Since 2020, the number of tourists visiting the Bikan Historical Area has fallen sharply due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even when visitor numbers temporarily increased, states of emergency and priority measures to prevent the spread of infection were repeatedly imposed. Cultural facilities, restaurants, and the tourism industry were hit hard, and recovery is still a long way off.
Even in these circumstances, we want to express our gratitude to those who deliberately choose to visit Kurashiki.
With this in mind, students at Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Commercial High School (Kurasho) wrote letters for tourists.
This article reports on the students handing out the letters on Saturday, December 4, 2021.
The information presented is as of the article’s publication in December 2021. Please note that it may differ from current information.
The letters were written by second-year Kurasho students taking calligraphy
The “letters” for tourists were written by 124 second-year students at Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Commercial High School (Kurasho) who were taking calligraphy.
They were written as a project to wrap up their lessons on “semi-cursive script”.
Semi-cursive script is a style suited to practical use, so the teacher in charge, Junko Kajitani, came up with the idea of having students write letters to tourists in the Bikan Historical Area expressing thoughts they could only put into words at that moment.
A total of 100 sets were made, and every letter was handwritten by a student.
The calligraphy students also packed the sets into bags and decorated them with masking tape.
The students said that “writing in the unfamiliar semi-cursive script was difficult.”
What did the letters say?
The letters were required to include “how they felt about people visiting during the COVID-19 pandemic”.
Students whose letters did not fill a sheet of stationery with that alone also introduced something they especially recommended.
- Enjoy the streets lined with white-walled buildings
- Visit the Ohara Museum of Art
- It is close, about a 10-minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station, and more
According to one of the students who wrote a letter, “they’re all different.”
I received one, so I’ll share it as an example.
Four of the letters will also be displayed at the Kurashikikan Tourist Information Center.
The display will run throughout December 2021.
Handed out on December 4, 2021
With the cooperation of the Kurashiki City Tourism Division, mask cases were included with the letters, and it was decided they would be handed out on Saturday, December 4, 2021.
Starting at 9 a.m. at the Kurashikikan Tourist Information Center, the sets were distributed free to the first 100 people to purchase tickets for Punting Boat Rides on Kurashiki River, with students handing them out in turn.
That day, 12 of the students who had made the letters took part; they were members of the Kurasho Calligraphy Club.
“Enjoy your visit!”
“Thank you.”
The students handed out the letters with nervous expressions, while the tourists who received them responded with smiles.
Afterward, they waved goodbye as the boats set off.
The 100 sets of letters were all handed out in about an hour and a half.
From the Writer
As COVID-19 cases have declined, the tourist destination of the Bikan Historical Area is becoming lively again, with students visiting on weekdays and adults on weekends.
However, student activities are still subject to many restrictions.
The students who wrote the letters are in their second year of high school.
They entered high school during the pandemic in 2020, and half of their high school years are already nearly over.
I hope people will take notice of the efforts high school students are making despite the many restrictions.
Four of the letters will be displayed at the Kurashikikan Tourist Information Center for the month of December 2021.
Please take a look when you visit the Bikan Historical Area.
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