While walking around the Bikan Historical Area, I’ve been seeing more and more tourists visiting from overseas. After overcoming the hardships of the long COVID-19 pandemic, it feels as though tourists have returned to the Bikan Historical Area just as they were before.
The Bikan Historical Area is a popular tourist destination in Okayama Prefecture, but there is a tourist facility that opened with the hope that “this opportunity will help people discover even more of the charms of areas beyond the Bikan Historical Area.”
The facility is called “LOGIN Kurashiki.” It is a new tourist facility bringing together the charms of the Takahashi River Basin, and held its grand opening on Saturday, April 27, 2024.
This time, I’ll introduce the opening ceremony for LOGIN Kurashiki.
The information presented was current when this article was published in June 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is LOGIN Kurashiki?
“LOGIN Kurashiki” is a tourist facility that opened in the Bikan Historical Area on Saturday, April 27, 2024.
Its purpose is to promote the charms of the Takahashi River Basin, and it brings together eight tenants, including shops, restaurants, and a hotel, inspired by the basin.
LOGIN Kurashiki shares the charms of the Takahashi River Basin—its traditions, culture, industries, and nature—with tourists, and is expected to become a tourism hub that encourages visitors to travel to the Takahashi River Basin themselves.
The entire facility is also focused on attracting international visitors. Some shops have menus in English, and there is a tour desk for overseas tourists.
LOGIN Kurashiki was built just off a small alley in the Bikan Historical Area. Until 2021, a market called “Kurashiki Roji Ichiba” was held at the same location every Saturday, drawing crowds of local residents.
To preserve the history of the site, its name combines “LOGI,” meaning “alley,” with “IN,” meaning “to enter,” to create “LOGIN Kurashiki.”
LOGIN Kurashiki was opened by Shono Tochi Co., Ltd., a real estate company in Kurashiki City. The company had previously supported the Kurashiki Roji Ichiba market. With this renovation, it hopes to create a facility that serves as a hub for the Takahashi River Basin.
LOGIN Kurashiki had been a topic of conversation among people around me even before it opened. I went to its memorable first-day opening ceremony.
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony for LOGIN Kurashiki was held on Saturday, April 27, 2024, in a light drizzle.
Greetings from people involved with LOGIN Kurashiki
First, Hara Hiroyuki, representative of the event’s organizer, Shono Tochi Co., Ltd., gave a greeting.
Hara said that since around 2018, he had wanted to “create a place in Kurashiki that would serve as a hub for the Takahashi River Basin.”
Kurashiki has a rich history built by the generations who came before us.
It has a history as a tenryo, a territory directly controlled by the Edo shogunate. Ohara Magosaburo created the route for the Hakubi Line, which connects to the Sanin region, and in the Showa era, his son, Ohara Soichiro, proposed the Takahashi River Basin League.
I felt that Kurashiki still carries the hopes of those who came before us: “that everyone in the region who drinks the same water from the Takahashi River would come together as one.”
Also, overseas visitors to Kurashiki only visit about three places when traveling around the prefecture: Okayama Castle and Korakuen Garden in Okayama City, and the Bikan Historical Area in Kurashiki. It’s such a shame that no one visits the Takahashi River Basin, despite all the wonderful things it has to offer.
That’s why we launched LOGIN Kurashiki: to create a facility that would serve as a hub for the Takahashi River Basin and a center for international visitors.
We also interviewed everyone who wanted to open a shop here, bringing together people who shared our vision. We held many meetings to discuss things as a group, and at last, today, we’ve reached opening day.
I hope people will come to see and enjoy this facility, and also take an interest in the people who work here.
Hara also shared his dream that, once LOGIN Kurashiki takes root in the community, similar hub facilities will be created in the other six cities and three towns beyond Kurashiki, and that one day, the Takahashi River Basin will become one.
He also explained the architecture and courtyard. The fountain and ground decorations in the courtyard are said to represent the Takahashi River Basin.
Next, Akane Ohara, representative director of the Ohara Art Foundation, gave a greeting as a guest.
“It feels as though we’re receiving the blessing of water from the sky, with rain falling on this facility, which has such a close connection to the Takahashi River. And this is supposed to be sunny Okayama,” Ohara said, offering her congratulations with a comment on the day’s weather.
Both Ohara and Hara come from families with a long history of protecting the town of Kurashiki. “When I see Hara create a facility like this and continue to do things for the community, I think I need to work even harder too!” she said, in a heartwarming moment that offered a glimpse of their relationship.
She concluded, “I think we all share the hope that people from around the world will feel glad they came to the Bikan Historical Area. I sincerely hope this place will continue to shine.”
After that, people involved in the architecture and garden design also gave greetings.
For the architecture, they held repeated discussions about “how to express the life of the alleys and the character of Kurashiki.” The design was created with the hope of making this a place where the shops can get along and work together, like residents living in a row house.
The LOGIN Kurashiki building uses wood throughout, giving it a warm and bright feel while preserving the close-knit charm of row-house living.
Gardener Sakamoto spoke about the courtyard, which is themed around a “dragon,” and expressed his gratitude to everyone who had worked together to get the facility ready for opening. Speaking of the light rain, he said, “I think it’s proof that the dragon deity, the god of water, has descended.”
Finally, Sakaue Hiroshi, of the Takahashigawa Presentare General Incorporated Association, took the microphone. The association will be responsible for operating the facility going forward.
Sakaue said that the people involved with LOGIN Kurashiki are “people of water.” In Kurashiki, they speak of “people of wind,” who visit for tourism or short stays; “people of earth,” who put down roots in the region where they were born and raised; and “people of water,” who connect the two.
He said he hoped LOGIN Kurashiki could become a place where visitors connect with people from other regions and are inspired to visit those places themselves.
LOGIN Kurashiki was completed through the combined efforts of many people. There will be plenty to see, from the products and services to the facility’s architecture, courtyard, and the people who work there.
Raising the flag to celebrate the opening
About five minutes before the 10 a.m. opening, a flag-raising ceremony was held, filled with hopes for the future.
Just as the facility staff gathered with their banners, the rain stopped, as if the sky itself had been waiting for the opening.
At Hara’s call, “These are our colleagues standing here. Let’s do our best, LOGIN Kurashiki!” bengara-colored flags were raised high.
The wonderful smiles and lively cheers naturally drew a big round of applause.
Everyone also counted down together in the final 10 seconds before opening, and LOGIN Kurashiki opened amid a lively atmosphere.
A look at some of the shops
LOGIN Kurashiki is home to the following eight tenants.
- Tono Shoten (Food and Drink)
- Tachinomi-dokoro Kakehashi (Food and Drink)
- Jun-gumi - Amazake Smoothie Stand - (Food and Drink)
- Kurashiki Canvas LOGIN Kurashiki Store (Retail)
- Okayama OkurimonoFarm LOGIN Kurashiki Store (Retail)
- Tsunagu Kurashiki (Retail)
- TAKAHASHIGAWA TRAVEL (Tours and Services)
- HIYASAI (Accommodation)
After it opened, I went around to check out some of the shops. Here are a few of them.
Tachinomi-dokoro Kakehashi
The first place I visited was Tachinomi-dokoro Kakehashi, a standing bar run by Community Revitalization Cooperators in Okayama Prefecture.
Here, you can casually enjoy sake and beer made in the Takahashi River Basin, along with local snacks that change with the seasons.
The staff behind the counter are current and former Community Revitalization Cooperators in Okayama Prefecture. Drawing on their perspectives as people who have moved to the area, they share the charms of the Takahashi River Basin and Okayama Prefecture through drinks. It’s a welcoming space where you can enjoy chatting with the staff, so it’s easy to drop in even on your own.
They also offer soft drinks made with carefully selected local ingredients, so I felt that even people who don’t drink alcohol would find it easy to stop by.
Traditional crafts and folk crafts related to the Takahashi River Basin are also displayed inside, offering a glimpse into the culture of the basin.
Events featuring menus made with local specialties will also be held in the future, so check Instagram.
Okayama Okurimono Farm LOGIN Kurashiki Store
Next, I visited Okayama Okurimono Farm LOGIN Kurashiki Store, where shelves are lined with locally produced foods and goods. The company also runs a restaurant in Okayama City, where it serves parfaits made with fruit grown in the Takahashi River Basin.
The staff selected all the products, which are said to be made in Okayama Prefecture, with the thought, “If you’ve come all this way to visit, you should try local products.” Since the shop only carries items recommended by the staff, you can sense the quality and care in every product.
They also carry a private-label brand called “Urara,” selling jellies, juices, ice cream, and other products made with fruit grown in the prefecture.
I was offered a taste of grape juice to mark the opening ceremony. It was delicious, with the rich grape flavor and freshness preserved. I think it would be perfect as a souvenir or gift.
This shop seemed like a great place to find something for a casual visit or a gift for someone outside the prefecture, among many other occasions.
TAKAHASHIGAWA TRAVEL
The last place I visited was TAKAHASHIGAWA TRAVEL, a travel agency.
They can plan special trips you can only experience with TAKAHASHIGAWA TRAVEL, including in-depth town-walking experiences, tour guides, and nighttime activities in the Bikan Historical Area that only a local travel agency can offer.
They also have maps of the Bikan Historical Area in various languages for international visitors.
TAKAHASHIGAWA TRAVEL aims not only to share the appeal of a place, but also to offer experiences that make people think, “I want to meet that guide again,” through tours that bring out each guide’s personality and humor.
They offer many in-depth sightseeing plans that only a local travel agency can provide, such as tours of local company factories that are usually off-limits and opportunities to take part in unusual events held during festivals at Achi Shrine.
They also offer paid luggage storage and bicycle rental, making them a good choice for visitors who want to explore without carrying their bags or venture a little farther afield.
From the Writer
On the day of the opening ceremony, a market was held in the plaza in front of LOGIN Kurashiki.
I wondered if the former Kurashiki Roji Ichiba market had returned, so I stopped by after finishing my reporting.
The market was bustling with local residents, and I got the impression that the energy of LOGIN Kurashiki was spreading to the market as well. LOGIN Kurashiki will help energize Kurashiki, and one day that energy will spread throughout the Takahashi River Basin. It was a moment when I could picture that kind of future.
This market event is held every Saturday and Sunday. Its theme apparently changes with the season and local character, so it seems there will be something different to enjoy each week.
I feel that even local residents find it difficult to fully grasp the appeal of the Takahashi River Basin, and even when they do, they rarely get the chance to share it with others. I felt that simply having a hub like LOGIN Kurashiki that promotes the area’s appeal could greatly raise awareness of the Takahashi River Basin among tourists.
I hope that visiting LOGIN Kurashiki will encourage even a few more people to explore the Takahashi River Basin.
LOGIN Kurashiki (Login Kurashiki) Information
| Name | LOGIN Kurashiki (Login Kurashiki) |
|---|---|
| Date | Hours vary by store |
| Location | 2-20-9 Achi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Admission (tax included) | No admission fee |
| Website | LOGIN Kurashiki Official Website |
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