A history spanning over 60 years has been established by Sanrio, which has created numerous popular characters such as Hello Kitty and My Melody. Sanrio has played an important role in shaping the history of the "kawaii" culture, now a global phenomenon. The journey from the founding of Sanrio to the present is traced in this exhibition through valuable materials such as goods and design drawings.

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The three red brick buildings of the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of History were former military armouries and were later used by the Kanazawa College of Art after the war. In 1986, it was opened as the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of History when the Ishikawa Prefectural Folklore Museum (Hirosaka, Kanazawa) moved to the three red brick buildings of Honda-no-Mori Park (Dewamachi, Kanazawa).

During the museum reconversion, the buildings’ exteriors were restored to their original state and the interiors were renovated to fit the cultural asset value with the exhibitions on display. The conservation of the buildings and museum reconversion have been highly valued, earning the status of being an Important Cultural Property in 1990 and receiving the Architectural Institute of Japan Prize in the following year.

The museum now carries out various initiatives as a facility to protect the history and culture of Ishikawa and also as a dedicated centre for the lifelong study of the people of the prefecture.

60th Anniversary Sanrio Exhibition— The Beginning of Kawaii

Opening Hours Information

Traveling exhibition schedule