My Japan: Kurashiki

Kurashiki is a city in the Okayama Prefecture and only 15 minutes from the JR Okayama station. Kurashiki has an arts district/historical quarter that bring international art and Japanese traditional crafts in a beautiful setting.

A bicycle park building at the Kurashiki train station (CNB 2012)

Kurashiki's floral clock (CNB 2012)

Kurashiki Museum Street (CNB 2012)

A side street off Museum Street (CNB 2012)

Historically during feudal times, Kurashiki's affairs were administrated directly by the Tokugawa Shogunate in Edo (present-day Tokyo). During this Edo period Kurashiki was a central collection and storage site for the shogun's taxes and tribute - in rice. Many stone rice warehouses (kura) were clustered around willow-lined canals, hence the town's name. Today the 17th century granaries/rice warehouses, with their distinct white walls set with dark black tiles and capped with black tile roofs have been preserved/restored. Together with Meiji-era factories, homes of samurai and wealthy merchants, these have been converted into museums, craft shops, and art galleries.

The traditional buildings and pedestrianised streets (CNB 2012)

A bride in traditional setting (CNB 2012)

A kimono-clad lady in Kurashiki (CNB 2012)

Kurashiki's preservation has been attributed to Ohara, whose family's textile mills were the main source of employment in the town during the Meiji period when rice taxes were replaced by cash and so rendering the rice warehouses redundant. (If I have sounded like a brochure on Kurashiki, I have actually gleaned some for the information here.)

Kurashiki architecture - what used to be a warehouse (CNB 2012)

On the bridge to more restored warehouses (SH 2012)

Walking around in the Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter was a great pleasure. The streets around the willow-lined canals look very much like they did during the town's cultural and economic zenith in the 18th century.

A tranquil setting along the canal (CNB 2012)

A bridal couple walk along a stone bridge (CNB 2012)

The photographer groom being photographed!
(CNB 2012)

Due to constraints of time, we did not have the opportunity to visit any of the art/folk museums but we did stop by a very cosy coffee house for tea/ocha and came away with some authentic 'Made in Japan' souvenirs from some of the many craft shops in the Kurashiki historical quarter.

The amiable coffee house proprietor Tazuko (CNB 2012)

My green ocha or matcha in a pretty daffodil cup (CNB 2012)

Assuredly  'Made in Japan' crafts (CNB 2012)

Cheerful pansies in a Kurashiki  Street (CNB 2012)

3-12 April 2012