Did you know that there is a beautiful bamboo grove in the center of the Bikan Historical Area?
"Kurashiki Yoi-machi GARDEN" is a complex facility that includes a bamboo grove walking garden, an outdoor event space, a museum, a fruit parlor, and an Italian restaurant.
It is a facility filled with a spirit of hospitality, wishing to bring joy to visitors to Kurashiki through art and food culture.
Let me introduce Kurashiki Yoi-machi GARDEN, where you can experience the charm of Okayama from ancient times to the present.
Overview of Kurashiki Yoi-machi GARDEN
Kurashiki Yoi-machi GARDEN is a complex facility where you can enjoy Okayama's unique gourmet food and art.
It includes the following facilities and shops.
- Bamboo Grove Walking Garden and Outdoor Event Space
- Kibibi Museum
- Parlor Fruit Komachi
- Italian Cuisine Hoshi no Hikari
As the name "Yoi-machi" suggests, the garden is a place where you can enjoy the evening and night hours.
For a while, it was a spot that many people said, "I have passed nearby many times, but I didn't know it," as it was only facing a narrow back alley.
In April 2022, the adjacent complex facility "Kurashiki SOLA" opened.
Now you can access Kurashiki Yoi-machi GARDEN from the road along the Kurashiki River, passing through the Kurashiki SOLA Mingei Plaza.
Business Hours and Holidays of Kurashiki Yoi-machi GARDEN
The business hours and holidays of each facility in Kurashiki Yoi-machi GARDEN are as follows.
| Facility Name | Business Hours | Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Bamboo Grove Walking Garden and Outdoor Event Space | 10:00 AM - 10:30 PM | Irregular holidays |
| Kibibi Museum | 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Admission until 5:30 PM) | Monday and Tuesday ※Open on holidays, with substitute holidays |
| Parlor Fruit Komachi | 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Monday ※Open on holidays, with substitute holiday on the following Tuesday |
| Italian Cuisine Hoshi no Hikari | 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM (Last order at 2:00 PM) 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM (Last order at 9:00 PM) | Tuesday |
Usage Fees
The following are subject to fees.
- Admission to Kibibi Museum
- Commercial use or group use of the bamboo garden (including photography using professional models)
- Use of the hall and tea room
| General | 700 yen |
|---|---|
| Junior and Senior High School Students | 500 yen |
| Elementary School Students | 300 yen |
Photography for pre-wedding shoots is also possible in the tea room and museum.
Please check with the facility for the amounts and detailed conditions.
The garden and garden seats can be entered with pets.
However, please note that entry into the store and daily pet walks are not allowed.
Assistance dogs are allowed inside the store.
Next, let me briefly introduce each facility/shop in Kurashiki Yoi-machi GARDEN.
Bamboo Grove Walking Garden
This bamboo grove garden, located in the center of the Bikan Historical Area, offers a tranquil experience of Japanese beauty.
You can hear the sound of water flowing from a small stream that springs from a well, and goldfish swim in it.
At the foot of the bamboo, there are evergreen perennials called shaga, which bloom white flowers around May to June.
Just walking through it will make you feel elegant.
Walking in a kimono is also recommended!
There are many kimono rental shops around the Bikan Historical Area, so you can easily enjoy a kimono stroll.
The wall separating it from the adjacent land is made from bamboo that was cut down during landscaping.
It blends in without disturbing the atmosphere.
The garden is illuminated from sunset until 10:30 PM, so enjoy the evening and night hours.
The entrance on the Kurashiki SOLA side is closed during the night.
Please use the entrance on the alley side where the Fruit Komachi is located. (※As of the time of the interview, it was temporarily closed at night; please confirm.)
Outdoor Event Space
In the outdoor event space overlooking the bamboo grove, music events have been held.
At the opening concert in 2015, the leading acoustic guitarist Kotaro Oshio performed!
Other performers included flutist Tomoko Yamano and opera tenor Kazuyoshi Masaki, who resonated beautiful music.
The stage has hosted performances of erhu, jazz guitar, koto, and shakuhachi.
The bamboo tubes reflect sound like a pipe organ, dispersing the sound softly.
Kotaro Oshio also performed while entering the bamboo grove, saying, "It really does sound good."
Kibibi Museum
"Kibi Province" was one of the four great ancient kingdoms of Japan.
Even today, the area from Okayama Prefecture to the eastern part of Hiroshima Prefecture is sometimes referred to as "Kibi."
"Kibibi Museum" is a museum where you can encounter the beauty of Kibi.
With the concept of "Encountering Kibi, Falling in Love with Kibi," it conveys the excellent skills, wisdom, aesthetic sense, and worldview left by the ancestors connected to Kibi through various cultural properties.
Opened in spring 2021, it holds special exhibitions focusing on Kibi's "swords, ceramics, calligraphy, and paintings."
There is also a wheelchair-accessible entrance.
The exhibition content changes depending on the program.
At the time of the interview, the exhibition "The Purest and Highest Brushwork: Ryokan" was being held.
Tōtō Room
In the Tōtō Room, valuable ancient items such as haniwa and Yayoi pottery are displayed.
The special pedestal, a characteristic relic of ancient Kibi, was used in funerals. You can see a cylindrical haniwa that well represents the features of the special pedestal.
In particular, the exquisite beauty of the kiji kōro (pheasant incense burner) is remarkable.
Kanboku Room
This room displays calligraphy and Japanese paintings, mainly from the Edo period.
Kibibi Museum also houses many works by Ryokan, who trained in Kurashiki.
It is said that Ryokan's calligraphy, which was also a fan of Natsume Sōseki, has a charm in its simplicity.
The explanations were also thorough.
Yūsai Room
This room displays modern Western paintings related to Kibi.
Near the entrance of the room, there is wallpaper by William Morris, and the wall of the café space is hand-painted with a mixture of bengara and plaster.
It has a charming atmosphere and makes you feel elegant.
There is also a café where you can take a break while overlooking the bamboo grove garden.
The café menu features coffee roasted by a long-established coffee shop in Kurashiki and Takahashi black tea produced in Okayama Prefecture.
It is also a nice point that you can choose and use your favorite from valuable antique cups such as Wedgwood and Old Noritake.
Small Window Gallery and Museum Shop
The building's outer wall features a small window gallery displaying small works of art.
There are works that evoke the culture of Kibi, such as those themed around Momotaro, so be sure to check them out.
In the museum shop, you can purchase Bizen pottery cups, bags made from tatami edging, postcards, and more.
Kibibi Hall
This hall can be used for various purposes such as exhibitions, lectures, and workshops.
Cultural courses are also held by the director and deputy director.
Tea Room Chochikutei
This tea room is styled in the "Shofuro" style, equipped with a biwa floor.
It features an 8-tatami mat tea room overlooking a bamboo grove, providing a tranquil space to spend time.
Tea ceremonies are also held here.
In the past, tea ceremonies have been held where the calligraphy of Jakugon, one of the four great calligraphers of the Edo period, was displayed for appreciation.
It can also be used as a rental tea room.
Parlor Kudamonokomachi
A fruit parlor where you can enjoy fresh fruits from Okayama Prefecture.
Spending time in the garden seating is a blissful moment!
You can enjoy seasonal fruits unique to the fruit kingdom of Okayama.
The highlight is the original soft serve ice cream filled with plenty of fruit juice.
To allow you to "taste the seasonal fruits from Okayama Prefecture," the soft serve ice cream at Parlor Kudamonokomachi was developed over a period of more than two years.
Contains over 45 percent seasonal fruit juice, with no added coloring or flavoring.
It is a product that allows you to fully enjoy the deliciousness of Okayama fruits.
Additionally, the "Soft Serve Ice Cream Parlor of Kudamonokomachi" located at the entrance of the Bikan Historical Area is a sister store.
Italian Cuisine Hoshi no Hikari
A renowned Italian restaurant in Okayama Castle Town, it is a sister store of "Ristorante Sterina."
From casual lunches to authentic Italian dinners.
Dishes that use seafood from the Seto Inland Sea and fresh vegetables, adding a Japanese taste to Italian cuisine are prepared.
The owner fell in love with the chef's taste, saying, "This flavor is just right."
The atmosphere inside the restaurant is stylish, and you can enjoy colorful meals.
When I visited for lunch with my gourmet friends, they praised it as "a great deal, visually beautiful, and gentle in taste!"
Please enjoy the richness of local ingredients.
As it is a popular restaurant, reservations are recommended.
What kind of thoughts went into creating this place?
I spoke with the public relations representative of Kurashiki Bunka Salon, the company that operates Kurashiki Yoimachi GARDEN.
Kurashiki Yoimachi GARDEN Data
| Name | Kurashiki Yoimachi GARDEN |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-22 Chuo 1-chome, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-425-7733 |
| Parking | None |
| Opening Hours | Varies by store |
| Closed Days | Varies by store |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Toilet | Western-style toilet |
| Website | Kurashiki Yoimachi GARDEN |
