Kurashiki city [倉敷]

Kurashiki is located about 20 km west of Okayama city.

It is a major industrial city, and there is a heavy industrial area in the south part of the city.

But Kurashiki is well known for the historical quarter in the center of the city.
The quarter is located about 0.7 km southeast of JR Kurashiki station.

Kurashiki River, which looks like a small canal, flows in the center, and the houses and buildings built in the 18th to 20th centuries are dotted.

It is designated as a national conservation area of traditional buildings.
(Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter, "Kurashiki Bikan Chiku" [倉敷美観地区] in Japanese)

In the 17th century, Kurashiki was a distribution center of various products of the southern Okayama Prefecture.

Kurashiki River was used as a route of transportation by water, then many storehouses and the residences of the merchants were built around the river.

From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, some Western-style buildings were built.

All of them create an atmosphere of traditional Japanese town.

The area is about 500 meters square.
Most of the old buildings are used as museum, hall or cafe.

And there is Tsurugatayama hill (鶴形山) in the north part of the area.

It is a park, and there are about 120 cherry trees on the hill.
It is also a good observatory to view the historical quarter.

Boat cruise on Kurashiki River is operated.
You can see the scenery of the quarter on the boat slowly, and it takes about 20 minutes.
The boarding place is near Kurashiki Kôko-kan musem in the center of the quarter.

The central spot is Ohara Museum of Art (大原美術館).

It is a full-scale museum for Western art and modern art founded by Ohara family in 1930.

Ohara family had been a rich large landowner in Kurashiki and established a cotton spinning company in the 1880s.
Ohara Magosaburo (1880-1943) was the president of the company.

He bought some paintings in Paris in the 1920s.
Then, he built this museum to exhibit them in 1930.

The collection includes very important works.
For example, they are El Greco "Annunciation", Monet "Waterlilies", Gauguin "Te Nave Nave Fenua", Renoir "Woman by Spring", etc.

Ohara Museum of Art

In the square, there are the following spots.

Ohashi House (大橋家住宅) is a house built in 1796.
Ohashi family was orginally samurai, but they became commoner.
They developed wide rice fields and salt farms, so they made a fortune.

Kurashiki Monogatari-kan (倉敷物語館) is the community center for visitors and citizens, and is located just at the entrance of the square.
The building is former large residence built around the 18th century.

Former Ohara House (旧大原家住宅) was the residence of Ohara family and was built in the early 19th century.
Now, it is a museum about Ohara family.

Yûrinsô (有隣荘) is a gorgeous villa, and Ohara Magosaburo built it for his sickly wife in 1928.
In 1947, Emperor Showa stayed in this villa.
It is opened only for a few weeks in late April and late October.

Kurashiki Kôko-kan (倉敷考古館) is the museum of archaeological materials in this region.
The building was a storehouse for rice in the 18th and 19th century.

Kurashiki Archaeological Museum

Inoue House (井上家住宅) is the oldest house in this area, and was completed in the 1721.

Kurashiki Mingei-kan (倉敷民藝館) is the museum of folkcraft in Japan and the world.
The building was an old storehouse for rice.

Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft

Nihon Kyôdo-gangu-kan (日本郷土玩具館) is the museum of folk toy in Japan.
It consists of a few buildings of old storehouse.

Japanese Folk Toys Museum

Kurashiki Ivy Square is the museum complex.
The buildings were the spinning factory and its cotton strorehouse established by Ohara family in 1889.
A few of them are covered with ivy, and there are some museum, a hotel and a few restaurants.

Kurashiki Ivy Square

How to get here

About 16 minutes from Okayama to Kurashiki by local train of JR San-yo Line.
From Kurashiki station to the square, about 15 minutes on foot.

Other Tourist Attractions in Okayama Prefecture

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