Kurashiki

During the Edo period, Kurashiki did heavy trade with the capital in rice, sugar, and other goods. Later, during the Meiji Restoration (i.e. after 1868), the city became known for textiles. Kurashiki escaped World War II largely unscathed, and as a result, many of the original storehouses, mills, and shops remain in beautiful condition, open to visitors in the Bikan Historic Area.

The effect is delightful — storehouses (倉 kura) with lattice windows share space with weeping willows 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:

Tourist information can be found at the two main train stations.

1 Bikan Historic Area (倉敷美観地区), 1-4-8 Chuo-dori, ☏ +81 86-422-0542. 09:00-17:00.

The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site with integrated machine translation.

By plane:

Okayama Momotarō Airport (岡山空港 OKJ IATA), Okayama. A shuttle bus connects Kurashiki Station with the airport (45 min, ¥1,130). 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. Catch a flight there, or take a second shuttle bus to Hiroshima Airport (2 hrs, ¥2,100). (updated Jul 2020)

By train:

Kurashiki is on the 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). The few 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 flash your rail pass to the conductor, declaring Kurashiki as your destination.

2 JR Kurashiki Station (倉敷駅), Achi 1-1-1, ☏ +81 86-424-1220. 09:00-17:00. 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).

3 JR Shin-Kurashiki Station (新倉敷駅), 390-4 Tamashima Tsumasaki, ☏ +81 86-526-8446. 09:00-17:00. The Kodama Shinkansen stops here. However, the station is about 8 km west of downtown Kurashiki, two stops away on the JR San'yo Main Line. If you're coming from points east, you'll probably want to take a faster train to Okayama and transfer to a local service instead.

By bus: