Kurashiki Bikan: The Town of Old Storehouses

Nestled along a scenic canal at the foot of  Mt. Tsurugata in West Japan, Kurashiki boasts one of the most picturesque merchant’s quarters in Japan. The town’s history dates back to about 300 years ago when the shogunate took control of the area.

They transformed this place into an important trade center for rice, sugar, and other goods. In fact, the name “Kurashiki” can be roughly translated as “town of storehouses”, in which Kura (倉) refers to the storehouses in which the goods were kept.

While many cities in Japan were reduced to rubble in World War II, Kurashiki escaped the war largely unscathed. Notably, its old town – the Bikan Historical District – remains in beautiful condition. Many of the original storehouses with grey and white trellis-patterned walls, and elaborate ceramic roofs are well-preserved. The storehouses share space with drooping willow trees along the banks of the old canal. At sundown, gentle lights appear along the canal, bringing delight to the remaining visitors.

A short walk from the canal district is Honmachi, once a thriving merchants’ and artisans’ quarter. With narrow, flagstone streets lined with machiya (wooden townhouses), Honmachi gives visitors a sense of where people lived and worked in the Edo era. Today, most of these atmospheric buildings are renovated into souvenir shops, cafés, or izakaya (simple restaurants). But they kept the traditional storefronts to preserve the old townscape.