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Is Kurashiki the Venice of Japan? It is an incredibly beautiful historic city within the Okayama Prefecture that features a gorgeous tree lined canal which runs throughout the historic Bikan district (dating back hundreds of years) along with a fabulous array of museums as well as many shops to buy Japanese denim and other terrific items to bring home. So while Kurashiki is not Venice, it is really special. As far as places to stay, the very first cotton mill in Japan which has since been converted into the Ivy Square Hotel was our choice, in fact the hotel staff was so thrilled to have American guests they couldn’t quite contain themselves, during our three day stay we didn’t see another single American tourist.

The Kurashiki Ivy Square is definitely the most renowned hotel in town, but it is certainly a little quirky. I believe we reserved what is considered the nicest suite, and while it was spacious it was pretty bare bones. As I mentioned the staff was extremely excited to have us as guests, and that made up for a lot. The building and grounds are historic while the location is perfect for exploring the city on foot.

After checking in we headed straight to dinner at Shinsui a very traditional Izakaya located in the historic center of town. The receptionist at the hotel was kind enough to print out a photo of the restaurant as well as very detailed turn by turn directions as it was very easy to miss. The best part of an Izakaya is that you order lots of different tastes to share, all washed down with loads of sake and beer. The tables around us were filled with boisterous groups of (mostly) men all of whom were indulging in both food and alcohol. I left the ordering to my son, and there was plenty to taste with the best dish being something super cheesy which I would not have expected. The fish dishes were also excellent.

When we woke the next morning we were excited to use our breakfast vouchers at the vast buffet in the hotel. You can get a little more feeling of the Kurashiki Ivy Square from these photos, a little Wes Anderson, and a little Steven King. The buffet was extensive, not the finest quality, but many choices. The best dish was the candied sweet potatoes!

When we finally started exploring the historic Bikan district we were so impressed by what we saw, it was truly beautiful. We climbed to the top of the Achi Shrine which gave us a panoramic view of the city, we walked alongside the canal, admired the buildings and shopfronts, and discovered a gorgeous array of manhole covers, all before we were set to meet our guide at 10 am.

We had arranged for a guide through Zenses but received a last minute alert that she had the flu, so they were substituted another who was just as knowledgable about the area. She was sweet, and was able to share lots of information. I appreciate Zenses’ resourcefulness because I don’t imagine there are that many english speaking guides in the area.

Our first stop with our guide Miki was Inoue House, the oldest home in Kurashiki (over 300 years) which is still in the hands of the same family; in fact the gentleman who toured us is a member of the 16th generation of the Inoue clan. He was justifiably proud of his ancestral home which has been painstakingly restored within the last few years. We found all the details and history quite fascinating.

Unfortunately one of the main attractions in Kurashiki, the Ohara Art Museum was closed on the day of our visit so we were unable to visit one of the oldest Western art museums in Japan. Thankfully there was loads more to occupy our time, with strolling and shopping at the top of our lists. While winding our way through town we stumbled upon the most adorable store filled with literally thousands of rolls of tape only to discover that Kurashiki Tane is the birthplace of printed tape! We couldn’t help ourselves, we now have more tape than we can ever use. Aside from tape, Kurashiki is famous for denim; the Japanese folktale hero Momotaro supposedly hails from the Okayama Prefecture and he is not only a hero but also the symbol of one of the most successful denim brands in Japan, Momotaro Jeans thus Kurashiki is filled with denim stores. On a prior visit to Japan I actually got to visit the Momotaro factory in Kojima which you can read about here.

At this point we were growing a bit weary and asked Miki to recommend a spot for a quick lunch. As it turns out the simple meal of millet noodles (gluten-free!) at Toraiya was one of my favorites on the trip. As a soba lover I have now discovered that millet noodles (locally grown and ground) are a class above. We each ordered a lunch “set” that included appetizers, noodles and dessert all for about $14, it was absolutely delicious.

Following lunch we visited both the Kurashiki Museum of Folk Craft (a bit of a snooze) as well as a museum featuring the works of Utagawa Kuniyoshi , the most famous Ukiyo-E (wood block) artists of all time. You may be more familiar with full sleeve tattoos that feature these designs; it was really something to see the originals dating back a century. Unfortunately there was no photography allowed in either place.

After the museums we let Miki go home in order to do some proper shopping, but had to stop at a truly fabulous coffee shop for a little boost of energy first. GJG Espresso Shop is literally next level, and the coffee was out of this world. We continued our retail therapy purchasing not just clothes but some antiques and authentic Bizen pottery as well.

Since lunch was my choice, I was a good sport and went to Japanese BBQ for dinner. Yakiniku Hidaya is part of a well regarded chain of BBQ spots and it was crowded with locals throughout the evening. We were shown to a small “room” with seats on the floor and were given plastic bags (like at the dry cleaner) to cover our jackets to protect them from both the smell of the meat cooking as well as the grease particles floating in the air. We removed our shoes and settled in for a long and very interesting meal. There was an all you could drink highball option which may have helped with the leg cramping away but we declined. There were some mushrooms and rice for me and lots of meat for the guys which they loved. When it came time to leave they came running after us to spray our coats with something that would disseminate the lingering meat smell, which was thoughtful yet a little concerning. We walked back through town and the canal was just as dramatic in the night as it was in the day.

Our plan the next day was to take a quick subway ride to Okayama, store our bags in the station (our large bags were being transported from place to place so we only had our carry-ons) and then explore the sights before heading to Fukuoka, our next stop. Okayama is the capitol of the Prefecture and compared to Kurashiki is a “big” city. Okayama Castle along with it’s surrounding extensive gardens is one of the main attractions, so that is where we headed first. The original Castle dated back to the mid 1500s but was destroyed by fire and then rebuilt about 60 years ago. It was a little touristy and slightly disappointing but the gardens were impressive even in winter.

After the castle we found our way to the Omotecho covered shopping street which features stained glass panels on the ceiling; frankly we were just happy to be inside, as it was cold outside. We decided to split up for lunch, 3 went for pizza and my son and I went for ramen/rice bowls. Drawn in by the friendly badger outside we had a nice warm lunch and were in and out of there quickly.

We worked our way back to the station in order to board the bullet train to Fukuoka. Armed with a strawberry sandwiches we were shocked to find a delay on this train as well. It was going to be a challenge to get to one of our most anticipated dinners of the trip….stay tuned!