Nagamachi Yuzen Kan - Workshop of Kaga-Yuzen

This facility conveys the charm of Kaga Yuzen, one of Kanazawa's proud traditional crafts.
In addition to exhibits and introductions of kimonos, noren curtains, folding screens, and other handicrafts, as well as various historical materials, there are also programs that allow visitors to experience coloring using authentic yuzen dyeing techniques and dressing up in kimono. It also has a store with a variety of yuzen-dyed products.

It is rare in Japan to find a facility where visitors can experience authentic hand-painted yuzen dyeing. Instead of using a mold to color in predetermined colors, visitors can imagine their own color scheme and apply blotting and other techniques while coloring with a brush.
The finished work will be sent to the participants by mail after steaming and other authentic finishing touches are applied.
For those who wish to learn more about yuzen dyeing, courses are also available to create original patterns and colors for furisode (long-sleeved kimono) and haori (formal kimono worn over kimono).

Yuzen is "a technique of kimono pattern dyeing using glue to prevent dyeing" and originated from Miyazaki Yuzensai, who is said to be the founder of the technique.
The most distinctive feature of hand-painted yuzen is the "itome nori (color resistant glue)" for the anti staining that forms the outline of the pattern, and is said to be the lifeline that brings out its beauty.
It began in the mid-Edo period, and under the patronage of the Kaga Clan's cultural promotion policy, techniques such as color painting and color-patterned patterns were added to the traditional techniques and developed.