Moopon

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

The Ohara Museum of Art was Japan's first museum of Western art. It is a private museum consisting of three adjacent buildings next to the canal and a separate building located in Ivy Square.

The Main Gallery building was constructed when the museum was founded, and features most of the museum's highlights. On display are masterpieces of Western art by Picasso, El Greco, Gauguin, Modigliani, Rodin, Klee, Pollock and Kandinsky among others. The artists in the collection span a wide variety of periods and nationalities.

it features a number of works by Japanese artists, and includes both oil paintings and sculptures. The Craft Art Gallery displays ceramics, woodblock prints, stencil dyeing, and other crafts. The Asiatic Art Gallery includes artifacts from Egypt and antiques from China.

The final building, the Kojima Museum, is located a five minute walk away in Ivy Square and is included in the admission fee. It is a gallery for Kojima Torajiro, a Japanese artist who painted in the Western style.

The main buildings of the Ohara Museum are located at the northern end of Kurashiki's historic canal area. The Kojima Museum is located about 200 meters away from the other buildings, just across the canal within Ivy Square.                                                     

Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (unless Monday is a national holiday), December 26 to 31
Admission: 1300 yen (includes entrance to the Kojima Museum)
English audio guide available free of charge

Ivy Square is a complex of brick buildings covered in ivy.

This building houses cafes, shops, exhibition spaces, museums and a hotel. .

This is quite a pretty and interesting place to wander around.

The area was the site of the first modern cotton mill in Japan, and the brick buildings were originally built as part of the mill in 1889.

During the Edo Period (1603-1867), before the construction of the mill, the site was used as the office of the local magistrate, who exercised control of the city as a direct representative of the shogunate.

In building Japan's first modern cotton mill, the Kurashiki Bosekijo (Kurashiki spinning mill) company, also known as Kurabo, reaped the profits of introducing new industrial techniques to the country.

The company is still active today in the textile and various other industries.

Kurabo has built a memorial hall in one of the former cotton warehouses which traces the company's history to the present day.

A number of other museums are located within and around Ivy Square.


 

This samurai residence was built about 170 years ago. Visitors can view the main building, where some lifesize dolls are arranged to reenact daily life during the Edo Period. The gardens may also be viewed from the house.

Takahashi developed at the base of Matsuyama Castle into a thriving castle town of samurai, merchants and craftsmen. Some of the historic streets close to the castle have been preserved, and a few samurai and merchant houses have been restored and opened to the public. There are also temples and a few museums around town that display the local history and culture.

Note that a convenient, discounted combination ticket is available that provides tourists with admission to the castle, Raikyuji Temple, the two samurai residences and the Takahashi Historical Museum for 900 yen. Orii Samurai Residence
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 
Closed: December 29 to January 3 
Admission: 400 yen (half for children)

Momotaro Karakuri Museum

The story of Momotaro (Peach Boy) is one of the most famous legends in Japan, and it takes place in the region around Kurashiki. Although The Momotaro Museum is a museum dedicated to Momotaro, it is not just a museum of artifacts. While there are some old books and Momotaro artwork on display, the museum is also a fun display of optical illusions. The ticket salesperson will walk you through the first floor of the museum and show you the various tricks. It's fun and quite cute!
                                                    
Hours: 10:00 to 17:00 (extended hours during the summer) 
Closed: No closing days 
Admission: 600 yen(100yen for a 5 years old or less child)
No English Information