Kurashiki

Just west of Okayama, Kurashiki’s quaintly cobbled streets are lined with distinctive black and white tiled warehouses – built to store grain surpluses. Warehouses in the old canal district now house art and craft galleries, museums, and restaurants, and the willow-lined canals make Kurashiki a delightful place to visit.

Kurashiki’s most famous gallery is the Ohara Museum of Art, which, although best known for its exceptional collection of Western masterpieces, also houses many fine examples of traditional Japanese art.