h

Seafood bowl at Omicho

The 300-year-old market’s morning glory: snow crab in season, sweet shrimp and uni year-round, stacked over rice while the stallholders shout.

See the detail
The one rule: be back on board 60 minutes before all-aboard. Build the whole day on the Kanazawa plan page.
Everything in one pageThe complete Kanazawa guide: berth, into town, your hours, tours that fitOpen the complete guide →