When the season arrives and the fresh green leaves are beautiful, it makes you want to go somewhere. Whenever you see announcements for festivals or markets, they naturally catch your eye.
On May 31, 2026, “2026 Achi Festival” was held at venues stretching from JR Kurashiki Station to the Achi-cho area. The streets of Achi were busier than usual. As you walked around, you could see the energetic high school students everywhere.
Walking around the venue, I found that each area had a different character. Here is a look at the Achi Festival, which I encountered while visiting its three areas.
The information provided was current when this article was published in June 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the Achi Festival?
The Achi Festival began in Achi 3-chome in 2019 as an event to bring back the bustle of the Achi-cho area. Last year (2025), the event expanded to include Achi Terrace Kurashiki, Achi 3-chome, and Achi 2-chome, attracting around 6,000 visitors.
This year (2026), 130 vendors gathered.
The event has grown even larger as a place where visitors can explore the town while enjoying food, stage performances, and festival stalls.
![[Held Sunday, May 31] 2026 Achi Festival — The entire Achi area becomes the venue. A special town walk where new scenery and nostalgic backstreets intersect](https://media.kuratoco.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/26213413/IMG_5002-485x323.jpg)
A lively day in the making from the morning
On the day (May 31, 2026), a pleasant blue sky stretched overhead from the morning, making it a perfect day for a festival. Staff and vendors were busy getting ready.
People gradually began gathering along the streets leading from JR Kurashiki Station to the Achi-cho area, and it felt as though a lively day was in store even before the festival began.
The Achi Terrace Kurashiki area, filled with music
The first place I visited was the area around Achi Terrace Kurashiki, less than a five-minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station.
The stage featured a variety of programs, from lively music to charming performances by children. Whenever you passed by, you couldn’t help but stop and listen.
Kitchen cars and food stalls lined the area beside the stage, and many people were coming and going throughout the venue.
The aromas of shaved ice, grilled skewers, ramen, and more filled the air, creating an atmosphere that made you feel, “The festival has begun.”
Local high school students in action
This year (2026), as a new initiative, stalls run by high school students were added.
“Welcome! Would you like some pound cake?”
“Would you like some lemonade?”
Energetic calls to customers could be heard from all around.
The stalls run by Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Commercial High School and Takamatsu Agricultural High School sold pound cake and eggs from chickens raised on feed blended with charcoal.
Students from Kamogata High School were helping sell products at the Mitsuyama Lemon stall.
Hisatsune Hiroe, principal of Kamogata High School, also visited the venue and told us, “Taking part in events like this that connect students with the local community is a valuable learning experience for them.”
Kurashiki Suisho High School’s eggplant pound cake has also been featured in the newspaper.
When I asked about the products, all the students did their best to explain them.
There was a long line at Okayama Sanyo High School’s ramen stall, and the high school students’ stalls all seemed to attract a lot of attention. Their earnest efforts at customer service, despite their inexperience, were a refreshing sight.
The Achi 3-chome area, alive with the voices of local people
Next, I headed to Achi 3-chome. After passing through a quiet lane south of Achi Terrace Kurashiki, I came upon an atmospheric street lined with old traditional houses.
Unlike the lively atmosphere around the station, energized by music, here you could hear the voices of local people all around.
High school students welcome visitors for a matcha experience
As the heat was becoming intense, I stopped by the matcha tea gathering hosted by the Kurashiki Suisho High School Tea Ceremony Club at the Uchida Residence.
It was over 30 degrees Celsius outside, but inside the building the air was cool, offering a welcome chance to catch my breath. Eight club members and their teachers warmly welcomed visitors.
I asked Michihisa Tomoya, head of the Kurashiki Suisho High School Tea Ceremony Club, what had inspired him to join the club.
“My grandmother used to make tea for me, and I’d been drinking tea with her since I was little. That’s what got me interested.”
Even though I didn’t know much about tea ceremony etiquette, they taught me with a smile, and I was able to enjoy the tea in a relaxed atmosphere.
The Japanese confectionery was a special treat made by “Kikkodo,” shaped like the pine tree, the symbol of Kurashiki Suisho High School. For 500 yen, you could take your time enjoying delicious tea and Japanese sweets in a peaceful setting.
The tea ceremony club at Kurashiki Suisho High School also serves tea at the cherry blossom festival at Achi Shrine. I’d love to visit if I get the chance.
High school students volunteering at the Children’s Alley
As a special event, “Children’s Alley” was held in Achi 3-chome. The venue was lined with shooting galleries, bubbles, toy-scooping games, and more, and filled with the voices of children.
Students from the Kurashiki Suisho High School Community Exchange Club volunteered here, handing out flyers and helping out at the venue.
At the bubble corner, they guided the children, made bubbles themselves, and played together with them.
At the toy-scooping corner, they spoke to the children with smiles, hoping to make the activity fun for them.
Even in the heat, they called out to visitors in loud voices, matching the little children’s enthusiasm, and worked together as a team. It made a strong impression on me.
A huge hit! Watermelon smashing
A long line of children and families had formed even before the watermelon-smashing activity began at 11 a.m. These days, there are few opportunities to try watermelon smashing, so perhaps that’s why the children wanted to give it a go.
Participants took part in groups of three. The person wearing a blindfold was allowed one swing at the watermelon, while people around them guided them with their voices.
Groups that successfully smashed the watermelon won a prize, and even those who didn’t were able to enjoy some watermelon as a participation prize.
The spectators joined in, calling out too. The overlapping voices brought a nostalgic warmth, like an old-fashioned neighborhood summer festival.
A refreshing drink at the Ogawara Residence
At the Ogawara Residence, right next to the watermelon-smashing venue, there was also a booth run by the Community Revitalization Cooperators from Tamashima and Kojima Shimotsui.
The “Peach and Matcha Cloud” on sale was a perfect drink for a hot day, combining the sweetness of peach with the flavor of matcha.
The matcha served here is also available at the cafe “KOTOKA” inside the Washu Visitor Center in Kojima.
A grown-up treat: the Tipsy Alley
Next to Ohashi House, the adults-only “Tipsy Alley” was bustling.
There were various sake breweries and craft beer shops, and visitors could enjoy sake tastings starting at 300 yen a glass.
Tables and chairs were set out, and some people were enjoying drinks while chatting at their leisure.
After walking around under the strong sun, I couldn’t help feeling a little envious of those holding cold beers.
I had driven there, so I couldn’t drink alcohol, but I enjoyed snacks from “Fill,” a shop in Achi 3-chome, and amazake from “Kikuchi Sake Brewing Co.,Ltd.”
The amazake was so delicious that I couldn’t resist buying a bottle to take home.
The Achi 2-chome area, filled with a warm and friendly atmosphere
The Achi 2-chome venue is just across the main road from Achi 3-chome. In Achi 2-chome, vendors were set up in two spaces, and there was also a corner where parents and children could stop by together.
Here, students from Kurashiki Seiryo High School were promoting a stamp rally for children.
The activity involved collecting stamps by answering quizzes at each shop, and the students were holding boards and calling out to people in the heat.
At the other venue, there was also a booth showcasing student creations from Kurashiki Municipal Technical High School, and the children were fascinated by the capsule toy machines the students had made.
Collecting all 10 stamps at the stations earned a souvenir, so the children were eagerly gathering them.
As shopkeepers and children naturally chatted with one another through the stamp rally, a warm, friendly atmosphere flowed through the lively scene.
Taking Part in Achi Fest
What stood out most at the 2026 Achi Festival was the high school students in action across the different areas.
Calling out to visitors, serving customers, interacting with children, and welcoming guests at the matcha tea service. A friendly, school-festival-like atmosphere filled the event, created together by local residents and high school students.
It was a hot day, but each of the three areas had its own highlights, with so much to see that it was impossible to get around everything in a single day. The festival had a warmth all its own, with voices and smiles to be found at every turn.
I thought this was an event worth cherishing and continuing, so that when this season comes around in the future, people can remember and say, “It’s time for the Achi Festival.”
2026 Achi Festival Information
| Name | 2026 Achi Festival |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, May 31, 2026 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. |
| Location | Achi Terrace Kurashiki, Achi 3-chome, Achi 2-chome |
| Admission (tax included) | Free *Food and drink are charged separately. |
| Website | Achi Festival Instagram |
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