Yunokuni no Mori
A traditional-crafts theme park in the woods, where over 100 workshops fill old farmhouses.
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Yunokuni no Mori
SaveA traditional-crafts theme park in the woods, where over 100 workshops fill old farmhouses.
On a Kutani porcelain plate, children press a painted palm and a painted sole to leave a handprint and a footprint.
MoreWhat kind of place
Yunokuni no Mori is a traditional-crafts village in the woods at Awazu Onsen, built around farmhouses from the Edo and Meiji periods that stand scattered across the grounds.
Eleven halls hold more than 100 hands-on crafts — Wajima lacquer, Yuzen dyeing, Kutani porcelain, gold leaf, glass, music boxes, papermaking, sweets and more — and the village also has a tea ceremony house and a merchant house that serves as the general store.
The main paths are paved with asphalt and a ramp called Tsubaki-zaka runs up from the entrance, so a wheelchair gets around the village smoothly, though the hillside and the old buildings still leave slopes and steps in places.
Parking is free, with room for 300 cars. The village was named to Japan's 100 Best Tourist Facilities Chosen by Professionals for 2026.
Sources and evidence (23)
- It is a traditional-crafts theme park where a wide range of hands-on workshops fill old farmhouses.source
- Buildings from the Edo and Meiji periods stand scattered across the grounds.source
- The halls cover Wajima lacquer, Yuzen dyeing, Kutani porcelain, Yamanaka lacquerware, music boxes, gold leaf, glass craft, Echizen crafts, traditional art and sweets, along with the papermaking hall that also houses the soba restaurant Hakusan, the Irodori row house, the tea ceremony house Hojoan, and the merchant house that serves as the general store.source
- At the Kutani porcelain hall you can throw pots on a real wheel or paint the porcelain.source
- Crafts on offer include soba making, papermaking, Wajima chinkin lacquer inlay, applying Kanazawa gold leaf, glassblowing, sandblasting, Yamanaka maki-e lacquer, assembling, painting and decorating a music box, bamboo work, ceramic panels, hand-built pottery, herbariums, mosaic candles and aroma sachets.source
- Kutani porcelain pieces are all shipped later, taking about two months for painted work and about six months for wheel-thrown work, with shipping charged separately.source
- Kutani porcelain pieces cannot be shipped overseas.source
- Papermaking needs about 40 minutes of drying time after the session itself.source
- For Yuzen stencil dyeing you pick a pattern for a handkerchief or a place mat and paint through the stencil, and once it is ironed the color survives washing.source
- The grounds have a number of photo spots, including a heart-shaped window, an umbrella sky, a red windmill and a black-and-white corner.source
- The umbrella sky is up from early March through late November.source
- For August 2026 the schedule has the glassblowing sessions and demonstrations off, though the glass craft hall itself stays open.source
- It was named to Japan's 100 Best Tourist Facilities Chosen by Professionals for 2026.source
- The main paths, starting with the ramp in front of the entrance, are paved with asphalt, so a wheelchair can get around the village smoothly.source
- Because the village keeps its natural hillside and its Edo- and Meiji-era farmhouses as they are, some parts have slopes and steps.source
- The restaurant Ryoshi no Yakata has steps and cannot be reached directly by wheelchair, so the village directs you back out the main entrance ramp, Tsubaki-zaka, to your car and around by road.source
- A ramp called Tsubaki-zaka was built at the main entrance for wheelchairs.source
- Five strollers are kept at the main entrance for loan.source
- Coin lockers are on the right as you come through the main entrance.source
- Parking is free, with room for 300 cars and 60 large buses.source
- A taxi from Kaga Onsen Station runs about 4,000 to 4,500 yen and takes about 20 minutes.source
- A few taxis are usually waiting, and when none are there the wait runs about 5 to 10 minutes.source
- Dogs have to be leashed on the village paths, with the leash held short when other visitors pass.source
With kidsThe part that matters
Every craft here is first-come, first-served, so you can walk in with no reservation and take whatever has an opening when you arrive.
At the Kutani porcelain hall, kids paint a palm or a foot, press it onto a plate, and write in a name and the date; the paint wipes off with a cloth, so a slip does not ruin the plate.
When they have had enough of making things, the playground in the woods on the grounds has a slide, swings and a seesaw.
The main entrance lends strollers and wheelchairs free, five of each, and three of the halls have a nursing room.
One mother and daughter got through three of the eleven halls in two hours, so pick a few crafts rather than the whole village, and come well before the 4 p.m. last entry — the village asks for an hour before the 4:30 close — so there is time to finish what you start.
Sources and evidence (7)
- The village has a children's playground, with plenty of play equipment set in the woods.source
- The playground is packed with equipment meant for preschoolers through elementary school age, including a slide, swings and a seesaw.source
- The Kutani hall has a handprint and footprint craft: you paint a palm or a sole, press it onto a plate, then write in a name and the date to finish it.source
- Two hours got them through three halls. The washi hall is at the far end, and the sloping parking lot hides the way in.source
- A music box with a second-grader: the box is 1,700-3,000 yen, glass pieces pushed it to 5,000. The playground is dated.source
- Matcha and sweets in the teahouse, soba you eat the day it is cut, and benches by the hearths to sit down.source
- Late November still had some autumn color left. Fifty minutes by car from Kanazawa; the yuzen rinsing demo was running.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1At the Kutani Porcelain Hall there is a handprint and footprint activity: paint goes on the palm and the sole, the child presses them onto a plate, and a name and date finish it. The main paths, starting with the ramp at the entrance, are paved with asphalt, so you can go around the village with the stroller.The entry fee starts at age 4. There are three nursing rooms: the Merchant's Hall, the main shop near the front entrance, the Gold Leaf Hall, and the Fisherman's Hall restaurant. Strollers are lent free at the front entrance, five of them kept on hand, so numbers are limited. The village keeps its natural hillside and its Edo- and Meiji-era farmhouses, so some parts have slopes and steps. The Merchant's Hall has a wheelchair-accessible toilet. Kutani pieces are all shipped later, about two months for painted work and about six for wheel-thrown, postage is extra, and they do not ship overseas.
- Ages 2-3The village has a Children's Square, full of play equipment in the woods, from slides to swings to a seesaw. The park's own site has a page of activities for children aged 4 and under, modeled by sisters aged 2 and 4. In Kutani painting, a mistake wipes off with a cloth and you can start that part again.For individuals none of the activities take reservations; you sign up at each hall on the day and wait your turn. The entry fee starts at age 4. Strollers are lent free at the front entrance, five of them. The village is hillside, with slopes and steps in places, and the Fisherman's Hall restaurant has stairs, so a wheelchair cannot reach it directly. Paper-making needs about 40 minutes of drying after the workshop. The village is open 9:00 to 16:30, with last entry at 16:00, and they ask you to arrive at least 60 minutes before closing.
- Ages 4-6Eleven halls hold more than a hundred activities to choose from: soba making, paper making, Wajima lacquer chinkin engraving, Kanazawa gold leaf work, glass blowing, sandblasting, Yamanaka lacquer maki-e, assembling and painting and decorating a music box, bamboo craft, ceramic tiles, hand-built pottery, herbariums, mosaic candles and aroma sachets. In Yuzen stencil dyeing you pick a design for a handkerchief or a placemat and paint through the stencil; iron it afterward and the color survives the wash. The play equipment in the Children's Square is for ages from toddler through elementary school.Individuals do not book; you sign up at each hall on the day. The one-day entry fee for children aged 4 and up is 330 yen, changing to 400 yen on October 1, 2026. The official ticket site advertises an 18% online-only discount, so the gate price and the advance price differ. Kutani work ships later, about two months for painting and about six for the wheel, postage extra and no overseas shipping. In August 2026 glass blowing, both the workshop and the demonstration, is on a closed schedule, though the Glass Craft Hall itself is open. One record covered three of the eleven halls, washi paper, gold leaf and sweets, in a two-hour visit.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayThe crafts themselves take place inside the old farmhouses, but the eleven halls - Wajima lacquer, Yuzen dyeing, Kutani ware and the rest - are Edo- and Meiji-era buildings scattered across the village, so you walk outside from one to the next. The children's playground, with its slide and swings, is out in the woods as well.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed2 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：with conditionsconditions
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：not checked
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
Tap a mark for details
* Other not checked (8)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Indoor / outdoor, Child switch (rider swap), Official family-friendly certification, Crowding (guide), Quietness (guide), Lost-child support
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Two hours got them through three halls. The washi hall is at the far end, and the sloping parking lot hides the way in.
Mother and daughter in Hokuriku (3): Kaga Traditional Crafts Village Yunokuni no Mori
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
A music box with a second-grader: the box is 1,700-3,000 yen, glass pieces pushed it to 5,000. The playground is dated.
Ishikawa with kids: Kaga Traditional Crafts Village Yunokuni no Mori, Komatsu
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Matcha and sweets in the teahouse, soba you eat the day it is cut, and benches by the hearths to sit down.
See it, touch it, make it: a day among the crafts at Yunokuni no Mori
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Late November still had some autumn color left. Fifty minutes by car from Kanazawa; the yuzen rinsing demo was running.
Off for crab: Ishikawa trip (2), Kaga Traditional Crafts Village Yunokuni no Mori
Yunokuni no Mori · Links & reads ▾
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Where it is
Na-3-3 Awazu-onsen, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture 923-0393source2
Before you go
- The official homepage says the eleven halls hold more than 100 hands-on crafts, and that individual visitors need no reservation.source
- Individual visitors cannot reserve any of the crafts; each hall takes people in order of arrival on the day.source
- Advance booking is accepted for cases such as a group of 10 or more doing the same craft together in one hall.source
- Strollers are lent free at the main entrance, in limited numbers.source
- Wheelchairs are lent free at the main entrance, with five kept on hand, so numbers are limited.source
Basics
- Fee：Village admission as of 15 August 2026: adults ¥550, junior and senior high school students ¥440, children aged 4 and over ¥330. From 1 October 2026 these become ¥600, ¥500 and ¥400. With a disability certificate the holder and one companion pay ¥450 / ¥360 / ¥270 now, ¥500 / ¥420 / ¥340 from 1 October. A two-day ticket, sold only on the day, adds ¥300 / ¥250 / ¥200 to the ticket you already hold and covers two consecutive days. An annual pass is ¥2,000 / ¥1,700 / ¥1,300 now and ¥3,000 / ¥2,500 / ¥2,000 from 1 October. Each workshop is paid separately - for example Kutani porcelain painting from ¥1,500 and the potter's wheel ¥3,500 a piece.source
- Hours：Open 9:00-16:30, closed Thursdays (open when Thursday is a public holiday). Entry and phone inquiries close at 16:00. The last time to start a workshop is 15:00, with some halls taking people until 15:30 (which halls those are is listed two different ways, so check on the day). They ask you to arrive at least 60 minutes before closing. Open every day from 20 July to 31 August and from 31 December to 6 January.source2
- Time to allow：2 hsource
- Booking：Individual visitors cannot book any of the workshops: you turn up and each hall takes people in order through the day, so on a busy day you wait. Advance booking is only for groups of ten or more doing the same workshop in the same hall. The last time to start a workshop is 15:00, with some halls taking people until 15:30; entry to the village closes at 16:00, and they ask you to arrive at least 60 minutes before closing. The official ticket site advertises an 18% discount, so the online price and the gate price are not the same.source2
Basics in detail (16)
Fees
- The Kutani wheel-throwing session runs about 30 minutes or more, takes 5 people at a time, and costs 3,500 yen per piece, with rice bowls, tumblers and matcha bowls among the choices.source
- Kutani painting runs about 30 minutes or more and holds up to 60 people, at 1,500 yen for a small plate, 1,500 yen for a large teacup and 1,800 yen for a mug.source
- Admission to Yunokuni no Mori is charged from age 4 up.source
- Current one-day admission is 550 yen for adults, 440 yen for middle and high school students, and 330 yen for children aged 4 and up.source
- From October 1, 2026, admission changes to 600 yen for adults, 500 yen for middle and high school students, and 400 yen for children.source
- Showing a disability certificate brings a reduced admission, applied to the holder and one companion.source
- The reduced rate is currently 450 yen for adults, 360 yen for middle and high school students and 270 yen for children aged 4 and up, becoming 500, 420 and 340 yen from October 1, 2026.source
- A two-day ticket can only be bought on the day: you add 300 yen for adults, 250 yen for middle and high school students or 200 yen for children to the admission ticket you already hold, and it covers two days in a row.source
- An annual pass currently costs 2,000 yen for adults, 1,700 yen for middle and high school students and 1,300 yen for children aged 4 and up, becoming 3,000, 2,500 and 2,000 yen from October 1, 2026.source
- The official ticket site advertises an 18 percent official-only discount, so the advance price is not the same as the price at the gate.source
Hours and closures
- The village is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closed Thursdays, except when a Thursday falls on a public holiday.source
- Last entry, and the last phone call taken, is 4 p.m.source
- The village asks that you arrive at least 60 minutes before closing.source
- From July 20 through August 31 it opens every day.source
- It also opens every day from December 31 through January 6.source
Contact
- The address is Na-3-3 Awazu Onsen, Komatsu, Ishikawa 923-0393, and the phone number is 0761-65-3456.
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (7)
- Official: Stroller friendly, Stroller rental, Family restroom
- Official: Stroller rental, Nursing space, Steps & slope caution
- Official: Stroller access notes
- Official: Best-fit ages (guide)
- Official: main site
Eleven halls stand across a wooded hillside dotted with Edo- and Meiji-era buildings. More than 100 crafts are on offer: Wajima lacquer inlay, Kanazawa gold leaf, Yuzen stencil dyeing, glassblowing, soba making. Four are listed for children of four and under: Kutani painting, hand- and footprints, stencil dyeing and paper making. Paint wipes off with a cloth, and a dyed handkerchief keeps its color through the wash once ironed. A playground with slides and swings sits in the trees.
| Stroller friendly | Yes | The entrance ramp and the main paths through the village are asphalt, so wheels roll. Away from those paths the ground is a natural hillside with old farmhouses, and there are slopes and steps in places. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | yunokuninomori.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller rental | Yes (5) | Five strollers kept at the main entrance, lent free of charge. Numbers are limited. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | yunokuninomori.jpyunokuninomori.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Not checked yet | ||||
| Nursing space | Yes (3) | Three rooms: Shoka no Yakata (the general shop, near the main entrance), Kinpaku no Yakata, and the Ryoshi no Yakata restaurant. Note the Ryoshi no Yakata is up steps. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | yunokuninomori.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes | A wheelchair-accessible toilet at Shoka no Yakata, the general shop. Whether it has a baby seat is not stated. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | yunokuninomori.jp |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet | ||||
| Indoor / outdoor | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| Steps & slope caution | Barrier-free | The entrance ramp (Tsubaki-zaka) and the main asphalt paths let a wheelchair move round the village, and wheelchairs (five), strollers (five) and walking trolleys are lent free at the main entrance. But the village keeps a natural hillside and Edo- and Meiji-era farmhouses, so there are slopes and steps in places, and the Ryoshi no Yakata restaurant is up steps - a wheelchair cannot reach it directly and you are asked to return to your car at the main entrance and drive round. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | yunokuninomori.jpyunokuninomori.jp |
| Child switch (rider swap) | Not checked yet | ||||
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Yes | The official site has a page of workshops for children aged 4 and under, filmed with a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old: Kutani porcelain painting, hand- and footprints on a plate, Yuzen stencil dyeing, and paper making. Admission to the village is charged from age 4. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | yunokuninomori.jp |
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | Yes | Parking is free, with room for 300 cars and 60 buses. From Kaga-Onsen station a taxi costs about ¥4,000-4,500 and takes about 20 minutes; taxis usually wait at the village, and if none is there the wait is 5 to 10 minutes. Coin lockers are on the right just inside the main entrance. Dogs may come into the village but only outdoors - they cannot go into the halls, except guide, service and hearing dogs - and must be on a short lead when others pass. Kutani porcelain made here cannot be carried home: painted pieces are posted about two months later and wheel-thrown pieces about six months later, postage extra, and there is no overseas shipping. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | yunokuninomori.jpyunokuninomori.jpyunokuninomori.jp |
| Official family-friendly certificationExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Crowding (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Quietness (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet |
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