Featured Cultural Properties of Kurashiki City's Japan Heritage
Kurashiki City retains many historic landscapes. In the Bikan Historical Area, buildings that symbolize the development of the textile industry dating back to the Edo period remain, allowing visitors to see what the area looked like in those days.
The landscapes of Tamashima and Shimotsui, which face the Seto Inland Sea, are townscapes that flourished during the Edo period as ports of call for trading ships, including Kitamaebune.
In Sho and Mabi in northern Kurashiki City, sites associated with the Legend of Momotaro remain, including the Tatetsuki Site, Koikui Shrine, and Yata Otsuka Burial Mound.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs has a system for certifying as “Japan Heritage” stories that systematically bring together a region’s distinctive assets, such as its historic buildings and townscapes.
The following three Japan Heritage stories have been certified in Kurashiki City.
A Kurashiki story beginning with a single cotton flower: A textile town woven from Japanese and Western influences
A different world entwined with the dreams of men who overcame the stormy seas: Kitamaebune ports of call and shipowner settlements
Okayama, Birthplace of the Legend of Momotaro: A tale of demon-slaying inspired by the heritage of ancient Kibi
Here we introduce the 47 cultural properties that make up these three stories.
A Kurashiki story beginning with a single cotton flower: A textile town woven from Japanese and Western influences
Most of the land area of present-day Kurashiki City was once under the sea. During the Edo period, cotton and igusa, a salt-tolerant rush, began to be cultivated on land created through land reclamation.
The townscape of the Bikan Historical Area began with cotton cultivation in the Edo period. Industrialization advanced during the Meiji period, and the establishment of Kurashiki Spinning Works led to the development of the textile industry. The industry has changed over time, and today Kurashiki City is known as one of Japan’s leading “textile towns.”
Kurashiki Riverbank Traditional Buildings Preservation District
Ohara House Katalyzer (Former Ohara House)
Ohashi House
Inoue House
Kusudo House
Ohara Museum of Art
Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery (Former Daiichi Godo Bank Kurashiki Branch)
Yurin-so Villa
Kurashikikan
Kurashiki Archaeological Museum
Kurashiki Ivy Square
Kurabo Memorial Hall
Kurashiki Byobu Festival
Suinkyo
barazushi
Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft
folk crafts
Takahashi River East-West Water Supply Intake and Distribution Facility
Ichinokuchi Sluice Gate
Minki Isozaki Memorial Hall
Kinkanen
Itashiki Sluice Gate
Yugasan Rendai-ji Temple
Yuga Shrine
Nozaki's Historical Residence
Textile Products
Shimotsui Townscape Preservation District
Shimotsui Shipping Agent Museum
Shimotsui-bushi
Tamashima Townscape Preservation District
Old Yunoki House (Saiso-tei)
A different world entwined with the dreams of men who overcame the stormy seas—Ports of call and shipowner settlements of the Kitamaebune
Tamashima and Shimotsui were ports of call for Kitamaebune, trading ships during the Edo period. Goods from all over Japan were brought in, and the towns developed as centers of trade.
Many buildings from that time remain in Tamashima and Shimotsui, allowing visitors to experience the atmosphere of towns that flourished as centers of trade.
Shimotsui Townscape Preservation District
Former Ogino Family Main House and Herring Storehouse (Shimotsui Shipping Agent Museum)
Shimotsui-bushi
Dedications at Gion Shrine
Coverage planned for 2026 or later
Shimotsui Gion documents
Coverage planned for 2026 or later
Nozaki's Historical Residence
Former Nozakihama Lighthouse
Tamashima Townscape Preservation District
Old Yunoki House (Saiso-tei)
Dedications at Haguro Shrine
Okayama, Birthplace of the Legend of Momotaro: A Tale of Demon-Slaying Inspired by the Heritage of Ancient Kibi
The northern part of present-day Kurashiki City was once part of a country called Kibi. Ancient Kibi is said to have wielded great power thanks to its mild climate and its location on the Seto Inland Sea, which made it well suited to trade.
Heritage sites connected to the Legend of Momotaro remain in the northern part of Kurashiki City, including the Tatetsuki Site and Koikui Shrine in Sho, and the Yata Otsuka Burial Mound in Mabi.
