Wajima is home to one of the more unique and impressive series festivals in Japan, the Wajima Grand Festivals, or Wajima Taisai 輪島大祭. In these festivals, Mikoshi from shrines are carried through the town, like most festivals. Along with Mikoshi, Kiriko キリコ Latterns are also carried. These are near two-or-three-story high wooden latterns celebrating the gods and spirits of neighborhoods and communities around the Noto Pennisula.
The Wajima Kiriko Art Museum celebrates and displays many Kiriko Latterns, and teaches its visitors about the history of the festival, the traditions, and the latterns. The museum attempts to recreate the liveliness of the festival with music playing in the background, and the lights dying down for night. The latterns are all light up to show their brilliance. This loops every 30 minutes, or so. A few times a day, there are also some live performers show off the dances.
It reminds me a lot of the Takayama Festival Museum, which also showcases the various performances of festival, and runs on a 30-minute loop.
While this museum just opened in 2015, it is currently closed having suffered damage from the January 1st 2024 Noto Earthquake.
Note: This post was made in Feb 2025 and back-dated to the time of the events
