Moopon

Yumeji Art Museum features the artwork of Takehisa Yumeji.  Yumeji was born in Okayama Prefecture.  The museum was built in commemoration of the 100 anniversary of his birth.

Yumeji developed the Art Nouveau style in Japan at the turn of the century.  He is famous for his displays of wistfully posed ladies in his paintings, on prints and screens.  The various examples of his artwork can be seen at this rather small museum.

Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry at 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (if Monday is a national holiday, the museum will be closed the following day)
Admission: 700 yen
English Information: Very Limited

Located in a former guest house of Okayama Castle, the quaint and small Hayashibara Museum of Art focuses on collections of traditional Japanese art, including displays of folding screens, kimono, pottery and swords. The founders are the owners of a successful local business, the Hayashibara family.

Hours: 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry is at 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (if Monday is a national holiday, the museum is closed the following day) as well as during New Year holidays. There are irregular closures between exhibitions
New Year holidays and irregular closures between exhibitions
Admission: 500 yen (an additional fee may be needed for special exhibitions)
English Information: Limited

Okayama’s Prefectural Museum of Art is a large building located near Korakuen Garden and Okayama Castle. Within the halls of the museum, visitors can find works from artists who share some connection to Okayama Prefecture.  Temporary exhibits are also displayed in the museum and visitors can enjoy an array of collections here.

Access Information:
10 minutes walk from either Korakuen Garden or Okayama Castle

Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (entry until 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (if Monday is a national holiday, the museum is closed the following day) as well as from December 28th to January 4th. There are irregular closures between exhibitions
Admission: 350 yen
English Information: None

During the Edo Period (1603-1867), Kurashiki was an important point along the distribution route of Japan's most important commodity, rice.

Large quantities of rice from the surrounding area were brought into Kurashiki and intermediately stored there in storehouses before being shipped to Osaka and Edo.

Because of the city's importance in the rice trade, Kurashiki was put under direct control of the shogunate, and the city was even named after its many storehouses (kura).

Canals were built to allow boats and barges to navigate between the city's storehouses and the nearby port.

A central section of the city's former canal system has been preserved in the Bikan Historical Quarter.

The weeping willow trees that line the canal and the stone bridges that cross over the water make for a picturesque scene.

Along the canal, there are many of the original storehouses that were so central to the city's identity.

Recognizable by their white walls and black tiles, the former storehouses have been converted into cafes, boutiques, souvenir shops and a number of museums.

Toy Museum
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 
Closed: January 1 
Admission: 400 yen 
English Information: Minimal

The toy museum consists of a number of converted storehouse buildings.

There are four main display rooms, which feature examples of old toys from all of Japan's 47 prefectures.

One room is devoted to variations of the popular daruma doll. There are also shops and a cafe.

Archaeological Museum
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (until 16:30 from December to February) 
Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays (except national holidays), 
December 29 to January 2 
Admission: 400 yen 
English Information: None

The Archaeological Museum was opened in 1950 in a converted storehouse, and explores the early history of Japan.

There are about 700 examples of pottery and other artefacts from early Japanese civilization, mainly from the region around Kurashiki.

Kake Museum
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (entry until 16:30) 
Closed: Mondays (unless Monday is a national holiday),
New Year holidays and between exhibitions 
Admission: 300 yen 
English Information: None

The Kake Museum was opened in 2002, and displays art preservation and restoration techniques.

It was founded by the Kake and Takahashi Educational Institutions, and local universities are also involved with displays.

The canal area is a 10-15 minute walk from Kurashiki Station's south exit.

A main road, Motomachi-dori, leads south from the station to the canal area, but walking through the parallel shopping arcade is more enjoyable and almost as fast.

Travelers, who would rather not walk from the station, can take a bus to the Ohara Bijutsukan bus stop (2 minutes, 170 yen), which is located just beside the Ohara Museum.