Attractions

Kurashiki's historic old town is centered on a canal lined with graceful willows and 200-year-old granaries made of black-tile walls topped with white mortar. Many of the granaries have been turned into museums, ryokan, restaurants, and boutiques selling handblown glass, Bizen pottery, papier-mâché toys, women's ethnic clothing imported from Bali and India, and mats and handbags made of igusa (rush grass), a local specialty. Street vendors sell jewelry, their wares laid out beside the canal, and healthy young boys stand ready to give visitors rides in rickshaws.

A resident advised me that because of the crowds that descend upon Kurashiki during the day (about four million tourists come here a year), I should get up early in the morning before the shops and museums open and explore this tiny area while it's still under the magic spell of the early morning glow. "Real lovers of Kurashiki come on Monday," he added. "Because that's when most everything is closed, and there are fewer people." I've found that early evening is also a magical time to walk the streets, especially after sunset when many buildings along the canal are illuminated.

Do try to avoid weekends, but no matter when you come, you're likely to fall under the city's spell. One of the most rewarding things to do in Kurashiki is simply explore (don't neglect the side streets btw. the canal and Achi Shrine on Tsurugatayama Park; even rain only enhances the contrasting black and white of the buildings).

Ivy Square -- A 1-minute walk from the canal and museums is a complex called Kurashiki Ivy Square, 7-1 Honmachi. Built as a cotton mill by a local spinning company in 1889, this handsome redbrick complex shrouded in ivy has been renovated into a hotel, restaurants, museums, and a few boutiques and galleries selling crafts. It's especially romantic in the evening when, from mid-July to the end of August, there's a beer garden in the inner courtyard (daily 6-9:30pm) and classical music wafts from loudspeakers built into the courtyard's brick floors.

Museums at Ivy Square include Kojima Torajiro Memorial Hall (tel. 086/422-0010), named for and displaying paintings by the local artist who went to Europe to purchase most of the pieces in the Ohara museum (he died, however, before completion of the museum). It's open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Most unique, however, in my opinion, is the Orgel Musée (tel. 086/427-3904), where 30-minute concerts on 30 antique organs, player pianos, and music boxes from Europe, the United States, and Japan take place. You must enter on the hour, at 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, and 5pm. Admission for both museums is ¥500 for adults and ¥300 for children.