The Kurokabe Glass Quarter (黒壁スクエア) is the living heart of Nagahama's identity as Japan's glass-arts capital. The centrepiece is Kurokabe No.1 (黒壁1號館), the Black Wall building — a handsome 1900 former bank whose dark-plastered facade gives the district its name. Inside, hand-blown glassware and intricate glass art fill the gallery cases; the attached studio offers blowing and fusing workshops for visitors who want to try their hand.
The surrounding streets hold around thirty shops, studios, and galleries spread across restored machiya and kura. The work ranges from delicate sake sets and wind chimes to ornate lampwork beads and large decorative pieces. The quality is generally high and the atmosphere unhurried — this is not a souvenir strip but a working craft district where you can watch artisans at their benches through the studio windows.