Arrived safely at JR Kurashiki Station! Without taking a breather, I want to have a smoke soon.
That's the habit of us smokers, right?
These days, there are many designated smoking restriction areas wherever you go, and the area around JR Kurashiki Station is also designated as a designated smoking restriction area.
Unfortunately, the trend in society is towards non-smoking and separated smoking areas.
We smokers often feel a bit out of place when told, "It stinks! It's bad for your health!" but at least we want to follow the rules properly.
However, if you are visiting Kurashiki Station for the first time, you might not know where the smoking areas are.
As a smoker, I walked around to find the smoking areas around Kurashiki Station, so let me introduce them.
There are 4 designated smoking areas at JR Kurashiki Station
The designated smoking areas at Kurashiki Station are installed in a total of 2 locations at the North Exit and 2 locations at the South Exit.
▼ If you are in a hurry, please find the nearest smoking area from the map below.
However, all designated smoking areas at Kurashiki Station are open spaces, with no enclosures, no roofs, and no chairs.
Therefore, it can be a bit tough during rainy weather, in the middle of summer, or in winter.
You want to avoid the rain and wind, and smoking in the heat or cold is also unpleasant...
I also introduce smoking areas for such times, so please refer to that.
If you don't mind walking a bit further, it might be a good idea to extend your visit to the following smoking areas.
- South Exit of Kurashiki Station: Smoking Room at Tenmaya Kurashiki Store
- North Exit of Kurashiki Station: Smoking Room at Ario Kurashiki
Now, let's take a closer look at the outdoor smoking areas one by one.
North Exit 2nd Floor (Designated Smoking Area)
| Name | Designated Smoking Area 2nd Floor North Exit, JR Kurashiki Station |
|---|---|
| Notes | ・Open space ・No roof ・No chairs |
When you exit the 2nd floor ticket gate of Kurashiki Station and head towards the North Exit, you will see a connecting passage to Ario Kurashiki (a circular passage that surrounds Andersen Square).
The designated smoking area on the 2nd floor North Exit of Kurashiki Station is immediately to the left as you walk towards the connecting passage with your back to the station.
This smoking area has a sense of openness as there are no tall buildings nearby.
You can enjoy a smoke while looking at the greenery of "Kurashiki Mirai Park," which is located between Ario Kurashiki and MITSUI OUTLET PARK.
North Exit 1st Floor (Designated Smoking Area)
| Name | Designated Smoking Area 1st Floor North Exit, JR Kurashiki Station |
|---|---|
| Notes | ・Open space ・No roof ・No chairs |
If you look to the left when you exit the North Exit of Kurashiki Station, you will see a staircase leading down to the 1st floor.
The designated smoking area on the 1st floor North Exit of Kurashiki Station is visible after descending this staircase and walking a bit along the rotary towards Ario Kurashiki.
If you are using the rotary at the South Exit of Kurashiki Station, it would be good to use this smoking area.
However, since the designated smoking area on the 1st floor North Exit of Kurashiki Station is on the street, it can be difficult to relax.
South Exit 2nd Floor (Designated Smoking Area)
| Name | Designated Smoking Area 2nd Floor South Exit, JR Kurashiki Station |
|---|---|
| Notes | ・Open space ・No roof ・No chairs |
The designated smoking area on the 2nd floor South Exit of Kurashiki Station is found immediately to the right as you exit the South Exit and head away from the station.
This area tends to be the most crowded smoking area possibly due to the high foot traffic.
Depending on the time of day, it can be crowded, making it difficult to get close to the ashtray.
If you can't use it, don't force it and use another smoking area.
South Exit 1st Floor (Designated Smoking Area)
| Name | Designated Smoking Area 1st Floor South Exit, JR Kurashiki Station |
|---|---|
| Notes | ・Open space ・No roof ・No chairs |
When you exit the South Exit of Kurashiki Station and head to the left with your back to the station, you will see a staircase leading down to the 1st floor.
Descend this staircase and head towards the entrance of Tenmaya Kurashiki Store.
It may be a bit hard to find, but there is an ashtray set up on the street near the taxi stand.
This is the designated smoking area on the 1st floor South Exit of Kurashiki Station.
While the designated smoking area on the 1st floor South Exit of Kurashiki Station has less foot traffic, it can still be difficult to relax since it is on the street.
If you want to take a calm smoke, it might be a good idea to use the smoking room on the 6th floor of Tenmaya Kurashiki Store, which I will introduce later.
There are no smoking areas on the platform at Kurashiki Station
If you want to smoke right away, it would be convenient to have a smoking area on the platform at Kurashiki Station. However, unfortunately, there are no smoking areas on the platform. Therefore, please use the smoking areas outside the ticket gate.
[Special Edition] Candidates for Indoor Smoking Areas
When the weather is bad or during extreme temperatures, it can be difficult to take a relaxing smoke in an open space.
In such cases, I think the following two places are good options.
- Smoking seats at Doutor Coffee Shop JR Kurashiki Station
- Smoking Room on the 6th Floor of Tenmaya Kurashiki Store
Now, let's take a look at them.
Doutor Coffee Shop JR Kurashiki Station
| Name | Doutor Coffee Shop JR Kurashiki Station |
|---|---|
| Notes | ・Indoor smoking room (Number of smoking seats: 11) ・No chairs |
| Business Hours | [Monday to Friday, Saturday] 7:30 AM to 9:30 PM [Sunday, Holidays] 7:30 AM to 9:00 PM |
Regardless of the weather, if you meet the following criteria, I recommend the Doutor located near the South Exit on the 2nd floor of Kurashiki Station.
- I want to take a relaxing smoke even if I have to pay a little
- I want to smoke while drinking coffee
Doutor has a completely separated smoking room, so you can enjoy your smoke without worrying about those around you.
Another good point is that you can use the Wi-Fi inside the store.
Please note that there are business hours.
Smoking Room on the 6th Floor of Tenmaya Kurashiki Store
| Name | Smoking Room on the 6th Floor of Tenmaya Kurashiki Store |
|---|---|
| Notes | Smoking room |
| Business Hours | 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM |
Another indoor smoking area I want to introduce is the smoking room on the 6th floor of Tenmaya Kurashiki Store.
Although it is a bit of a distance from Kurashiki Station, the 6th floor of Tenmaya Kurashiki Store is a restaurant area, so it is recommended to use it while dining.
The smoking room itself is spacious and has chairs installed.
If you avoid meal times, there are usually few users, so it might be a hidden gem.
Please note that there are business hours.
Conclusion
The area around JR Kurashiki Station is designated as a smoking restriction area.
It is common to feel even more out of place due to the influence of some smokers with poor manners.
To avoid such situations, let's all make an effort to follow the rules and manners.
Bonus
Kurashiki Tocotoco also has articles introducing the smoking areas at "Ario Kurashiki" and "MITSUI OUTLET PARK Kurashiki," located to the north of JR Kurashiki Station. If you're interested, please take a look.
