Kurashiki

Archaeological Museum

倉敷考古館

Housed in a particularly lovely old rice warehouse, this museum has Japanese, Chinese, and even Incan artifacts on display.

Wed-Sun 09:00-17:00·¥400 adults, ¥250 students

Atchan

あっちゃん

Famous for its octopus okonomiyaki which uses the fresh, locally fished Shimotsui octopus.

Lunch 11:30-14:00, dinner 17:30-01:00 (open Sun holidays until 21:00, closed Mon)

Betty Smith Jeans Museum

ジーンズミュージアム

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. You can also buy or order custom jeans.

Closed · opens 9 am

Bukkake Udon

ぶっかけうどん

The Kurashiki brand of udon carries influence from Edo-period Tokyo, courtesy of the local business magnates who did trade with the shogunate. Today, Kurashiki natives will tolerate no other noodles. The sauce is served separately, so customers can pour it (bukkakeru) onto the noodles themselves. This popular chain has eight locations in the city, including four surrounding JR Kurashiki Station; hours vary, but the HQ at 2-3-23 Achi-dori (07:00-21:00) is the easiest to find. Look for the distinctive yellow and black logo.

¥600

Cafe Biscuit

カフェ ビスキュイ

A sandwich shop that is known for its crackers and jellies. It's a good place for a quick, light meal. The crackers and jellies can also be purchased independently if you'd like to take them home as souvenirs.

Closed · opens 8 am

Cafe El Greco

喫茶 エル・グレコ

A nice coffee shop next to the Ohara Art Museum — look for the red awning, and the building covered in ivy. Coffee and blueberry pie is the house specialty. It's named for the Spanish artist, whose The Annunciation is among the major works in the Ohara's collection.

Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00

Chouya

兆屋

Food, local microbrews and inventive food (very Japanese) at this friendly pub/drinking hole.

Mon-Sat 17:30-23:00·¥3000 per person

City Art Museum

倉敷市立美術館

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.

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00·¥200 adults, ¥100 students

Coffee Kan

倉敷珈琲館

Get educated and caffeinated in this beautiful, atmospheric coffee shop, managed by people who are serious about their beans. Brewed by French press, the coffee is served straight or mixed with honey and liquers to make their house "Queen of Amber" concoction.

Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00

Entsuji Temple

円通寺 Entsū-ji

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. This temple is also the seventh temple along the Chugoku 33 Kannon Temple Pilgrimage route.

Heisuiken

平翠軒

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 (森田酒造株式会社) is on the premises as well.

Tue-Sat 10:00-18:00

Insect Museum

倉敷昆虫館

Local insects, pinned and displayed for your examination. It's about 10 minutes north of the Bikan area, though, so it's only worth seeking out for serious entomology fans.

Tue-Sat 14:00-17:00·Free

Iseya

伊勢屋

If you enjoyed the Toy Museum, stop here for a mix of European wooden toys from the cheap & nifty to the expensive & hand-crafted.

Tue-Sun 09:00-19:00

Ivy Square

アイビースクエア

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.

Most facilities 09:00-17:00

Japanese Folk Toy Museum

日本郷土玩具館

A collection of over 40,000 toys, although only 5,000 or so are generally on display. Most are show-pieces (and occasionally eerie ones at that), but there are some that kids can play with hands-on.

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00·¥300 adults, ¥200 teenagers, ¥100 kids

Jeans Street

The Kojima area is one of the largest producers of jeans in all of Japan. All of the local jeans producers have shops located somewhere along the street where you can buy or order their jeans. The "street" is actually two streets. It starts where our marker is located on the map but when the road ends, it continues down towards the Nozaki House.

Koeido (Kurashiki branch)

廣榮堂倉敷店

The favorite sweet of Okayama and Momotaro, kibi dango (吉備団子), is sold here. The main shop in Okayama was founded in 1856.

Closed · opens 9 am·¥380 for a box of 10 pieces, or ask to sample a few with tea

Kojima School Uniform Museum

児島学生服資料館

A museum showcasing the history of school uniforms and their development through the years. It's located here because the Kojima area produces a large percentage of the school uniforms worn nationwide.

Closed · opens 10 am·Free

Kojima Torajiro Memorial Hall

児島虎次郎記念館

Dedicated to the work of the Japanese artist who directed the acquisition of most of the Ohara Museum's collection.

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00·¥1300 adults (includes Ohara Museum admission)

Kurashiki City Swimming Pool

倉敷市屋内水泳センター

An excellent 50-m swimming pool within easy cycling or walking distance of Kurashiki's Bikan historic area, close to the City Office. There's a separate 25-m pool for splashing about in. Like many public pools in Japan, everyone is required to get out of the water for 5 minutes each hour (at this pool, between 25 and 30 minutes past the hour), so check the time before going in if you want an uninterrupted swim.

Mon Wed-Fri 09:30-21:30, Sat Sun holidays 09:30-19:30·¥210 for adult swim (plus ¥100 for locker)

Kurashiki Sports Park

倉敷スポーツ公園

A large sports park with a variety of facilities for those interested in getting in shape (or just for fun), such as tennis courts, a fitness center, park, and more. Inside its precincts is Muscat Stadium, the biggest baseball stadium in Okayama, established in 1965. Entrance to the stadium is only permitted when events are being held there. The 1500-m running/walking course around the perimeter is popular with locals.

Park free; other areas vary in price

La Cenetta

ラ・チェネッタ

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.

¥1000 and up

Misokatsu Umenoki

みそかつ梅の木

Umenoki serves a Nagoya specialty: breaded, fried (without oil) pork cutlets with a thick miso-based sauce, usually served over shredded cabbage or noodles.

11:00-22:00, closed second and fourth Thu each month·Dishes from ¥1,000, sets from ¥2,500

Momotaro Museum

桃太郎のからくり博物館

With the figure of Momotaro outside and souvenirs sold inside, it is often mistaken by foreign tourists as just another shop and a cute photo-op, but this building is actually a "museum of mystery" dedicated to Momotaro, the Peach Boy. The museum features a variety of fun and interactive mind tricks that bear no real connection to the tale but are quite fun, especially for children. From there, prepare yourself for a walk through the dark lair of the ogres that Momotaro defeated before ascending the stairs to see some historical depictions of the tale and other items of nostalgia.

Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00·Adults ¥600, young students ¥400, children ¥100

Museum of Folkcraft

倉敷民藝館

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.

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00 (Dec-Feb to 16:15)·¥700 adults, ¥400 students

Museum of Natural History

倉敷市立自然史博物館

Local flora, fauna, insects, and geology; the star attraction is a Naumann's Elephant, a giant prehistoric mammal from southern Japan.

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:15·¥150 adults, ¥100 students

Nozaki House

旧野﨑家住宅

This building was constructed in 1833 as the home of Buzaemon Nozaki, a wealthy salt farmer. Not only can you roam about the residence, there are also storehouses on site that contain information and tools related to salt farming.

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00·¥500

Ohara Museum of Art

大原美術館 Ōhara bijutsukan

The first museum of Western art in Japan,it 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.

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00·¥1300 adults (includes Kojima Torajiro Memorial Hall admission). English audio guide for main hall ¥500

Ohashi House

大橋家住宅

If you've had it with ordinary merchants, visit the home of this family of retired samurai who went into business in Kurashiki.

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00·¥500 adults, ¥300 kids

SWLABR

スーラバー

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.

Fri-Wed 11:30-03:00