KURASHIKI—JAPAN’S PICTURE-PERFECT TOWN Where Traditions of the Past Provide Inspiration Today Kurashiki Historical Quarter

Life can be hectic in today’s busy world of work and deadlines, but Kurashiki, an old market town in Okayama Prefecture, is the perfect place to slow down, explore the narrow streets of a remarkably preserved historic district, and learn about Japan’s time-honored ancient traditions. It’s also easy to reach, near the “Golden Route” linking Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima. Back in the days of the shogun, when rice was as good as gold, Kurashiki prospered as a rice distribution center with huge granaries, hand-dug canals connecting it to the sea, and barges that transported the precious granules to ships anchored off shore. Today, Kurashiki is a modern city that has managed to hold on to its past while embracing the present. It still lives up to its name, the “Historical Quarter” with a willow-lined canal at the heart of the historic district and attractive 250-year-old former granaries, many of them now serving as museums, inns, shops and restaurants. Topping your sightseeing list should be the Ohara Museum of Art, founded in 1930 and Japan’s oldest museum for Western art, where you’ll see an astounding Kurashiki collection of Western masterpieces and Japanese folk crafts. Farther afield is the Seto Historical Quarter Ohashi Bridge providing easy access to Shikoku, as well as the old textile town of Kojima, now famous as the birthplace of Japanese denim. It has so many jean-related industries and motifs that it has earned the nickname “Jeans Town.” Another tangible tie to the area’s proud past is Bizen-yaki, a local pottery prized for its distinct, unglazed finish (Bizen was the old name for what is now Okayama). Remarkably, the techniques for producing Bizen-yaki were perfected more than a millennium ago, making it the oldest of Japan’s six ancient pottery styles still practiced today. In today’s fast-paced world, the process for producing Bizen-yaki seems particularly Bizen-yaki Pottery painstaking, with firings in kilns that must be continually fed with wood for up to 14 days. Ash, charcoal and even placement in the kiln work upon the clay and its patterns in such different ways, no two pieces of pottery are alike. The people of Kurashiki use the rustic and simple Bizen-yaki every day, just as their ancestors did. You, too, can feel connected to Kurashiki’s rich history as you stroll its picturesque historic district and dine in local restaurants using Bizen pottery, a craft passed down from generation to generation, for an incredible 1,000 years. For more information, visit japantravelinfo.com

To visualize the beauty of Kurashiki, visit www.visitjapan.jp/en/ and search for “Kurashiki”.

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