A city with a picturesque, historic canal area.

Kurashiki (倉敷) is in Okayama Prefecture, not far from Okayama City, the prefectural capital. The city features a canal area preserved throughout the Edo Period (1603-1867). Then the town was a vital rice delivery center. In reality, the name “Kurashiki” translates approximately as “town of storehouses,” referring to the rice storehouses.

Kurashiki’s historic warehouses are now being transformed into museums, stores, and cafés. The Ohara Museum is the most spectacular of Kurashiki’s museums, with many works by well-known Western painters on display. Kurashiki Station is a ten-minute walk from the canal area.

If you love Japan for its history and want to see something other than the Kyoto sights, then Kurashiki is the place for you.
The city is located in Japan’s Okayama Prefecture at the foot of Mount Tsurugata. Is noted for its historical significance and housing the country’s first Western art museum. The city retains the ambiance of ancient Japan. Giving a sense of where people lived and worked.

Top attractions:

• Canal Area – Canal lined by willows and old storehouses.
• Ohara Museum – The oldest Western art museum in Japan.
• Ohashi House – A former merchant house open to the public.
• Ivy Square – Former site of a cotton mill factory.

Kurashiki City
Official website.

How to get:

It is generally easiest to access Kurashiki by train from Okayama. Okayama Station and Kurashiki Station are connected by frequently departing local and rapid trains along the JR Sanyo Line. The one-way trip takes around 15 minutes, costs 330 yen, and is fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass and the JR Kansai Wide Pass.

Kurashiki also has its own Shinkansen station. It is less conveniently located than Kurashiki Station and only serves by Kodama trains.