“Japan Heritage: Kurashiki Treasure Hunt” is a free event held around the Bikan Historical Area.
It was held every day from Saturday, February 9, 2019, through Sunday, March 17 of the same year.
Kurashiki City is home to many cultural properties registered as Japan Heritage under the title “A Kurashiki story beginning with a single cotton flower: A textile town woven from Japanese and Western influences.”
There are also many registered cultural properties around the Bikan Historical Area.
“Japan Heritage: Kurashiki Treasure Hunt” takes you around cultural properties registered as Japan Heritage in the area, solving puzzles along the way.
Complete the hunt and receive a prize: masking tape from KAMOI KAKOSHI CO., LTD.
There was also a drawing for a chance to win a denim pen case, a tatami-edge accessory pouch, or a canvas book cover.
Kurashiki Tocotoco took on the puzzles in “Japan Heritage: Kurashiki Treasure Hunt.”
Here’s our report.
The event ended on March 18, 2019.
For the treasure hunt answers, please see the “Answers” page.
The information presented here is as of the article’s publication in March 2019. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Overview of Japan Heritage: Kurashiki Treasure Hunt
Event period and how to participate
“Japan Heritage: Kurashiki Treasure Hunt” was held every day from Saturday, February 9, 2019, through Sunday, March 17 of the same year.
Participation was free.
However, each person could participate only once.
The event ran from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The starting point was the temporary tourist information desk beside the entrance inside Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan, located on the western side of the Kurashiki River in the Bikan Historical Area.
| Event period | Saturday, February 9, 2019–Sunday, March 17 of the same year |
|---|---|
| Event days | Every day |
| Event hours | 9 a.m.–6 p.m. |
| Participation fee | Free (one participation per person) |
| How to participate | Pick up a puzzle sheet at the temporary tourist information desk at Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan |
| Inquiries | Temporary tourist information desk at Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan (086-422-0542) |
How the puzzle hunt works
The Kurashiki Treasure Hunt proceeds as follows:
- Pick up a puzzle sheet at the temporary tourist information desk at Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan
- Solve Puzzle 1 and go to the location indicated by the answer
- Find the clue character at the location
- Write the clue character on the sheet
- Solve Puzzles 2 and 3 in the same way
- Arrange the three clue characters to work out the final destination
- Go to the final destination and search for the treasure chest
- Check the treasure-discovery keyword inside the chest and write it on the sheet
- Tell the staff at the temporary tourist information desk at Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan the treasure-discovery keyword
- Receive your completion prize
The puzzle sheet available at the temporary tourist information desk at Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan contains three puzzles in all.
Start with the first puzzle and solve them in order.
All the puzzles are about cultural properties registered as Japan Heritage under the title “A Kurashiki story beginning with a single cotton flower: A textile town woven from Japanese and Western influences.”
Each of the three puzzles has a location around the Bikan Historical Area as its answer.
At each location, you’ll find a clue character.
Arrange the clue characters found at the three locations to reveal a hint to the final destination.
A small treasure chest is placed at the final destination, so search for it.
Once you find the chest, you’ll see a treasure-discovery keyword inside.
Then head back to the temporary information desk at Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan and tell the staff the treasure-discovery keyword.
If the keyword is correct, you’ve completed the treasure hunt.
The Kurashiki Treasure Hunt takes you to various places around the Bikan Historical Area
First, head to the temporary tourist information desk at Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan
▼ The starting point for the “Kurashiki Treasure Hunt” is Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan, so head there first.
▼ Go through the entrance gate; the temporary tourist information desk is on the right.
▼ There are puzzle sheets on the brochure rack inside the information desk. Take one.
There is always a staff member at the information desk, so ask them if you have any questions or need help.
Let the puzzle-solving begin!
First, read the story about the puzzles printed on the sheet.
Long ago, the area that is now Kurashiki City was all sea.
Until 400 years ago, it was called Kibi no Anaumi, a sea dotted with islands large and small. Land gradually expanded through land reclamation.
However, reclaimed land has high salt content and is unsuitable for growing rice.
So people cultivated salt-tolerant cotton and igusa (rush), giving rise to the textile industry and leading to Kurashiki’s development.Solve the puzzles, follow the story of Kurashiki that began with a single cotton flower, and uncover the hidden treasure!
Once you’ve finished reading the story, it’s time to start solving the puzzles.
▼ There are three puzzles in all.
Start with the first and solve them in order.
Having tried it ourselves, we found the puzzles quite challenging.
If you get stuck, you can ask for hints at any of these three shops:
This time, we also tried solving the puzzles with help from staff at various other facilities.
▼ Wander around the Bikan Historical Area as you solve the puzzles.
▼ We also asked rickshaw driver Suguru Sasaki for a hint.
▼ At last, we solved the first puzzle! We headed to the place we thought was the answer.
▼ We found the clue character! Puzzle 1 was correct.
▼ Write the clue character on the puzzle sheet right away so you don’t forget it.
▼Next, on to Puzzle 2.
Once again, we stroll around the Bikan Historical Area while solving puzzles.
▼While walking near the Ohara Museum of Art, we ran into Deputy Director Fujitani of Ohara House Katalyzer.
He helped us solve the puzzle.
▼We solved Puzzle 2, so we headed to the place we thought might be the answer.
▼We found the clue! Puzzle 2 was correct, too.
▼We took on the final, third puzzle. Puzzle 3 was the hardest one.
▼Along the way, we took a break at Yamau Coffee Stand and solved the puzzle with owner Kenta Okamoto.
▼Since we had come all the way to the Bikan Historical Area, we bought some souvenirs while solving the puzzles.
They were products from Kurashiki's long-established Tora Shoyu.
▼We continued looking for the answer as we strolled around town.
▼We finally solved the difficult Puzzle 3! We headed to the place we thought was the answer.
▼We successfully found the clue.
▼Now we had all the clues.
Finally, we tried to figure out where the final destination was.
▼We found out the final destination! Let's go look for the treasure chest.
▼We found the treasure chest!
The chest is small and its exterior is a subdued color, so the trick is to look carefully all around.
▼We opened the treasure chest. Inside was the treasure discovery keyword.
Be sure to write the treasure discovery keyword from inside the chest on your sheet.
After finding the treasure, report to the tourist information center at Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan
After finding the treasure discovery keyword at the final destination, return to the temporary tourist information center at Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan.
▼Ask the information center staff to check your treasure discovery keyword.
We got it right, so we received the completion prize: masking tape!
▼You can choose your favorite from several types of masking tape.
The three items—denim pen case, tatami-beri fabric accessory case, and canvas book cover—will be awarded by lottery among those who complete the hunt.
Additionally, as a reward for completing the game, there’s the “Golden Cotton Flower,” a treasure available only on the web.
Once you’ve completed the game, staff will tell you more about the Golden Cotton Flower.
The next page is the answer section for the Kurashiki treasure hunt.
- Model: Aisu no Mi (Instagram)
Japan Heritage Kurashiki Treasure Hunt Information
| Name | Japan Heritage Kurashiki Treasure Hunt |
|---|---|
| Event dates | February 9, 2019 (Saturday)–March 17, 2019 (Sunday) |
| Location | Temporary Tourist Information Center, Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan, 2-23-19 Achi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Participation fee (tax included) | Free |
| Website | “Kurashiki Treasure Hunt,” a puzzle-solving event in the Bikan Historical Area — Japan Heritage | Kurashiki Tourism WEB |
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