Kanazawa Phonograph Museum, Phonograph museum in Kanazawa, Japan
The Kanazawa Phonograph Museum is a collection of sound-playing devices housed in a building in the city of Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture. The facility contains roughly 540 phonographs and about 20,000 SP record discs spanning different periods of Japanese history.
The collection was assembled by Hiroshi Yokaichiya over decades and includes devices from Japan's Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods. These eras show how phonograph technology developed in Japan from early designs to later refinements.
Daily demonstrations show how different phonograph models produce sound mechanically, allowing visitors to experience how people once listened to music. These presentations give a sense of the listening habits from those earlier times.
The museum is open from morning until late afternoon and requires admission, though children under high school age enter at no cost. Allow time to attend the demonstrations, which significantly enhance your understanding of how these machines work.
A 1927 piano can play music autonomously using hole-punched paper rolls, reconstructing historical performances for today's audiences. This rare instrument shows an early form of music recording and playback that few people encounter.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
