Between the Bikan Historical Area and Kurashiki Civic Hall, there is a Western-style building with striking red bricks, Kurashiki Ivy Square.
When talking about Kurashiki, one cannot overlook the Japan Heritage "A Kurashiki story beginning with a single cotton flower - A town of textiles woven with harmony of Japanese and Western styles," of which Kurashiki Ivy Square, retaining the traces of the headquarters factory of KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD., is one of the stages. It opened in 1974 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024.
We will introduce Kurashiki Ivy Square, where improvements are still ongoing to provide a comfortable accommodation environment for guests.
Overview of Kurashiki Ivy Square
Kurashiki Ivy Square is a complex cultural facility located a 15-minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station, situated between the Bikan Historical Area and Kurashiki Civic Hall. The four functions necessary for tourism that Kurashiki Ivy Square provides are as follows:
- Accommodation (145 rooms)
- Dining (offers both Japanese and Western cuisine)
- Shopping (sells local sweets and crafts from Okayama and Kurashiki)
- Cultural experiences (Bizen pottery workshops and kimono rental shop)
The guest rooms and large public bath located in the accommodation building are facilities available only to guests, but dining and shopping can be enjoyed without staying overnight.
It also serves as a "place of relaxation for citizens," being used for banquets, meetings, and weddings.
Accommodation Plans at Kurashiki Ivy Square
Kurashiki Ivy Square offers standard accommodation plans such as room-only and two meals per night, as well as student discount plans and accommodation plans in collaboration with various facilities in the Bikan Historical Area.
The accommodation plans in collaboration with the Bikan Historical Area are as follows:
- Kimono rental set plan
- Journey through Kurashiki Art - Special plan for Ohara Museum of Art
- Cut glass lantern making experience plan
- Enjoy a trip for adults with a sake brewery tour plan (suspended during winter from November to February)
- Pottery workshop with a handcraft experience plan including painting
Being just a 5-minute walk to the Bikan Historical Area, it is a facility where you can enjoy your stay along with the surrounding cultural facilities and shops.
History of Kurashiki Ivy Square
Kurashiki Ivy Square was constructed in 1889 as the headquarters factory of KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD..
The Kurashiki headquarters factory of KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD. had been a dormant factory for a long time after the war. However, as demands for preservation and regeneration grew from Kurashiki City and local residents, Shizutaro Urabe, who has worked on various buildings including the Ohara Museum of Art (Annex) and Kurashiki International Hotel, conducted the renovation design, and construction began in 1973. It was completed in the following year, 1974.
The architecture of Kurashiki Ivy Square is introduced in the following article.
In 2007, it was recognized as a Modern Industrial Heritage by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and in 2017, it was designated as one of the cultural properties of the Japan Heritage by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
While its value as a cultural property is recognized, in 2018, the Nagakurako warehouse located in the southwest of the site was removed, and a large banquet hall, "Ivy Emerald Hall," accommodating 1,000 people was added. In 2020, the four accommodation buildings underwent a large-scale renovation.
Even now, Kurashiki Ivy Square continues to provide a stayable "cultural facility" for those visiting to experience its historical remnants. Let’s take a look inside while considering the points of the large-scale renovation in 2020.
Experience the "Modern Industrial Heritage" inside the facility
The greatest charm of Kurashiki Ivy Square is that you can stay in a building designated as a "Modern Industrial Heritage."
From the corridor inside the facility, you can see the view of the red bricks and ivy, which are the symbols of Kurashiki Ivy Square.
Standing in this place, where the blue sky reflects on the water surface, creating an illusion of floating, brings a sense of calm.
Additionally, there are walls exposed with brickwork inside the facility, allowing you to feel the remnants of its days as a spinning factory.
Barrier-free facilities
It is not easy to implement barrier-free measures while preserving the landscape of historical cultural properties. However, at Kurashiki Ivy Square, renovations are being carried out with a focus on barrier-free measures to ensure that guests with various needs can have a comfortable stay.
An elevator was installed during the 2020 renovation, reducing the number of rooms.
Additionally, even compact rooms are designed to accommodate wheelchair access.
The Bikan Historical Area is a spot frequented by foreign tourists. It is likely a comfortable environment not only for wheelchair users but also for foreign travelers with large suitcases.
Many accommodations have introduced foldable luggage racks, but at Kurashiki Ivy Square, one of the features is the built-in wooden luggage rack that blends with the room's interior (some guest rooms are excluded). It is installed near the entrance, making it convenient for putting on and taking off shoes.
Unified Wood Grain Guest Rooms
In the renovation of 2020, the guest rooms were significantly renewed.
The guest rooms at Kurashiki Ivy Square consist of the following 145 rooms.
- Suite (2 rooms)
- Deluxe Twin Room (22 rooms)
- Moderate Twin Room (14 rooms)
- Standard Twin Room (43 rooms)
- Standard Single Room (4 rooms)
- Family Room (8 rooms)
- Economy Twin Room (52 rooms)
From the spacious 55 square meter Deluxe Family Room to the compact 15 square meter Standard Single Room and Economy Twin Room, a wide range of guest rooms are available to accommodate various lodging purposes, from leisure to business.
All rooms are designed to evoke the warm climate of Okayama, creating a relaxing space with a natural image by utilizing wooden materials. Each room features custom-made domestic furniture that is distinctive.
In the Deluxe Superior Twin Room, furniture from the bamboo manufacturer TEORI, located in Mabi, Kurashiki City, is used.
Selectable Bathing Facilities
Kurashiki Ivy Square has a large public bath. This is a service exclusive to guests, and some guests have decided to stay at Kurashiki Ivy Square because of the large public bath.
On the other hand, all guest rooms are equipped with bathrooms (some rooms have shower booths).
At the time of its establishment in 1974, there were as many as 180 guest rooms, so some rooms did not have bathrooms. However, with the changes of the times, the demand for bathing in one's own room increased, and by 2019 (the first year of Reiwa), bathrooms were installed in all guest rooms.
On-Site Restaurant and Bar
Additionally, there is a restaurant and bar located within Kurashiki Ivy Square.
Both feature architectural designs that retain the atmosphere of the Kurashiki Spinning Company era, allowing guests to enjoy meals and drinks in a space that feels like a time slip back to the Meiji period.
Application Services
In the guest rooms, a QR code is displayed next to the telephone connected to the front desk.
By scanning the QR code with a smartphone or tablet camera, guests can access a webpage with information about the facility. This service supports multiple languages, making it a valuable resource for foreign tourists to access information in their own language.
Additionally, communication with the front desk can be conducted not only by phone but also through chat on this website.
I have a hearing impairment and cannot make phone calls, so I usually go to the front desk if there is an issue at the accommodation. However, with the chat function, I can conveniently inquire with the front desk from my room, even with my hearing impairment.
This service was developed to provide "contactless" service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, it functions as an effective service for people like me with hearing impairments and foreign tourists.
While preserving the historical landscape, Kurashiki Ivy Square continues to pursue a comfortable lodging environment. I spoke with Ken Fukai, the head of the Kurashiki Ivy Square accommodation department.
Data on Kurashiki Ivy Square
| Name | Kurashiki Ivy Square |
|---|---|
| Location | 7-2 Honmachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-0011 |
| Check-in | 3:00 PM |
| Check-out | 11:00 AM |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Facility Information | Non-smoking in all rooms (smoking area available) |
| Bath | Large public bath, bathrooms in guest rooms (some with shower booths) |
| Wi-Fi | Available |
| Parking | Available 120 cars *No reservation required for guests, 500 yen per car per night (until 12:00 PM the next morning) |
| Website | Kurashiki Ivy Square |
