“Kurashiki Christmas Market,” which began in December 2023 and has been held three times so far, draws many visitors each year and has become a fixture of the winter events calendar.
Stalls offering food and drink, goods, and workshops lined the venue, and various performances added to the excitement. The venue decorations, including the “garlands,” also attracted attention.
Garland
A string-like decoration made using motifs such as flowers, leaves, fruit, and flags.
It is hung at parties and event venues.
One popular garland featured flags. It disappeared at the second event, held in December 2024, but made a comeback at the third event, held in December 2025.
The garland was made by HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC., headquartered in Mizushima, Kurashiki City.
HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. brings “blue tarps” to mind, and, remarkably, the revived garland is made from “blue tarps”.
Here is the story behind the garland’s return, prompted by feedback from visitors.
The information presented was current when this article was published in February 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the “Kurashiki Christmas Market”?
The Kurashiki Christmas Market is a Christmas event held every year since December 2023.
The venue is Kurashiki Ivy Square. The first event was held only in Courtyard Plaza and Ivy Gakkan, but the area gradually expanded, and now the event takes place throughout Kurashiki Ivy Square.
The event is organized by the Kurashiki Christmas Market Executive Committee, made up of businesses in Kurashiki City. The Kurashiki Tourism and Convention Bureau played a central role in the first event, but Kurashiki Ivy Square has led the planning and operation since the second event.
- First event: December 15 and 16, 2023
- Second event: December 13 and 14, 2024
- Third event: December 13 and 14, 2025
The garland’s history
At the Kurashiki Christmas Market, garlands are mainly used as decorations in Courtyard Plaza.
Flags were hung at the first event in 2023, and the decorations were reportedly well received as “cute.”
However, at the second event in 2024, the garlands were discontinued because a large Christmas tree was installed in Courtyard Plaza.
Many visitors expressed regret, saying, “The garlands were so cute,” and “They’re gone.”
This prompted efforts to bring them back, and they returned at the third event in 2025.
A garland made by blue-tarp manufacturer HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC.
The garland for the Kurashiki Christmas Market was made by HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC., headquartered in Mizushima, Kurashiki City.
Why did HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC., famous as a blue-tarp manufacturer, end up making a garland?
It seems the idea came from discussions with the food and beverage department at Kurashiki Ivy Square.
While talking about what they could do for the decorations at the annual “Summer Beer Garden” in Courtyard Plaza at Kurashiki Ivy Square, someone suggested, “How about the garland for the Christmas Market?”—and things got underway.
The garland was made at HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC.’s Kasaoka Plant.
Blue tarps are usually made as a single sheet, so routine processing mainly involves straight-line sewing; unusual tasks such as sewing a sheet onto a rope are not normally done. They also had to pay close attention to the order of the colors, and reportedly found the garland’s distinctive construction challenging.
The finished garland was so vivid that, at first glance, it was hard to tell it was made from blue tarps.
Visitors were glad to see the garland return to the Kurashiki Christmas Market in December 2025, but reportedly few realized it was made from “blue tarps” without an explanation.
However, when staff explained it to visitors, most came closer and were surprised, saying, “It really is a blue tarp!”
Of course, it retains the durability of a blue tarp. It is not intended for one-time use and will likely appear at future Kurashiki Christmas Markets.
We spoke with representatives from Kurashiki Ivy Square and HAGIHARA INDUSTRIES INC. who were involved in bringing back the garland for the Kurashiki Christmas Market.
Kurashiki Christmas Market details
| Name | Kurashiki Christmas Market |
|---|---|
| Address | 7-2 Honmachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-0011 |
| Website | Kurashiki Ivy Square |
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