Okayama · Core city

Kurashiki

倉敷市くらしきしKurashiki-shi

Merchant storehouses on a willow canal

Kurashiki is the second city of Okayama Prefecture, known for its Bikan historical quarter, where white-walled storehouses line a willow-fringed canal. It is home to the Ohara Museum of Art, Japan's first museum of Western art, and to the denim workshops of Kojima.

Overview

Kurashiki's name means "village of storehouses". In the Edo period it was a shogunal territory and a collecting point for rice and cotton shipped down its canal to the Inland Sea, and its merchants built the white plaster storehouses with black-tiled walls that now make up the Bikan historical quarter, one of Japan's Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

In the Meiji era the merchant Ōhara family founded the Kurashiki Spinning Company, whose red-brick mill is now Ivy Square, and in 1930 Ōhara Magosaburō opened the Ohara Museum of Art with works by El Greco, Monet and Gauguin. Around the canal, museums of folk craft and toys continue the city's association with the mingei movement.

Beyond the old quarter, Kurashiki is a large industrial city: the Mizushima complex on its coast is one of the largest heavy-industry zones in western Japan, and the Kojima district, at the foot of the Great Seto Bridge, is Japan's jeans capital.

Landmarks

Bikan Historical Quarter
倉敷美観地区Kurashiki Bikan-chiku
Storehouses with namako-kabe walls, merchant houses and willows along the Kurashiki River canal, with small boats on the water.
Ohara Museum of Art
大原美術館Ōhara Bijutsukan
Japan's first museum of Western art, founded in 1930, with El Greco's Annunciation, French Impressionists and Japanese modern art and crafts.
Kurashiki Ivy Square
倉敷アイビースクエアKurashiki Aibī Sukuea
The ivy-covered red-brick spinning mill of 1889, converted into a hotel and museum complex.
Ōhashi House
大橋家住宅Ōhashi-ke jūtaku
A wealthy merchant's residence of 1796, an Important Cultural Property.
Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft
倉敷民藝館Kurashiki Mingeikan
Folk crafts from Japan and abroad in Edo-period rice storehouses.
Achi Shrine
阿智神社Achi Jinja
Shrine on Tsurugata hill above the quarter, with an ancient wisteria and views over the rooftops.
Kojima Jeans Street
児島ジーンズストリートKojima Jīnzu Sutorīto
A shopping street of denim makers and workshops in Kojima.
Washūzan
鷲羽山Washūzan
The viewpoint over the Great Seto Bridge and the Shiwaku Islands, within the Setonaikai National Park.

Districts

Bikan district
美観地区Bikan-chiku
The historic canal quarter south-east of Kurashiki Station.
Honmachi and Higashimachi
本町・東町Honmachi, Higashimachi
Quieter streets of latticed townhouses behind the canal.
Kojima
児島Kojima
The southern district of textile makers, jeans shops and the Seto-Ōhashi bridgehead.
Shimotsui
下津井Shimotsui
An old port for ships waiting for the tide, known for octopus drying on lines.
Tamashima
玉島Tamashima
A former port town with merchant houses and Entsū-ji, where the monk-poet Ryōkan trained.
Mizushima
水島Mizushima
The industrial coast of refineries, steelworks and car plants.

History

Kurashiki became a shogunal domain in 1642, administered by a magistrate's office, and prospered as a trading town for rice, cotton and rush. After the Meiji Restoration the Ōhara family turned local cotton into an industrial base with the Kurashiki Spinning Company of 1888. The family's patronage produced the Ohara Museum of Art in 1930 and helped preserve the old town, and a folk craft museum opened in 1948.

The present city was created in 1967 by the merger of Kurashiki with Kojima and Tamashima, as the Mizushima industrial zone expanded on reclaimed land. The Bikan district was designated for preservation in 1979. In July 2018 heavy rain flooded the Mabi district, causing one of the worst disasters in the city's history.

1642
Kurashiki becomes direct territory of the shogunate, with a magistrate's office.
1888
The Kurashiki Spinning Company is founded by local merchants led by the Ōhara family.
1930
Ōhara Magosaburō opens the Ohara Museum of Art.
1948
The Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft opens in converted rice storehouses.
1967
Kurashiki, Kojima and Tamashima merge to form the present city.
1979
The Bikan district is designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
1988
The Great Seto Bridge opens from Kojima to Kagawa.
2002
Kurashiki becomes a core city.
2018
Heavy rain in July floods the Mabi district.

Culture

Kurashiki's cultural profile was shaped by the Ōhara family, whose patronage of art, music and the mingei movement gave the small town a museum culture unusual in provincial Japan. The quarter hosts seasonal events such as the Haru-yoi Akari spring lantern evenings and the Tenryō Summer Festival, recalling its status as shogunal land. In autumn, masked figures called suinkyo, representing an old couple, strike onlookers with fans for good luck during the Achi Shrine festival.

Festivals

Kurashiki Tenryō Summer Festival
倉敷天領夏祭りKurashiki Tenryō Natsu Matsuri
Summer street festival with dance and stalls around the station and quarter.
Achi Shrine Autumn Festival
阿智神社秋季例大祭Achi Jinja shūki reitaisai
October festival with the suinkyo old-couple masks and portable shrines.
Haru-yoi Akari
倉敷春宵あかりKurashiki Haru-yoi Akari
Spring evenings when the canal quarter is lit with paper lanterns.

Food

Mamakari
ままかりMamakari
Small vinegared sardinella, served as sushi or grilled.
Shimotsui octopus
下津井だこShimotsui-dako
Octopus from the strong currents off Shimotsui, eaten fresh or dried.
Bukkake udon
ぶっかけうどんBukkake udon
Udon with concentrated broth poured over; Kurashiki is one of the places that claims its origin.
Muscat and white peaches
マスカット・白桃Masukatto, hakutō
Fruit from the Funao and Tamashima areas, served in the quarter's cafés.

Getting around

JR Kurashiki Station is about 15 minutes from Okayama on the San'yō Line; the Bikan quarter is a 10–15-minute walk south.
Shin-Kurashiki Station, a few kilometres west, is served by some San'yō Shinkansen trains.
Kojima Station on the Seto-Ōhashi Line is a stop for the Marine Liner between Okayama and Takamatsu.
The Mizushima Rinkai Railway links Kurashiki with the Mizushima industrial district.

Day trips

Okayama
岡山Okayama
Kōraku-en and Okayama Castle, 15 minutes by train.
Naoshima
直島Naoshima
The art island, via the port of Uno.
Bitchū Takahashi
備中高梁Bitchū Takahashi
Mountain-top Bitchū Matsuyama Castle, under an hour by the Hakubi Line.
Kibi plain
吉備路Kibiji
Kofun, the Bitchū Kokubun-ji pagoda and Kibitsu Shrine, by bicycle between Sōja and Okayama.
Shikoku via the Great Seto Bridge
瀬戸大橋Seto Ōhashi
Trains cross the bridge from Kojima to Kagawa, with views over the islands.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalOkayamaOkayama-shiGarden city of the Ikeda and crossroads of western Japan

Frequently asked questions

How long should you spend in Kurashiki?

The Bikan quarter and the Ohara Museum of Art fill most of a day; many visitors stay overnight to see the canal lit up in the evening.

Can you take a boat on the Kurashiki canal?

Yes. Small flat-bottomed boats make short trips along the Kurashiki River through the historic quarter, operating in the milder seasons.

What is special about the Ohara Museum of Art?

Founded in 1930, it was the first museum of Western art in Japan; its holdings include El Greco's Annunciation and works by Monet, Matisse and Gauguin.

Where can you buy jeans made in Kurashiki?

In the Kojima district, whose Jeans Street gathers the shops of local denim brands, and in the Bikan quarter.

Sources

1.倉敷市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 倉敷市
2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
3.大原美術館 (opens in a new tab) — 大原美術館
4.重要伝統的建造物群保存地区一覧 (opens in a new tab) — 文化庁
5.Kurashiki (opens in a new tab) — JNTO