The Bikan Historical Quarter: A Relaxing Destination for Art Lovers

Kurashiki is a small Japanese city about halfway between Osaka and Hiroshima with an interesting historical quarter. It’s not often included on the travel itineraries of visitors from overseas as it requires at least half a day for a side trip from Okayama, or a full day if you want to fully appreciate everything that the district has to offer.

However, for those into ‘slow travel’ and for those interested in Japanese art, history and culture, a visit to the Bikan Historical Quarter is well worthwhile. As an added bonus, there are many excellent restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops in the district as well as boutiques and shops selling local crafts.

Yes, it’s somewhat touristy, but it doesn’t attract large crowds like Kyoto or Miyajima, both of which are suffering from over-tourism. The Bikan Historical Quarter is relaxing to visit and it’s a picturesque destination that will appeal to those who enjoy Instagrammable places. In 1979 it was designated as one of Japan’s ‘Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings’.

The historical quarter is centred around the upper reaches of the Kurashiki River (on which you can take a gondola-type ride) with weeping willow trees along its stone-lined banks and well-preserved old stone and wooden houses for about 2-3 blocks back from the river on both sides.

The Ohara Art Museum is well worth a visit.

On the west side of the river stands the renowned Ohara Art Museum, the first private art museum to be established in Japan nearly a century ago. The art museum is a must-visit for art lovers as it contains an eclectic mix of European masters and Japanese modern art as well as displays of ancient Oriental artworks and Japanese contemporary crafts.

There is also a small museum of Japanese folk art a short distance down river and a Japanese toy museum that contains 3,000 toys dating back to the 17th century. Over on the other side of the river, across the road from the Morito Sake Brewery, there is another museum displaying the ukiyo-e art of Kuniyoshi Utagawa.

Kuniyoshi was one of the most prominent artists of this distinctive style of illustrations produced by woodblock printing. Ukiyo-e art was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries and depicted everyday life in Japan, landscapes, folk tales, the supernatural, and erotica. There are about 100 of Kuniyoshi’s most outlandish works on display at the museum as well as works by some of his students.

The entrance to the Ukiyo-e Kurashiki museum.

For more traditional illustrations from the same era, head to Momotaro’s Karakuri Museum a block or so away. The museum features exhibits related to the folklore hero Momotaro (‘Peach Boy’) and other exhibits that will appeal to showa retro lovers. There may not be many older travellers who are fans of Japanese manga, but if you are, the Yumiko Igarashi Museum nearby may be of interest. It features exhibits by the author of the bishoujo manga series ‘Candy-Candy’.

If all those museums in the Bikan Historical Quarter are not enough to satisfy art and history aficionados, then there’s also the Kurashiki Museum of Natural History on the other side of the main road on the western side of the district, and the Kurashiki City Art Museum adjacent to that which features mainly local artists. Both are within easy walking distance of the historical district.

Aside from the many museums and art galleries around the picturesque river area, the main attraction of the Bikan Historical Quarter is the Achi Shrine on a small hill overlooking the historical district. The hill is called Mt Tsurugata but is only 40 metres high.

One of the smaller shrines on the Achi Shrine western approach.

The main entrance to the Achi Shrine is through the plain concrete torii gate next to the Ukiyo-e museum. There are 88 fairly steep stone steps up to the wooden Zuishinmon Gate which is the main entrance to the shrine. There is also a western entrance at the end of the covered shopping street which has a gentler incline (but of course more steps) which may suit those who have difficulty with steep steps. There are several smaller but interesting shrines along that western approach.

The present-day buildings of the Achi Shrine were constructed in the mid-19th century replacing older structures that were destroyed by fire. The earliest structures in the shrine grounds are believed to have been established in the 4th century. There are a number of iwakura within the shrine grounds. These are granite boulders that Japanese Shinto believers consider sacred as they supposedly emit natural forces that attract dieties.

The Zuishinmon Gate features several carvings of rabbits which is unusual for a Shinto shrine. On the other side of the courtyard is the worship hall with a large and beautiful shimenawa rope hanging over its entrance. From the south-western corner of the courtyard, there are pleasant views over the roofs of the old buildings of the Bikan Historical Quarter.

The beautiful *shimenawa* rope on the Achi Shrine worship hall.

If you are lucky enough to visit towards the end of April or the first week of May, you’ll see a beautiful wisteria trellis with two-tone pinkish-purple flowers. The tree is reputed to be over 300 years old and is the largest specimen in Japan of this rare variety of wisteria. When the wisteria is in flower, tea ceremonies and performances of gagaku music by musicians in traditional dress are held under the trellis.

Between visits to the art museums and the shrines, strolling the streets of the historical district provides opportunities to sample some of the local delicacies and browse boutiques in the old stone and wood buildings selling locally made products including hats, leather bags, and denim clothing.

The nearby town of Kojima is known as the denim capital of Japan, with a wide range of international brands on sale there, but the denim shops in the Bikan Historical Quarter have more upmarket and unique garments for sale, most of which have been locally tailored.

One of the many boutiques in the historical quarter.

To reach Okayama from Osaka, Kyoto or Hiroshima, you can take a shinkansen train to Okayama station (40-70 minutes) and then transfer to the Sanyo line to Kurashiki. It’s a Japan Railways (JR) line, so if you are travelling on a JR Japan Pass, you can use your pass for the local journey as well.

Kurashiki is four stops from Okayama, and it takes about 20 minutes. After exiting Kurashiki station on the south side, turn left and then right. After passing Starbucks on your left, use the elevated pedestrian walkway to cross to the south side of the busy intersection. From there it’s about a 10 mins walk to the Bikan Historical District.

There is a covered pedestrian street lined with shops one block west of the main road that runs south from the station, and that street takes you right into the historical district. You can pick up a free walking map in English on the way. If you are a coffee drinker, don’t miss the opportunity to drop into the GJG Espresso Store on the left about two-thirds of the way towards the historical district. It’s the best coffee that I’ve had anywhere in Japan. You can’t miss it because you will smell the coffee beans being roasted as you approach.