Kurashiki (倉敷)

Kurashiki (倉敷) is located in Okayama Prefecture, just beside the prefectural capital of Okayama City. The city has a preserved canal area that dates back to the Edo Period (1603-1867), when Kurashiki served as an important rice distribution center. In fact, the name "Kurashiki" can be roughly translated as "town of storehouses", which refers to the storehouses in which the rice was kept.

Many of Kurashiki's former storehouses have been converted into museums, boutiques and cafes. The Ohara Museum is the most impressive of Kurashiki's museums, exhibiting a large collection of works by famous Western artists. The canal area is a ten minute walk from Kurashiki Station's south exit.

Photos:

"Kurashiki bikatiku naka-bashi" by tatushin - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kurashiki_bikatiku_naka-bashi.JPG#/media/File:Kurashiki_bikatiku_naka-bashi.JPG

"Japan Kurashiki quay 3 034" by David Monniaux - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Japan_Kurashiki_quay_3_034.jpg#/media/File:Japan_Kurashiki_quay_3_034.jpg