Kurashiki, Okayama
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kurashiki 倉敷 |
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| — Core city — | |||
| 倉敷市 · Kurashiki | |||
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  Kurashiki
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| Coordinates: 34°35′N 133°46′E / 34.583°N 133.767°E | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Chūgoku | ||
| Prefecture | Okayama | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Kaori Itō | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 354.71 km2 (137 sq mi) | ||
| Population (Feb. 2008) |
478,176 | ||
| City Symbols | |||
| - Tree | Camphor | ||
| - Flower | Wysteria | ||
| - Bird | Kingfisher | ||
| Website | City of Kurashiki | ||
| Phone number | 086-426-3030 | ||
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640 Nishinakashinden, Kurashiki-shi, Okayama-ken |
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Kurashiki (倉敷市 Kurashiki-shi) is a historic city located to the west of Okayama, Japan, sitting on the Takahashi River, on the coast of the Inland Sea.
As of February 2008, the city has a population of 478,176. The total area is 354.71 square kilometers (136.95 sq mi).
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[edit] History
The modern city of Kurashiki was founded on April 1, 1928. Previously, it was the site of clashes between the Heike and Genji clans during the Heian period. It gradually developed as a riverport; during the Edo period, it became an area directly controlled by the Shogunate. Distinctive white-walled, black-tiled warehouses were built to store goods. During the Meiji Restoration (Japan's Industrial Revolution period), factories were built, including the Ohara Spinning Mill which still stands as the nostalgic tourist attraction Ivy Square.[1]
On August 1, 2005, the town of Mabi, from Kibi District, and the town of Funao, from Asakuchi District, were merged with Kurashiki.
[edit] Attractions
Kurashiki is the home to Japan's first Western art museum, the Ohara Museum of Art. Established in 1930 by Magosaburō Ōhara, it contains masterpieces by El Greco, Monet, Matisse, Gauguin, and Renoir. The collection also has fine examples of Asian and contemporary art. The museum itself is housed in a neo-Classical building.
The ancient merchant quarter, called the Bikan historical area. This area of the city is surrounded by almost unique examples of 17th century wooden warehouses called kura (倉) painted white with traditional black tiles, along a canal framed with weeping willows and filled with koi. The area has no electric poles in order to make the area more closely resemble the look of the Meiji period. The nearby AEON Shopping Center is a popular destination for the locals. One of the city's former town halls was located in the Kurashiki Kan, a European style building constructed in 1917.
The Tivoli theme park built in 1998, based on the theme park of the same name in Copenhagen, was closed after 10 years of operation in 2008, with a massive debt.
The Great Seto Bridge connects the city to Sakaide in Kagawa Prefecture across the Inland Sea.
[edit] Colleges and universities
The city is home to several private universities and one public university.
- Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts
- Kurashiki Sakuyo University
- Kawasaki College of Allied Health Professions
- Kurashiki City College (public)
- Okayama College
- Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare
[edit] Sister/Friendship Cities
Kurashiki maintains the following Sister/Friendship Cities.[2]
[edit] Famous people from Kurashiki
- Ahn Young-Hak - Japanese-born North Korean football midfielder
[edit] References
- ^ "Kurashiki's History". City of Kurashiki. August 7, 2006. http://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/kankou/JAPANESE%20STYLE/jp_style/CITY/history.html.
- ^ Kurashiki's Sister/Friendship Cities
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kurashiki, Okayama |
- Kurashiki travel guide from Wikitravel
- Kurashiki's official homepage
- Ohara Museum of Art website
- Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts website
- Ryokan Kurashiki's website (English)
- Kurashiki's Sister/Friendship Cities
- Kurashiki Sakuyo University (Japanese Only)
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