Kurashiki's Bikan Historical Area

 If you want to see historical buildings in Japan, you have to get out of the big cities. With a few notable exceptions, the architecture of days gone by has, over time, been bulldozed and bombed out of existence. Several major cities have nearby collections, like the Tokyo Edo Architectural Museum and my favorite, Meiji Mura near Nagoya.

 You see, long before bombing during World War II, many of Japan's most important castles were knocked down during the Meiji Restoration. And especially in major cities, as municipalities grew in population smaller buildings made way to skyscrapers. Not to mention Japan's desire to improve and rebuild - houses and other structures generally have shorter lifespans. Why take an old, unsafe structure when you can have the most up-to-date earthquake-safe technology and fresh designs?

 The answer is to head over to the canal area about 10-15 minutes from Kurashiki Station. The beautiful, peaceful canal is lined with historic storehouses, formerly used to hold rice grown in the surrounding plains. Of course, during the Edo Period, this area would have been busy with barges and boats moving rice in and out.

 The buildings along the canal are mostly original storehouses, but there are several other more-modern buildings either matching the style or adding a little unique character showing the changing importance of Kurashiki. These buildings have been converted into museums, shops, and restaurants.

 The streets in the surrounding area hold plenty of other historic buildings, interesting shops, and tasty restaurants.

 Almost all of the museums and many stores in this area are closed on Monday. This will mean lighter crowds for photographers, but also less to do - Kurashiki is at most a single day trip for those taking in all the town has to offer. There are other things to do in the surrounding area, of course, and Kurashiki is just a few minutes from Okayama. Access the Bikan historical canal area from Kurashiki Station (not Shin-Kurashiki Station) by walking along the covered shopping arcade, and then just explore the area with a good map.

Don't forget to try the food and visit the museums!

Okayama (Kurashiki) Food (Part One)

Okayama doesn't have much along the lines of local cuisine, but visitors to Kurashiki should definitely plan on snacking a bit while they're there.

 The canal area offers plenty of places to pick up some treats hot off the grill, including these things. I don't know what they are and I haven't tried one yet, but they sell pretty well. What you actually see above is a model, but the edible ones look exactly the same.

 The region's most well-known food is kibi dango. Dango is a mildly sweet flour dumpling on a stick; kibi dango is darker than most I usually see and covered in powder.

The region is known for its grapes and peaches. On my first trip, I found grape juice for 100 yen per (smallish) cup. Delicious, especially on a hot day!

Be sure to keep your eyes open for shops selling fresh snacks like these both along the canal and on the back streets surrounding the canal! The kibi dango and grape juice were both from a store along the east side of the canal.

Kurashiki's Ohara Museum of Art

 Japan has plenty of museums showcasing Western art, but Ohara was the first. Located in Kurashiki, this private museum has several buildings plus an additional building down the street.

 Photography isn't permitted inside the museum, but I feel the exhibits were worth every penny. The Main Gallery is in the Western building seen in the top photo, and has works by Picasso, Rodin, Pollock, and more. The collection is very diverse so it doesn't get monotonous.

 Several old Japanese warehouses are connected together to expand the collection. The Annex has works by Japanese artists. The Craft Art Gallery displays ceramics, woodblock prints, stencil dyeing, and other crafts. I saw works by top names in their fields, especially when it comes to ukiyoe and ceramics. There is a final building in this area housing Egyptian artifacts and Chinese antiques.

 This main museum area has a central courtyard with a small pond (note the flower picture below left) and a small garden near the Asiatic Art Gallery (the Asiatic Art Gallery is shown in the photo below right).

 Finally, about five minutes away in Ivy Square is another building housing the Kojima Museum. Kojima purchased a lot of the art in the Main Gallery for Ohara. This museum houses some of Kojima's own works, as well as lots of Islamic and Egyptian art.

All of Kurashiki's sights are located around the canal area, about a 10-15 minute walk from Kurashiki Station. The Ohara Museum is in the southern end of the area, just off the main street. Ivy Square, where you'll find the Kojima Museum, is at the northern end a couple short blocks from the canal.

The museums are open 9:00-17:00 (closed Mondays), and admission is 1300 yen including both the Ohara Museum and Kojima Museum. An English audio guide is available, though I didn't try it.