The Kurashiki Bikan Historic District is a large historical district that has been preserved to resemble its time as a prosperous merchant town during the Edo-era. In 1642, the town was established around the Kurashiki River and the river was used as a canal to transport goods to and fro the area. Today, you can find a beautiful canal area lined with willow trees, as well as a variety of shopfronts in traditional merchant buildings along the canal.
When you enter the area from Kurashiki Station, you will likely walk through the Ebisu-dori Shōtengai (恵比寿通り商店街, Ebisu Avenue Shopping Street) and come out at the Honmachi (本町, lit. Main Town) and Higashi-machi (東町, lit. East Town) districts. Near the canal, you can also find the Ohara Museum of Art, the first permanent collection of Western art in Japan when it was completed in 1930, and with stone columns that look like it was a building from Greece.
What makes this area great is that there is so much to explore in this district. The townscape itself is stunning, with its old white-plaster warehouses, stone-lined streets, and the willow-lined canal area. There are also many small alley, streets, and buildings that you can just wander in and out to explore freely. Best of all, many of these old buildings have been repurposed into modern shops, often selling crafts, snacks, or food items, so the district is not just great on the eyes, it’s also a great place to shop and eat.
