Kurashiki Byobu Festival 〜 An Old Yet New Festival That Brings You Closer to the Streets and Atmosphere of the Bikan Historical Area (2018)

The Bikan Historical Area has many charming old buildings (machiya) and new shops designed to blend in with the streetscape.

It’s ideal for strolling around, but you can’t just drop in to machiya and other buildings, can you?

During the Kurashiki Byobu Festival, the entrances are opened with an invitation to “Come see our treasured folding screens!” so you can go inside the buildings.

The appeal is that you can see folding screens, which are not very familiar in everyday life today, and enter places that are usually off-limits, making for a stroll around town that’s a little different from usual.

This article reports on what I experienced at the Kurashiki Byobu Festival.

What Is the Kurashiki Byobu Festival?

The Kurashiki Byobu Festival is an event held in conjunction with the autumn grand festival at Achi Shrine.

It is said that in the past, during the autumn grand festival, each household in the neighborhood removed the doors facing the street, displayed folding screens, arranged flowers, and welcomed visitors.

The custom died out once during the Meiji period, but the present-day festival was revived in 2002 through the efforts of local volunteers.

In April 2017, it was recognized as one of the cultural properties comprising Japan Heritage.

Achi Shrine — the chief guardian shrine watching over Kurashiki from the mountaintop. Achi Wisteria is another highlight

As you walk along the Kurashiki River in the Bikan Historical Area, you’ll see a small hill to the northeast. It is a mountain called Tsurugatayama, and the shrine visible at its summit is Achi Shrine. Achi…

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Kurashiki Byobu Festival Overview

The festival area includes Honmachi and Higashimachi in Kurashiki City, as well as the area around the Bikan Historical Area, but if you’re visiting the Bikan Historical Area for the first time, it can be hard to know where that is.

▼The map was included in the pamphlet, so here it is.

The venue covers about 600 meters, starting in the west at Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan and extending east to the Higashimachi area.

There are 25 display locations in all. The doors are opened so the screens can be seen from the street, and they are displayed in entrances and rooms.
A quick look takes about an hour, while taking your time and photographing them takes around two hours.

In addition, 16 cultural facilities near the venue, including Kurashiki City Art Museum, also hosted special displays.
Visiting all 16 of them would take even longer.

Crowds Return to the Bikan Historical Area

After the heavy rains of July 2018, the number of tourists in the Bikan Historical Area visibly declined.
So I wondered, “How many people will turn out for the Kurashiki Byobu Festival?”

But there was no need to worry.

▼Crowds have gradually returned, and people were gathered around the folding screens at Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan!

There were lots of people out and about, and the area was very lively.

Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan is near the entrance to the Bikan Historical Area, which may explain the crowds.
If you don’t like crowds, try viewing the screens at another, less busy location.

Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan — a community space at the entrance to the Bikan Historical Area, also popular for room rentals

Do you know this remarkable place at the entrance to the Bikan Historical Area, with a nagaya-mon gate passed down since the Edo period? It hosts events held every year, such as “Shunsho Akari” and “Heartland Kurashiki”…

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Folding Screens That Made an Impression

At the Kurashiki Byobu Festival, you can see folding screens at 25 homes, as well as at 16 special exhibition venues.

I visited all 25 of the main locations in person.
Here are five folding screens that particularly made an impression on me.

At Ohara House Katalyzer

This folding screen is by Kojima Torajiro, whose paintings are also displayed at the Ohara Museum of Art.

Kojima Torajiro created this work based on his experiences of visiting China and the Korean Peninsula four times.

Its slightly unusual, landscape-painting-like quality stayed with me.

Ohara House Katalyzer (former Ohara family residence) — a residence packed with the beauty of Kurashiki

One of the great attractions of sightseeing in Kurashiki is its white-walled buildings. “Ohara House Katalyzer (former Ohara family residence)” is a place where you can enjoy the beauty of Kurashiki’s houses and storehouses, as well as a Japanese garden. It is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property…

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At Yoshii Ryokan

Two cranes are depicted against a gleaming gold background.

White flowers are painted on the screen, with an ikebana arrangement in front of it; it was very beautiful.

The cranes on the screen also seemed full of life.

At Jazz Live Avenue

Mountains in China are depicted.

What I found interesting was being able to view the folding screen while jazz was playing.

I had thought of folding screens as something found in Japanese-style rooms and spaces, so I was surprised.

The contrast between the screen, the modern ceiling light, and the ikebana arrangement in front was wonderful.

At the Hachiya Residence

The vivid blue catches the eye.

Many of the folding screens I saw along the way to the Hachiya Residence were painted in pale colors.

That’s why the blue drew me in.

Also, once I passed through the entrance of the Hachiya Residence, the strong machiya character of the place stood out, creating the very atmosphere of the Kurashiki Byobu Festival.

At Hashimaya Kimono Shop

A vermilion koi swims through a sea of gold.

This is the folding screen that has made the strongest impression on me.

It consists of two panels, but it makes a real impact.

I find myself thinking, as an amateur, “It would be even more impressive with three or four panels,” but I suppose two is just right.

Ikebana also adds to the festive atmosphere

Besides the folding screens, ikebana arrangements were displayed around town, delighting the eye.
Here are three of them.

A festive day celebrated by the whole town

The Kurashiki Byobu Festival is held at the same time as Achi Shrine’s autumn grand festival.
It’s a festive day celebrated by the whole town, including the area around the Bikan Historical Area.

As a food from Okayama Prefecture that’s a must at festivals, bara-zushi is sold at various locations.

Among them, the bara-zushi sold by the Kurashiki Chamber of Commerce and Industry Women’s Association is popular every year and often sells out by the afternoon.

It had sold out at around 12:15 p.m. on October 20 and around 11:30 a.m. on October 21.

▼ I tried some.

The toppings on the vinegared rice include mamakari and Spanish mackerel, both familiar foods in Okayama Prefecture.
You could eat some before walking around town, or buy it first and enjoy it later.

▼At Kamoi Restaurant, a dining establishment in the Bikan Historical Area, you can also enjoy warm bara sushi called “nuku-zushi.”

It’s steamed in a bamboo steamer, so you can enjoy its comforting warmth and delicious flavor.

Kamoi Restaurant — A Japanese restaurant with beautiful views of the Kurashiki River and a menu that’s enjoyable for three generations

If you visit the Bikan Historical Area, you’re sure to see Kamoi Restaurant at least once. In a superb location right by the Kurashiki River, it’s always bustling, from lunchtime through tea time. There’s something for every generation…

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The old and new Kurashiki Byobu Festival

The folding screen festival was held as far back as the Meiji era.
You can see that it has a long history.

However, it was discontinued for a time and then revived in 2002, which made me think, “It’s an old festival with a new beginning.”

Some of the folding screens on display had tears where they fold, showing the passage of time.

On the other hand, the folding screen displayed at Hashimaya Kimono Shop was newly painted.

There was also a folding screen created by the Faculty of Arts at Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts.
▼ Here are the screen displayed on the grounds of Achi Shrine and the student who created it.

Seeing young people today take on the challenge of creating folding screens also struck me as “old and new.”

▼ Masking tape was used, giving it a distinctly contemporary feel.

My impressions of experiencing the Kurashiki Byobu Festival

I often walk through the Bikan Historical Area without giving it much thought, wondering as I look around, “What kind of shop is this?” or “Is this someone’s home?”

During the Kurashiki Byobu Festival, you can casually step into the entrances of shops and machiya (including private homes).

You can see folding screens that aren’t part of everyday life today, and discover the atmosphere of a place, thinking, “Oh, so this is what kind of shop it is!”

I found it really interesting because I discovered more than I would on a regular stroll around town.
I’d like to experience it again and see what they do next time.

I also had the chance to speak with Professor Moriyama of the Faculty of Arts at Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, the artist who created “Screen with Scarlet Carp,” the folding screen displayed at Hashimaya Kimono Shop that has made the strongest impression on me.

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