Kurashiki has many tourist attractions, including the Bikan Historical Area, Seto Inland Sea National Park, and historic residences.
All of these destinations are appealing, but as someone who moved to Kurashiki from the Kanto region in December 2023, I find there are so many tourist spots that I’m not sure where to start exploring.
Then I learned about the Kurashiki Japan Heritage Certification Exam and decided to explore the city while studying its history.
The information presented here was current when this article was published in March 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Exam Coverage
The Kurashiki Japan Heritage Certification Exam is a local certification exam organized by the Kurashiki City Japan Heritage Promotion Council.
The exam covers the three Japan Heritage stories recognized in Kurashiki City:
- A Kurashiki story beginning with a single cotton flower: A textile town woven from Japanese and Western influences
- A different world entwined with the dreams of men who overcame the stormy seas: Ports of call for Kitamaebune ships and shipowner settlements
- Okayama, Birthplace of the Legend of Momotaro: A tale of demon-slaying inspired by the heritage of ancient Kibi
There were also several questions about what the Japan Heritage certification exam is.
What Happened on the Day
The second Kurashiki Japan Heritage Certification Exam was held on Sunday, February 18, 2024, in the main hall of Life Park Kurashiki in Fukuda, Kurashiki City.
On the day, the main hall was packed with examinees, showing how much interest there was in the exam. I even spotted some examinees who had brought their own study notes.
The exam lasted one hour. A timer was displayed on a screen at the front of the venue, so we could keep track of the time as we worked through the questions.
As in the previous year, there were 50 questions.
An Exam Environment with Reasonable Accommodations
I have a hearing disability, so when I applied, I told the organizers the following:
- I cannot hear announcements at the venue
- I would like reasonable accommodations for this
When I arrived at the venue on the day, my seat was in the very back row.
At other exams, I had often been assigned a seat in the front row or second row so I could hear the proctor more easily, so I was surprised to be assigned the last row.
However, once the proctor began explaining the instructions, the staff member assigned to me stood beside me, guiding me through the written instructions by pointing to the relevant sections. When a question was corrected, they also communicated with me in writing.
Because I received frequent individual assistance, if I had been seated in the front row, staff might have repeatedly entered other examinees’ line of sight and distracted them. That may be why I was assigned the last row. Thanks to this, I was able to receive accommodations in a calm setting.
I could also see when the exam began and when examinees who finished early left the room, so after finishing the questions, I was able to leave just like the other examinees.
With a hearing disability, I cannot hear ambient sounds around me, so at an exam like this, I would not know how many people had left early. Being able to see what was happening around me helped me take the exam with a clearer sense of what to expect.
[Reasonable accommodations]
Government Public Relations Online
When a person with a disability expresses a wish to “remove social barriers,” necessary and reasonable measures must be taken to remove those barriers, provided that doing so does not impose an excessive burden.
Questions Rooted in Everyday Life in Kurashiki
The exam was structured similarly to the first exam, held in fiscal 2022.
So I think many questions were easy to answer if you had studied using the first exam’s questions (past papers).
However, I focused too much on “sightseeing as a way to study for the Kurashiki Japan Heritage Certification Exam” and did not spend much time studying with past papers.
As a result, although I recognized several words in the questions and answer choices, I could not identify the correct choices and struggled a lot. I failed.
Even so, there were very few words I did not understand at all, and the words in the exam questions matched, to some extent, things I had seen with my own eyes. So I think it was worthwhile to visit various Japan Heritage exam-related sites in person.
Taking the Kurashiki Japan Heritage Certification Exam was meaningful because it gave me a chance to learn about Kurashiki.
Still, I’m disappointed that I failed, so I’d like to spend another year studying and take the Kurashiki Japan Heritage Certification Exam again next year.
From the Writer
As someone who had only recently moved to Kurashiki, I found the Kurashiki Japan Heritage Certification Exam extremely useful as a starting point for “getting to know Kurashiki.”
Reasonable accommodations are provided according to examinees’ disabilities, so I think this exam is accessible to people with disabilities who want to take on the challenge.
Japan Heritage sites in Kurashiki City have signs to help identify them.
If you’re interested, why not deepen your knowledge in preparation for next year’s Kurashiki Japan Heritage Certification Exam?
Articles about Japan Heritage in Kurashiki City
2nd Kurashiki Japan Heritage Certification Exam Information
| Name | 2nd Kurashiki Japan Heritage Certification Exam |
|---|---|
| Date | February 18, 2024 (Sunday) |
| Location | 940 Koshinden, Fukuda-cho, Kurashiki City |
| Participation fee (tax included) | Exam fee: 500 yen |
| Website | 2nd Kurashiki Japan Heritage Certification Exam |
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