Museums and galleries in Kurashiki

Museums and galleries in Kurashiki

1. See

   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

2. See

   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

3. Drink

   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

4. See

   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

5. See

   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

6. Buy

   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

7. See

   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

8. See

   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

9. See

   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)

10. See

    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

11. See

    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

12. See

    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

13. See

    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

14. See

    Senichi Hoshino Museum

    星野仙一記念館 Hoshino sen'ichi kinenkan

    Kurashiki native Sen'ichi Hoshino (1947-2018) was a long-time pitcher and manager for the Chunichi Dragons of Japanese pro baseball noted for his open hatred of the Yomiuri Giants; later led the Hanshin Tigers and Rakuten Golden Eagles. This museum collects some of his memorabilia and career highlights.

    Closed · opens 9:30 am·Adults ¥500, students ¥200

15. See

    Shogi Master Oyama Memorial Museum

    大山名人記念館

    Yasuharu Oyama (1923-1992), also a Kurashiki native, was an eighteen time champion of shogi; upon his retirement, he was crowned the 15th Lifetime Meijin (Grand Master) of the game.

    Thu-Tue 09:00-17:15, Fri 09:00-21:00·Free

16. See

    Yumiko Igarashi Museum

    いがらしゆみこ美術館

    Memorabilia and artwork from Candy Candy, one of the most popular manga among Japanese girls and a cult favorite overseas. (There is, however, no actual candy here.).

    Closed · opens 9 am·¥600 adults, ¥400 students

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Kurashiki (CC BY-SA 4.0).