Kurayoshi – old town and traditional houses

Kurayoshi, in the centre of Tottori Prefecture, won the prize for the most cinematic setting. In Shirakabe Dozo Gun, warehouses with white walls dating from the Edo period line along the streets bordered by canals, all on a deep green mountain background. From above, it looks like a movie set for a samurai biopic.
Once the seat of the provincial government of the Houki region, Kurayoshi has since abandoned politics for a quieter pace of life. Although the Shirakabe region is designated as a preserved area of national importance, you will not find picturesque alleyways or charming traditional tourist shops, but many more tours.

Gosho Aoyama manga factory

It is a museum where parents and children can enjoy original boards, quizzes, puzzles and more. This museum is located in the town of Hokuei, in Tottori Prefecture. It is the birthplace of Gosho Aoyama, author of the famous Manga Detective Conan. The shop offers rare objects only available here and thematic puri-kura (photocabins). You will find Dr. Agasa’s Volkswagen in front of the entrance, and fifteen bronze statues of Detective Conan on Detective Conan Avenue that connects the JR Yura station. It’s a must-see place for Detective Conan fans.

Nashikokan, pear museum

It is the only museum in Japan dedicated to Asian pear (nashi). A huge 20-metre-wide Nijisseiki pear tree grows on the site. The museum presents different types of pears from all over the world, and there is a tasting area where pear varieties can be compared all year round. You can also enjoy pear ice cream, sold exclusively in Nashikokan.

Entry costs 300 yen.

Museum of miniatures

In the middle of the traditional streets with white walls of Kurayoshi, you will find a more modern attraction: the Kurayoshi miniature museum. Inside, there are about two thousand miniature creations of dinosaurs, animals, popular anime characters, etc. The museum is located in a renovated school building, with a particular circular architecture that is worth the visit.

The ticket costs 1000 yen. It includes the visit to the exhibition of miniatures, but also the discovery of the manufacturing process of miniatures in which one can participate.

White brick warehouses

These white-walled warehouses along the Tamagawa River are preserved as they were in the Edo and Meiji periods. The area has been designated as one of the most important traditional architectural preservation districts in the country. The stone bridge over the Tamagawa and the red tiles contrasting with the white mortar of these buildings create a beautiful urban landscape. The buildings, once used as breweries and distilleries of soy sauce, now house a variety of local food stores, tea salons and galleries, making it an ideal place for a quiet walk in a d

Old railway line

The Kurayoshi Line was a 20-kilometre railway line that relayed Kurayoshi to Yamamori with nine stations. It is one of the few old lines still existing, and although not used it is still in good condition in the heart of the forest. Bamboo proliferation creates an awning above the abandoned railway. It is a fairly short hike, but with a lot of character. There is also a tunnel, which is opened once a month for a guided hike. Ask the tourist office when you arrive.

Utsubuki Park

A park at the foot of Mount Utsubuki (204m), symbol of Kurayoshi. Ranked among the best hundred places to observe flowers, and the most important in the Sanin region, each spring sees about four thousand cherry trees and forty thousand azaleas blooming. With greenery in summer, changing colors in autumn and camellias in winter, the park is one of Japan’s top 100 municipal parks and is a treat for the soul.

Utsubuki Festival

Generally, the first week of August. The first day includes a parade of one thousand five hundred people and a demonstration of misuboshi dance on Kurayoshi Ginza. On the second day, the festival takes place at the riverside for the competition of the “heavenly girl” of Utsubuki, before the fireworks that close the festival and illuminate the night sky.

Kurayoshi Kasuri or cotton from Kurayoshi

The most recent among the three types of Kasuri of Sanin (prefectures of Tottori, Shimane and northern Yamaguchi). The Kurayoshi Kasuri was first woven under the influence of “Kurume Kasuri” and “Yumigahama Gasuri”, and widely marketed throughout Japan at the beginning of the Meiji period. At first, the patterns were woven into the frame. Since the middle of the Meiji period, complicated motifs are woven in “double ikat” (dyed yarns are used both for warp and weft). Production was mechanized and increased from the end of the Meiji era to Taisho era. Today, you can find some shops that will offer it to you.

Getting to Kurayoshi

Kurayoshi is easily accessible by train.

The Super Hakuto Limited Express train connects Kurayoshi toOsakaIn just over three hours. The slightly slower but cheaper motorway buses connect Kurayoshi andMisasaOnsen in Osaka and Hiroshima in three hours twenty and four hours respectively.

From Tottori, take the line JR Sanin towards Kurayoshi station. The journey takes about an hour.

The city of Kurayoshi is a famous place, a historical site shaped by culture and art, in particular the “zone of preservation of the traditional buildings of the city of Kurayoshi Uchibuki Tamagawa” where the houses of merchants and warehouses are lined with white walls. There are many places where you can enjoy history, culture and nature. A nice step in your discovery of the Chugoku.

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