'''Kurashiki''' (_q_~) [http://world.kankou-kurashiki.jp/eng/] is a city in Okayama prefecture with one of Japan's best-preserved traditional neighborhoods, the '''Bikan Historic Area''', which is situated along a scenic canal at the foot of '''Mt. Tsurugata'''.

Understand

Kurashiki was one of the great merchant towns of Edo-period Japan, doing heavy trade with Tokyo in rice, sugar, and other goods. Later, during the Meiji restoration, the city became known for making fine textiles with modern manufacturing techniques. The city escaped World War II largely unscathed, and as a result, many of the original commercial buildings — storehouses, mills, and distributors — remain in beautiful condition, open to visitors in the '''Bikan Historic Area'''.

The effect is delightful — white walls and storehouses (_q ''kura'') with lattice windows share space with weeping willow trees along the banks of the old canal, which is illuminated at night. The canal has led some overly optimistic tourist associations to call Kurashiki "the Venice of Japan". If not that — the city surrounding the Bikan area is as much a concrete jumble as any other in the country — Kurashiki is still a rare piece of old Japan, one that gives a sense of where people lived and worked, not merely the temples at which they worshipped.

Tourist information

There are tourist information offices in each of the three JR train stations, and also in the Bikan Historic Area. Maps and guides in several languages are available, and most of the workers speak some English.

  • <listing name="JR Kurashiki Station" alt="" directions="" address="" phone="086-424-1220" email="" fax="" url="" hours="9AM-5PM" price=""> Exit the train station to the south (left from JR ticket collection), overlooking the bus depot. Stay on the upper level, and you'll find the office among the shops to the right (west).</listing>
  • <listing name="Bikan Historic Area" alt="" directions="" address="1-4-8 Chuo-dori" phone="086-422-0542" email="" fax="" url="" hours="9AM-5PM" price=""></listing>
  • <listing name="JR Shin-Kurashiki Station" alt="" directions="" address="" phone="086-526-8446" email="" fax="" url="" hours="9AM-5PM" price=""></listing>
  • <listing name="JR Kojima Station" alt="" directions="" address="" phone="086-472-1289" email="" fax="" url="" hours="9AM-5PM" price=""></listing>
  • Get in

    By plane

    A shuttle bus will take you from the Okayama airport to Kurashiki station in approximately 45 minutes (¥1000). Tickets can be purchased from a vending machine outside of the airport. Large luggage is okay; the driver will stow it underneath the seats. Staff at the information booth just beyond baggage claim are very helpful, and will go outside with you to purchase the ticket and get you on the appropriate bus. Like most buses in Japan, the driver will collect the ticket when you disembark.

    Connections can also be made with the Hiroshima airport, via shuttle bus to Okayama (2 hours, ¥2100).

    By train

    Kurashiki is on the JR San'yo Main Line between Okayama and Fukuyama.

    The best way to reach Kurashiki from the San'yo ''shinkansen'' is to transfer to a local train at Okayama; the ride takes about 15 minutes (¥320). Note that the limited express trains between Okayama and Kurashiki are more than twice as expensive, and will only save you a couple of minutes. However, if you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can take either a local or a limited express; on the latter, hop onto any non-reserved car and simply flash your rail pass to the conductor, declaring Kurashiki as your destination.

    The San'yo ''shinkansen'' does stop at '''Shin-Kurashiki''' station (_V_q_~), another 10 minutes down the San'yo Main Line, but only with the all-stops ''Kodama'' trains.

    By bus

    Several companies run daytime and overnight bus routes from Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Matsuyama, Tokushima, Kochi, Fukuoka, and elsewhere. Operators include '''Chugoku JR Bus Company''' [http://www.chugoku-jrbus.co.jp/] (086-236-1123) and '''123bus''' [http://www.123bus.net/] (050-5805-0383). Buses arrive and depart outside the north exit of JR Kurashiki Station.

    Get around

    Most of the sights in Kurashiki are in and around the aforementioned '''Bikan Historic Area''', which is easily reached on foot from the south exit of JR Kurashiki Station — about a ten minute walk down Chuo-dori or the Ebisu-dori covered arcade. Bus #6 from JR Kurashiki Station runs to JR Kojima Station, if you prefer a street-level view while traveling between the two locations, and it's about ten minutes on the local train from JR Kurashiki Station to Shin-Kurashiki Station.

    See

    Bikan Historic Area

    Even if you're not interested in the subject area of a certain museum, the chance to explore inside these old warehouses and mills might be worth the price of admission. Note that virtually all of the museums (and many of the stores) are closed on Mondays, which does at least mean fewer crowds and photo hounds competing for that perfect shot at the foot of a bridge.

    For a terrific view of the entire Bikan area, head up the granite stairs on '''Mt. Tsurugata''' to the '''Achi Shrine''', and have a wander around the park at the top.

  • Ohara Museum of Art. -1-15 Chuo-dori. 86-422-0005. ttp://www.ohara.or.jp/. u-Su 9AM-5PM. ickets ¥1000 adults, ¥600 students. Houses a deservedly renowned collection of classic European and American art, including major works by Picasso, Renoir, Monet, Matisse, and many others. There's another building for exhibitions by modern Japanese artists, which tend to be very good. Set aside some time to wander the grounds as well, with Rodin statues out front, a small sculpture garden out back, and neoclassical columns beatifically out of character with the rest of the area.

  • Kojima Torajiro Memorial Hall. -1 Hon-machi. vy Square. 86-422-0005. ttp://www.ohara.or.jp/. u-Su 9AM-5PM. yen;500, ¥300 students; ¥1300 combined admission with the museum. Dedicated to the work of the Japanese artist who directed the acquisition of most of the Ohara Museum's collection.

  • Archaeological Museum. -3-13 Chuo-dori. 86-422-1542. ttp://ww51.tiki.ne.jp/~kura-kouko/. u-Su 9AM-4:30PM, to 4PM Dec-Feb. yen;400 adults, ¥250 students. Housed in a particularly lovely old rice warehouse, this museum has Japanese, Chinese, and even Incan artifacts on display.

  • Japan Rural Toy Museum. -4-16 Chuo-dori. 86-422-8058. ttp://gangukan.jp/. u-Su 9AM-5PM. dmission is ¥300 for adults, ¥200 for teenagers and ¥100 for kids. Has a collection of over 40,000 toys, although only 5,000 usually are on display. Most are show-pieces (and occasionally eerie ones at that), but there are some that kids can play with hands-on.

  • Museum of Folkcraft. -4-11 Chuo-dori. 86-422-1542. ttp://iwe.kusa.ac.jp/FOLK/folk_op.html. u-Su 9AM-5PM, to 4:15PM Dec-Feb. yen;700 adults, ¥400 students. Hosts excellent seasonal and permanent exhibitions of Japanese folk crafts. Even if you're not captivated by the subject matter, the space in which it's housed — three vintage structures connected by narrow corridors and old stairwells — is worth checking out.

  • Sen'ichi Hoshino Museum. -18-1 Chuo-dori. 86-430-0001. ttp://1001-kinenkan.jp/. 0AM-6PM April-Sept, 9:30AM-5PM Oct-March. dults ¥500, students ¥200. Kurashiki native Sen'ichi Hoshino was a long-time pitcher and manager for the Chunichi Dragons of Japanese pro baseball, and has now found focus for his open hatred of the Yomiuri Giants as a manager and director of the Hanshin Tigers. This recently-opened museum collects some of his memorabilia and career highlights.

  • Shogi Master Oyama Memorial Museum. -1-18 Chuo-dori. 86-434-0003. ttp://www.kcpf.or.jp/hall/kinenkan/. h-Tu 9AM-5:15PM, to 9PM F. ree. Yasuharu Oyama (1923-1992), also a Kurashiki native, was an eighteen time world champion of ''shogi''; upon his retirement, he was crowned the 15th Lifetime ''Meijin'' (Grand Master) of the game.

  • Yumiko Igarashi Museum. -3 Hon-machi. 86-426-1919. ttp://www.aska-planning-design.co.jp/. AM-6PM. yen;600 adults, ¥400 students. Memorabilia and artwork from ''Candy Candy'', one of the most popular ''manga'' among Japanese girls and a cult favorite overseas. (There is, however, no actual candy here.)

    Near the Bikan area

  • City Art Museum. -6-1 Chuo-dori. 86-425-6034. u-Su 9AM-5PM. yen;200 adults, ¥100 students. Exhibits of work by artists from Kurashiki, with a focus on the renowned painter '''Yoson Ikeda''' (1895-1988). The building, designed by '''Kenzo Tange''', is an odd attempt to reinterpret warehouses of the Bikan area in concrete.

  • Insect Museum. -30 Saiwai-cho. higei Hospital, 8th floor. 86-422-3655. u-Sa 2-5PM. ree. Local insects, pinned and displayed for your examination. It's about ten minutes north of the Bikan area, though, a short walk northeast of the train station, so it's only worth seeking out for serious entolomogy fans.

  • Museum of Natural History. -6-1 Chuo-dori. 86-425-6037. ttp://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/dd.aspx?menuid=1264. u-Su 9AM-5PM. yen;150 adults, ¥100 students. Local flora, fauns, insects, and geology; the star attraction is a Naumann's Elephant, a giant prehistoric mammal from southern Japan.

  • Ohashi House. -21-31 Achi-dori. 86-422-0007. u-Su 9AM-5PM. yen;500 adults, ¥300 kids. If you've had it with ordinary merchants, visit the home of this family of retired samurai who went into business in Kurashiki. It's a bit worn down, but all the more interesting as a result.

    Tamashima Area

    Although the Bikan Historic District is the most popular area to visit in Kurashiki, the Tamashima area is the most easily accessible, with Shin-Kurashiki Station, accessible by Shinkansen, as the main station.

  • Entsuji Temple. 86-522-2444. ttp://www.kurashiki.co.jp/entsuji/. Entsuji Temple is famous as the site where the famous poet Priest Ryokan wrote many of his most famous poems. From the temple grounds, there is an impressive view of the factories in the Kojima area (which is quite beautiful, despite how it may sound), as well as the Seto Inland Sea, served by JR Kojima Station, and offers many great views of the Seto Ohashi Bridge.

  • Jeans Factory. 86-473-4460. ours: 11 AM to 5 PM. The Kojima area of Kurashiki is known throughout Japan for its high-quality jeans, and the museum displays items made in the factory and the history of Kojima jean production.

  • Yugasan Rendai-ji. 86-477-6222. ttp://www.yugasan.jp/. A unique complex composed of both a shrine and a temple. The torii gate is made of '''Bizen pottery'''. The shrine is a sister shrine to the famous Konpirasan in Bizen-yaki (___O__) pottery are sold as well. Cheaper souvenirs and knick-knacks are available in the '''Ebisu-dori''' covered shopping arcade, which runs part of the route between the station and the Bikan area.

  • Heisuiken. -8 Hon-machi. 86-427-1147. ttp://www.heisuiken.co.jp/. u-Sa 10AM-6PM. The Food of Life is stocked at this store of delicacies from all over Japan, sold in gift sets. The headquarters of the '''Morita Shuzo''' ''sake'' brewery (_X_c____________) [http://www.optic.or.jp/com/moritashuzo/moritashuzo_e.html] is on the premises as well.

  • Iseya. -5 Hon-machi. 86-426-1383. ttp://www.kurashiki.co.jp/iseya/. u-Su 9AM-7PM. If you enjoyed the Toy Museum, stop here for a mix of wooden toys from the cheap & nifty to the expensive & hand-crafted.

  • Ivy Square. -1 Hon-machi. 86-422-0011. ost facilities 9AM-5PM. There is some historical charm in this old cotton mill, built of red bricks and covered in green ivy, but it's mainly here to sell high-end art, fabrics, and other traditional wares.

  • Koeido. -1-18 Chuo-dori. 86-426-5888. ttp://www.koeido.co.jp/shop_kurashiki.html. AM-6PM. yen;380 for a box of 10 pieces, or ask to sample a few with tea. The favorite sweet of
  • Higashi-da. -2-18 Achi-dori. 86-427-2248. -Sa 5PM-11PM. et the chef decide (''omakase'') the sushi for ¥5000, although ''anago oshizushi'' (made with eel) is a specialty. Excellent seafood and other Japanese cuisine in an old, traditional restaurant.

  • Kana Izumi. -33 Hon-machi. 86-421-7254. ttp://www.kanaizumi.co.jp/tenpo1.html#kurashiki. u-Su 10AM-8:30PM. rices vary — bowls of udon or tempura start from ¥550, while sets are available from ¥3500. A noodle shop in the atmospheric surroundings of the Bikan area.

  • La Cenetta. __E_`_F_l_b_^. 700 Funagura-cho. 86-434-3069. yen;1000 and up. Japanese pizzerias are famously creative (and sometimes bizarre) with their choice of pizza toppings, but La Cenetta is an exception; chef Sekizen Kohara serves authentic Neapolitan-style pies, made in a small wood oven.

  • Misokatsu Umenoki. -19-3 Achi-dori. 86-422-1282. ttp://ww1.tiki.ne.jp/~kazu-473/. 1AM-10PM, closed second and fourth Thursdays of the month. ishes from ¥1000, with sets from ¥2500. Umenoki serves a
  • SWLABR. -18-2 Achi-dori. 86-434-3099. -W 11:30AM-3AM. A cozy pub/coffee shop/clothing store (named for a Cream song) located two minutes south of JR Kurashiki Station — look for the green building. The friendly staff serves good food and desserts until 8PM and drinks until late.

    Sleep

    Although Kurashiki is an easy day-trip from Okayama, it's worth staying overnight to enjoy the late evening and early morning atmosphere of the Bikan area (without the daytime crowds).

    Budget

  • Kurashiki Youth Hostel. 537-1 Mukoyama. ehind Ivy Square. 86-422-7355. ttp://www.jyh.gr.jp/kurashiki/. yen;2940 per person, ¥6930 for twin room. Rooms contain two sets of bunk beds (4 beds total) and a small area for watching TV. There is also a nice commons area with a fireplace and musical instruments, and meals are served. Pick-up may be available if you phone ahead. Otherwise, take bus #6 to Shimin-kaikan-mae (last departure 8:50PM) and walk uphill for ten minutes.

  • Young Inn Kurashiki. -14-8 Achi-dori. 86-425-3411. ttp://www.kurashiki.jp/english.htm. ooms without/with private bath from ¥4200/7000. A large, red-brick hotel with several floors of small, Western-style rooms. It's not very clean by the standards of most Japanese hotels, but it's close to the station and fairly easy to find. The owner speaks a little English. Breakfast (¥600) and dinner (¥2000) are available.

    Mid-range

  • Hotel 330 Grand Kurashiki. -2-26 Chuo-dori. 86-421-0330. ttp://www.kurashiki330.com/. ingle rooms from ¥7200, double from ¥10,600 if booked in advance. Warm, pleasant rooms with business hotel amenities but American-style decor, right on the edge of the Bikan area. Buffet Western or Japanese-style breakfast available (¥1100).

  • Kurashiki Station Hotel. -8-1 Achi-dori. 86-425-2525. ttp://www.kurashiki-sh.co.jp/english/. ooms from ¥6300 single, ¥10,500 double. Five floors and 111 small rooms slightly more pleasant than the average business hotel, located directly in front of the station. They offer steep discounts for online booking; buffet Japanese breakfasts are available for ¥1000.

  • Kurashiki Terminal Hotel. -7-2-901 Achi-dori. 86-426-1111. ttp://www.kth.co.jp. ooms from ¥6,825 single; ¥9,450 twin. A typical business hotel with clean, small rooms, just outside the train station.

  • Minshuku Kashiwaya. -1-22 Chuo-dori. 86-425-2507. ttp://www.mmd.co.jp/kashiwaya/. ooms from ¥6000 per person with two meals, ¥4800 without. Lodgings are basic at this three-floor ''minshuku'', but it's an excellent value right next to the Bikan area.

    Splurge

  • Kurashiki Ivy Square Hotel. -2 Hon-machi. 86-422-0011. ttp://www.ivysquare.co.jp/. ooms with private bathrooms from ¥10,500 single, ¥18,900 double. Small, decent rooms in a splendid location within Ivy Square and the Bikan area. All of the amenities of Ivy Square (shopping, a restaurant, a beer garden) are right on hand. Some rooms face a parking lot and some face a grove of palm trees, so you may wish to state your preference between those two alternatives.

  • Hotel Nikko Kurashiki. -21-19 Achi-dori. 86-423-2400. ttp://www.nikko-kurashiki.com/english.htm. ooms from ¥22,000 single, ¥27,000 twin. Nice, well-appointed Western-style rooms, with notably spacious bathrooms. Western and Japanese buffet breakfasts are available to mix and match as you please.

  • Ryokan Kurashiki. -1 Honmachi. 86-422-0730. ttp://www.ryokan-kurashiki.jp/e_index.htm. ooms from ¥28,000 per person, including dinner and breakfast. A traditional inn, occupying an atmospheric complex of old buildings, facing the canal in the Bikan section. There are various styles of suites — Western, traditional, mixed — scattered along a maze of corridors. Little English is spoken, but the staff welcomes foreigners, and breakfast is available. Guests should arrive early enough to sip tea by the garden and soak themselves before dinner. It's on the left side of the canal as you walk from the train station, at a bend in the canal.

  • Tsurugata. -3-15 Chuo-dori. 86-424-1635. ttp://www.mmd.co.jp/tsurugata. ooms range from ¥12,000 to ¥30,000. Another beautiful ''ryokan'' in the midst of the Bikan area, in business for more than 250 years with eleven Japanese-style rooms. The garden, in particular, is pure Kurashiki atmosphere. Stellar meals of seafood (and nothing but seafood, mind you) are included in the rate, and a little English is spoken.

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    Get out

    Within Okayama Prefecture there are many worthwhile places to travel:

  • Okayama is a short train ride away, featuring '''Koraku-en''', one of Japan's Top 3 gardens, the '''Kibi Trail''', a variety of museums, and all the '''Momotaro''' you could possibly want.
  • Soja is a city famous for its Zen temple, '''Hofukuji Temple''' where the poet and priest Sesshu once lived, as well as housing the other half of the '''Kibi Trail'''.
  • Takahashi is a famous castle town with the highlight being '''Bitchu Matsuyama Castle''', one of Japan's only remaining original castles, as well as the highest castle in the country.
  • Niimi is famous for its two caves; '''Ikura Ravine''' and '''Maki Cave'''.
  • Tsuyama is famous for '''Kakuzan Park''', where springtime visitors will be treated to Okayama's best place to view cherry blossoms, as well as the beautiful '''Shurakuen Garden''' and historic '''Joto Street'''.
  • Outside of Okayama Prefecture, one can easily take daytrips to:

  • Fukuyama, known for '''Fukuyama Castle''' and a variety of interesting museums
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