In this world overflowing with information, internet searches are convenient when looking for information.
It seems like you can find anything and understand everything if you search. But is that really the case? There are surprisingly many pieces of information that only locals know, which may not be available online or may be buried and hard to find.
The tourist destination, Bikan Historical Area in Kurashiki, has a lot of such information.
If you want to explore the Bikan Historical Area while learning both major and core information, visiting the Kurashiki District Welcome Tourist Guide Liaison Council is the best option.
Knowing trivia makes sightseeing even more enjoyable. I participated in a regular sightseeing tour that is held daily, guided by a local from Kurashiki.
For me, the Bikan Historical Area feels like my backyard, but there were many things I learned for the first time.
What is the Kurashiki District Welcome Tourist Guide Liaison Council?
The Kurashiki District Welcome Tourist Guide Liaison Council (KWG) provides volunteer tourist guides in the Bikan Historical Area.
Founded in 1990, it has a history of over 30 years.
As of July 2026, there are 38 guides registered, of which 20 are able to provide guidance in English.
In the Bikan Historical Area, there are guides other than those from KWG.
The characteristic of KWG is their blue hats, blue shirts or jackets.
Since the start of their activities, they have guided approximately 400,000 tourists by May 2026.
Although the guides are volunteers, they must pass a "test" before they can debut.
▼Steps to Debut
- Submit a membership application
- Complete a two-month training course
- Practical exam: conduct a tour as if the volunteer guide members are tourists
- Written exam
- Approval at a monthly regular meeting
- Debut in the month following approval
During training, participants must join the tours of senior volunteer guides a total of 8 times. It requires time and effort to debut.
Even after becoming a guide, they must conduct more than five tours a month and attend a monthly regular meeting.
Although they are volunteers, the standards are professional-level strictness. You need passion to do this.
About the Tour
KWG's tours can be broadly divided into three types.
- Regular Tour Guide ... Free
- Interaction ... Free
- Reservation Guide ... Paid
Let me introduce each of them.
Regular Tour Guide
Here are the features of the Regular Tour Guide.
| Implementation Date | Every day (closed from December 28 to January 4) |
|---|---|
| Start Time | From 9:30 AM or 1:30 PM |
| Duration | About 1 hour and 30 minutes |
| Basic Course | Kurashikikan Tourist Information Office → Shinkei-en Garden → Ohara Museum of Art → Former Ohara Residence → Yurin-so Villa → Along Kurashiki River → Kurashiki Ivy Square → Honmachi Street |
| Reservation | Not required |
The Regular Tour Guide follows a somewhat fixed course.
The meeting place is at the Kurashikikan Tourist Information Office.
Interaction
The Interaction tour has the same start time and duration as the Regular Tour Guide.
The difference is that the guides approach tourists themselves to conduct the tour.
Since the location for approaching is not fixed, the starting point and route of the tour can vary.
Reservation Guide
This is a reservation-based tour, targeting not only individual customers but also those participating in tour companies.
| Applicant | Fee |
|---|---|
| Individual Customers | 200 yen per person (including tax) |
| Tour Companies | 3,000 yen per guide (including tax, one guide can accommodate up to 15 people) |
Since the duration and course can be freely set, the Reservation Guide is recommended if you have specific preferences.
I Participated in the Regular Tour Guide
I participated in the Regular Tour Guide starting from the Kurashikikan Tourist Information Office.
The guide was Takahashi Yasuo from KWG. I toured with two people who came from Fukuoka.
"The Kurashiki Tourist Information Office, built in 1917, started as the town hall. The Kurashiki River flows right in front of it. This used to be where seawater flowed," said Mr. Takahashi.
While touching on the history of Kurashiki, we pay attention to the details.
"The only business in the Bikan Historical Area that is unrelated to tourism is the Okayama Hinomaru Securities Kurashiki Branch," introduced Mr. Kuroba while sharing a little trivia.
It seems they write "the current market outlook" by hand every month.
Indeed, the content seems unrelated to tourism, but it is summarized clearly, and above all, I was impressed by the beauty of the handwriting.
When we toured Shinkei-en Garden, which was built as a villa for Ohara Koshiro, I learned a trivia about the stepping stones in the Japanese garden.
The round-shaped stones are actually millstones.
It seems it would be a waste to throw away millstones that have become shallow from use, so they were used as stepping stones.
The tour day was Monday, and the Ohara Museum of Art was closed. Mr. Takahashi flexibly provided guidance from the outside where it was visible.
Although the Regular Tour Guide has a set route, it seems that the content of the guidance varies depending on the guide and the day.
The second half of the tour takes us to Kurashiki Ivy Square.
Once a spinning mill, Kurashiki Ivy Square is now a complex facility, but many traces of its past remain.
For example, a place that used to be a workshop is now a square. It is said that heavy machinery was placed on the stone part of the floor.
We received a series of surprising and moving guidance, but let's keep the introduction to this.
By paying attention to the finer details that are often overlooked, and gaining knowledge, Kurashiki Bikan Historical Area felt like an even more attractive town.
The guide from KWG, who knows a lot of information even locals are unaware of. I spoke with Takahashi Yasuo.
Data of Kurashiki District Welcome Tourist Guide Liaison Council
| Name | Kurashiki District Welcome Tourist Guide Liaison Council |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-6-1 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture (inside Kurashiki City Tourist Rest Area) |
| Contact | 086-436-7734 |
| Website | Kurashiki District Welcome Tourist Guide Liaison Council |
