“Kurashiki Architecture Tourism 2025” is being held in the Bikan Historical Area from Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
Launched in 2022, this event has highlighted various buildings in and around the Bikan Historical Area, introducing the appeal of architecture rooted in the local community.
For its fourth edition, the theme is “Reviving Buildings: Preserving the Old and Embracing the New.” It spotlights buildings that are sharing new appeal through renovation. Why not explore the new architectural charms taking root in the Bikan Historical Area, where old and new, Japanese and Western buildings blend together beautifully?
The event runs from Wednesday, October 1, 2025, to Saturday, January 31, 2026.
The information provided was current when this article was published in November 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is Kurashiki Architecture Tourism 2025?
“Kurashiki Architecture Tourism” began in 2022 with the aim of encouraging visitors to enjoy the appeal of the buildings themselves, scattered throughout the Bikan Historical Area and its surroundings.
The first edition in 2022 focused on buildings designed by local architect Shizutaro Urabe; in 2023, on buildings by three famous architects; and in 2024, on buildings by unknown architects. Each year has featured a different theme.
For this fourth edition (2025), as a culmination of the previous events, the focus is on building revitalization, highlighting the following five buildings in and around the Bikan Historical Area that have been renovated in recent years.
- Hayashi Genjuro Shoten
- Kurashiki Craftwork Village
- Kurashiki Teien
- Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft
- Ohara Museum of Art Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery
About the Building Cards
One of the distinctive features of Kurashiki Architecture Tourism is the “Building Cards.”
These postcard-sized cards feature an explanation and photo of the building on the front and an aerial-view illustration on the back. Two cards are available at each facility.
The front of each card features photos and descriptions of the building’s exterior and interior. The back features aerial-view illustrations from 1963 and 2005 by aerial-view illustrator Naoki Okamoto, making it interesting to look for differences between the townscape of the past and more recent years.
Building Cards are distributed free of charge at the following five participating facilities.
- Hayashi Genjuro Shoten (Miyake Shoten on the second floor)
- Kurashiki Craftwork Village (inside Gocha)
- Kurashiki Teien (near the courtyard)
- Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft (shop)
- Ohara Museum of Art Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery (near the reception desk)
About the Memory File
The “Memory File” lets you organize and store the Building Cards you collect.
Each one is handmade with a different design and color scheme, giving it the warmth that only a handmade item can offer. The charming illustrations included are also original.
It can also hold items other than Building Cards, so we recommend keeping museum tickets and postcards as mementos.
Memory Files are available for purchase at the following locations (limited to 350 copies, 500 yen).
- Kurashikikan Tourist Information Center
- Kurashiki City Kurashiki Monogatari-kan
- Ohara Museum of Art Museum Shop
- Kurashiki Craftwork Village (Gocha)
- Kurashiki Teien (kobacoffee)
- Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft (shop)
- Hayashi Genjuro Shoten (Miyake Shoten on the second floor)
- Kurashiki Ivy Square front desk
The Kurashiki Walking Map Gets an Update
New content has also been added to the Kurashiki Walking Map, a digital map that makes exploring the area around the Bikan Historical Area even more enjoyable.
The newly added content is called “Discovery Points” and introduces distinctive spots other than buildings, such as fire lookout towers and the Joyato on the Kurashiki River.
The wealth of information, including things even local residents may not know, will make your walk around town even more rewarding.
We Explored the Area
The writer also explored each of the buildings with a Memory File in hand.
It takes less than an hour to visit all the participating buildings, making this a great walking route around the Bikan Historical Area.
Hayashi Genjuro Shoten
This complex opened in 2012 after the renovation of a former pharmaceutical wholesaler’s building that had long stood vacant. It houses several shops that offer a taste of Kurashiki, including general goods stores, restaurants, and denim shops.
The renovation was undertaken by architect Toru Naramura, who has worked on renovating machiya in Kurashiki for many years.
A distinctive feature of this building is that the renovation extended beyond the section facing the main street: together with several buildings on the site, the courtyard and alleyways were improved, allowing visitors to walk through the site from the main street to its far end.
On the second floor is the “Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum,” which documents the building’s history as a pharmaceutical wholesaler and offers a glimpse into life there at the time.
The rooftop terrace on the third floor is a hidden gem offering panoramic views of the Bikan Historical Area. The key visual for the 2025 film “A Town with a Storehouse” was shot from here.
Kurashiki Teien
Kurashiki Teien, located along the Kurashiki River, is a complex that opened in 2014 after renovating a machiya townhouse about 100 years old. Like Hayashi Genjuro Shoten, it was renovated by Narumura.
A distinctive feature of this building is the tori-doma, a passageway-like space that runs from the main street toward the back.
With the tori-doma, multiple shops can rent space not only along the main street but also in the rear of the building.
There is also a rest area in the courtyard, creating a space like a patio (courtyard) in Western architecture. It is a modern space that, in a good way, overturns the traditional image of a machiya townhouse.
At the back are a hideaway-like bar, “Salon de Ric’s,” and the specialty coffee shop “kobacoffee,” both loved by locals as well as tourists.
I have also taken visitors from outside the prefecture here, and I remember how much they enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere.
Although it is located in the tourist destination of the Bikan Historical Area, Narumura says he designed it with an eye to creating a place where local people could run their businesses and make a living. Take a look at the thought that went into it.
Kurashiki Craft Work Village
Kurashiki Craft Work Village opened in 2017 after a machiya townhouse on Honmachi Street was renovated. This renovation was also carried out by Narumura.
The building, with its tori-doma, has a similar atmosphere to the Kurashiki Teien mentioned above, but its distinctive feature is that it was expanded around a well in the back garden, creating a plaza-like space.
Careful thought has also gone into how to make use of the second floor, which can be a challenge when renovating a machiya townhouse.
Here, Gocha, which sells tenugui hand towels on the first floor, uses the second floor as an event space from time to time. In keeping with the name Craft Work Village, visitors can also see people making things through the windows.
Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft
The first old-house renovation in Kurashiki, the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft opened in 1948, shortly after the war, in a former Edo-period rice storehouse that had been converted for use as a museum. With its distinctive white-walled entrance, it is one of the buildings that symbolize the Bikan Historical Area.
In 2020, the shop corner was renovated by Narumura.
We feature this building because it is a distinctive example of how renovations and alterations have been carried out several times in the past, with different people gradually leaving their mark on it.
Ohara Museum of Art Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery
The last place we visited was the Ohara Museum of Art Kojima Torajiro Memorial Gallery, which opened in April 2025.
This building, which is also designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, was designed by architect Yakushiji Kazue, known for designing the main building of the Ohara Museum of Art. It was completed in 1922 as a Kurashiki branch of the Daiichi Godo Bank (now Chugoku Bank).
The building was used as the Chugoku Bank Kurashiki Honmachi Branch until 2016. When banking operations ended, it was transferred to the Ohara Museum of Art. This led to its conversion into a museum.
It is featured as an example of renewal that adds new functions while preserving traditional design.
We spoke with Jiro Komoto, Director and Executive Officer of Urabe Sekkei Co., Ltd., who was involved in planning the event, about the highlights and points of interest of Kurashiki Architecture Tourism 2025.
Kurashiki Architecture Tourism 2025 Information
| Name | Kurashiki Architecture Tourism 2025 |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 1, 2025 (Wednesday) – January 31, 2026 (Saturday) |
| Location | Around the Bikan Historical Area |
| Admission (tax included) | Free (Memory File: 500 yen, tax included) * “Building Cards” are distributed free of charge at each facility, but some facilities require an admission fee to look around inside. Please check each facility's website for details. |
| Website | Kurashiki Architecture Tourism 2025 |
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