Arab News

Japan’s merchant district in Kurashiki, Okayama is also known as the ‘warehouse village’ where merchant houses, traditional shops, restaurants and cafes are dotted across the Kurashiki River.

The Bikan District of Kurashiki has a historical background in which it was the centre of trade in the 17th century.

The era is evident in the traditional black- and white-walled houses and buildings that line the streets.  The ancient architecture of the sites resembles those of the Edo, Meiji and Taisho architecture, a Japanese historical way of construction.

Founder of Ohara Museum of Art, Magosaburo Ohara, built Japan’s first cotton mill in 1989, on which the district’s centre, Ivy Square, is built.

The red-bricked buildings lined along Bikan District’s centre includes a hotel, museum and restaurants.

The museums are dedicated to art, craft and local culture, and many are housed in the traditional stone warehouses that once stored rice and other essentials to the area.

A 20-minute boat ride will show visitors the entire area from the waterline, with the backstreets filled with craft galleries, sweet stores, independent coffee roasters and stores selling denim, which Okayama is famous for.