JC. Princen Kurashiki, The Beautiful Venetian in Japan
Not many people have heard the name of Kurashiki. Even for Japanese people, they are somewhat surprised. What’s in Kurashi City?
The popularity of Kurashiki is unlike any major city in Japan, such as Osaka or Kyoto. However, there is a distinct beauty stored in the city of Kurashiki, and, of course, a long history.
Kurashiki is located in Okayama Prefecture, north of the city of Hiroshima. You only have to walk for 10 minutes through the south exit of Kurashiki train station, to reach the city of Kurashiki.
The beauty of Kurashiki is beautiful canal conservation. During the Edo period (1603-1867), the city of Kurashiki played an important role in the distribution of rice in Japan.
The name Kurashiki itself is derived from the word “Kura” which means the storage area
The old rice storage warehouses along the canal
Now, along a beautiful canal in the Kurashiki, we can see a row of rice storage warehouses that have now been transformed into shops, cafés, restaurants, and museums.
Interestingly, the form of architecture in this building has become a blend of Japanese and European architecture. It showed a cultural relationship between Japan and Europe at the time.
It is reinforced by some art collections from several artists. The European past is housed in Ohara Museum which is located by the canal.
In addition to canals and buildings, beautiful willow trees grow in rows on the banks of canals. Branches and leaves hanging over the water add beautiful scenery, just like the photo on the postcard.
In the past, thousands of tons of rice from the area around Okayama were brought to Kurashiki City via the canal, then kept in the warehouse. From the city of Kurashiki, Rice was sent to Osaka and Edo (Tokyo).
The important position of Kurashiki City as the main chain of the rice distribution line made him directly under the control of the ruling Shogun at the time.
In the city of Kurashiki, many tourist activities can be arranged. You can spend time sitting by the canal while looking at the boat passing by. If you want, you can also take a boat just like in Venice, rowing a young Japanese boy. While paddling, they sang a traditional song and told the Glory of Kurashiki.
A row of cafés and souvenir shops add to the picturesque trails along the Kurashiki Canal. And, who would have thought, if the city is crowded with foreign tourist, Which suggests that the city of Kurashiki is one of Japan’s favorite foreign tourist destinations.
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