3 days in kurashiki | a fairytale city from old japan (1 hour from Osaka)

3 days in kurashiki | a fairytale city from old japan (1 hour from Osaka)

Hello! We are heading to Kurashiki from Kojima (30 minute drive) We’ll spend 2 nights in Kurashiki Let’s check-in to our hotel first You can see the iconic historical houses already A textile mill that was transformed into a hotel I booked this hotel because it looked like something out of a Wes Anderson movie Despite its Western appearance, it has all the amenities of a Japanese hotel We booked the most basic room: Economy Twin Room The room is an open layout It gets dark very early now so we’re going out before night falls There’s a large courtyard for people to relax in Our hotel is located just a block from the main tourist area The historical district is quiet once night settles in We’ll go get some dinner before all the restaurants close We’ve been in Japan for over a month now We’re craving Italian food tonight Cono Foresta is a stylish pizza shop hidden in a garden Can’t wait to explore the historical district tomorrow! Even the phone booth is aesthetic There’s a Lawson located inside our hotel complex A convenience store with an old world charm This shop sells both Lawson souvenirs and denim products made in Kurashiki Daily dessert run Local Setouchi lemonade There are many Okayama souvenirs you can purchase Back at the hotel: there’s a public bath to use And a Lawson vending machine next door Tonight’s konbini dessert is a mont blanc chestnut Japanese pudding Because it’s autumn! It tastes kind of like sweet potato! Good morning! There are many koi swimming in the waterways at Ivy Square Isn’t the Lawson so cute? I’m happy the weather is so beautiful today! Now let’s visit one of the most beautiful places in Japan (imo)! The Kurashiki Bikan Historical District will transport you back to old Japan Kurashiki River flows in the centre with willow trees lining the sides Boats float by the carp-filled Kurashiki river 400 year old storehouses are now souvenir shops, cafes and museums Boat tours are available daily The name of the bridge’s builder is engraved underneath Kurashiki was a merchant town with boats used to transport goods Now the boats are for tourists to experience old Japan Hidden cafe! The coffee bean logo is so cute! We arrived 10 minutes before they opened Omg there’s already 6 tables ahead of us Order first and grab a seat An earthy atmosphere with brass and wood details Coffee is served in traditional Bizen ware All their desserts look delicious Jiggle test We’ll walk to a shrine located on a hill The temple has a great view of the city below Look at the beautiful shimenawa It’s funny to see a McDonald’s delivery bike in such a retro setting Our plan is to wander the streets and check out the shops There are many craft stores selling local products from Okayama A Snoopy-themed chocolate shop Selling chocolates, tea and sweets Of course there’s Japanese denim items that are exclusive to this store! Kurashiki limited denim tote bags Just like every Miffy shop, there are exclusive Kurashiki items Spring onion! Denim Miffy pouches A self-service t-shirt store I spotted a cute store last night I want to check out! A household shop selling baskets, rattan and brushes Every item is fashionable but functional Victor wants another bottle brush and bought this one Across the road is a cute tea shop A charming tea shop run by the kindest owner He invites us to smell his roasted hojicha If you know me, you know I love vintage fans 🥰 He reminds me of my dad 😂 He also sells Kanbayashi Shunsho matcha from Uji He carefully shows me the menu and price list (His English is 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼) I ended up purchasing hojicha, roasted green tea and matcha I’m curious to learn more about Bizen ware after seeing it at the cafe Bizen ware is from Okayama Ceramics are left unglazed; the patterns are created by straw when fired in the kiln Giving them a wabi sabi aesthetic Wow there are swans in the river! Kurashiki really feels like a fairytale A bright and airy interior with a cabin-like atmosphere This feels like a stylish cafe more than an udon shop! Too pretty to eat I’ve never tried this udon combination before- it’s delicious! It’s time to check-in to our next hotel! A new complex with a couple museums,
cafes, bamboo garden and our hotel We got lost trying to find the hotel but decided to stop by this bamboo garden It’s very peaceful here Our hotel is located in the same building as the folk art museum Tou Tou is a shop and gallery selling Japanese handicrafts So much beautiful homeware The shop is where we need to check-in The hotel has only 7 guest rooms We are staying in “T05 Naka no Yado” Formally a doctor’s clinic, this room was restored with tatami style accommodation The room faces the museum courtyard and cafe The room includes a separate dining room and mini kitchen Many of the rooms are over 100 years old It even includes a microwave and toaster The toilet has its own room The goal of this hotel is to “preserve and uphold” the history of Kurashiki There’s a CD player with a selection of folk and jazz songs The hotel also provides a light breakfast of bread, fruit and coffee The hojicha is from Tsuneki! I’m glad we can try it since I bought some earlier Tou tou original blend coffee The bathroom looks very “Muji” I’ll be in the soaking tub this evening The hotel faces the Kurashiki River! Once you step outside it’s the main tourist area These cats are so cute! A beautiful lifestyle store- they also have a branch in Kojima Washi tape originated from Kurashiki This shop is floor to ceiling in different washi tape styles The Kurashiki townscape as washi tape! If you are in Tokyo, they also have a shop in Asakusa! If you don’t have time to visit Kojima,
you can also purchase Japanese selvedge denim here! If you missed our last vlog, we visited the birthplace of denim Tried on a pair of Momotaro but the waist area just gapes out The second pair fit a lot better- maybe because they’re not as stiff I know people cuff them to show off the selvedge edge But I personally don’t like the cuff so I will hem them😅 Byeeeee I can pick up my jeans in 30 minutes A coffee shop and bar The coffee is darker than our usual preference We’ll enjoy our coffee by the river with the sunset! It’s worth staying overnight in Kurashiki
because the vibe is totally different in the evenings This man is feeding the carp My jeans are ready! Ran out of soup! Victor found a back-up plan: Italian fusion soba! I like the denim menu and denim coasters The plating is seriously so pretty The sprinkle of egg roe is quite unusual We took a million photos today! This is a modern Japanese onsen And by using this console you can press this button here Which reheats the water to a certain temperature The water comes out in intervals through this thing here And to a certain temperature There’s nothing better than a soak and konbini dessert before bed Tonight we are trying the Lawson Cookie and Cream ice cream This one you can customise by squeezing the cup Oh! Look at that! You’re supposed to squeeze the cup so you can- What the heck! Determine the size of the chocolate chips inside So you crush it more you get finer chips If you don’t crush it too much you get bigger chunks of chocolate That is pretty cool Creative! Pretty cool invention! I wanted to try the mint chocolate chip but I know Vic likes cookies and cream a lot So we’re trying the cookie and cream version first, If it’s good then I’m going to try the mint chocolate next! Mint chocolate is basically toothpaste No it’s not! I prefer the FamilyMart mint chocolate chip ice cream which is blended in better Going for an early morning walk We want to walk around before all the shops open and the tourists arrive If you want to take the river boat cruise, You gotta go to the information centre: they open at 9am I heard it’s quite popular so you may have to queue a little bit! The storehouses here have distinctive wall designs called “namako” The mounds of grout and tile are to protect the clay walls underneath We did a little morning walk, And came back to the information centre It’s 8:30am and there’s already a line! Arrive 30 minutes before the office opens to ensure an early boat slot Back at the hotel for a quick breakfast This hotel was definitely a splurge but we really loved it! My denim haul Check-out is at 10am so we’ll leave our bags here and continue to explore A museum where you can see the old ways of life in Kurashiki This house used to belong to the Ohara family They were silk merchants Just a heads up many rooms are not open to public And the exhibits are all in Japanese Get a coffee ASAP here! Got the same glasses, my guy! You can get a coffee in the library But the crown jewel of the house is the Japanese garden and tea room A Bizen ware shop with a cafe upstairs This Bizen ware shop has been passed down many generations One of them was chosen as a chief potter for the Shogunate Every piece is labeled with the kiln it came from This cup’s pattern caught my eye I’d like to collect different styles of ceramic cups from all over Japan! A modern shop selling jams, cookies and cakes I spy “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”! This was originally a hardware store A curry rice restaurant in a century old house They are famous for their seasonal fruit parfaits I didn’t expect the sundae to be this big! But there are many layers of cream, jelly and ice cream So the texture keeps your tongue entertained 😂 We are back at Tsuneki tea shop Yesterday I wanted to buy a tea whisk and the owner said it is too expensive 😂 But I’d like to support his shop and buy the whisk anyway Another craft shop under Tou Tou This space has a more modern aesthetic But like its sister shop, sells handicrafts made by Japanese artisans Our last coffee before we head to the train station! Raw interior style If you like dark roast coffee, this shop is for you We fell in love with Kurashiki as soon as we arrived If you’re looking for an alternative to Kyoto, we highly recommend visiting here! Kurashiki is peaceful and elegant We hope you enjoyed visiting Kurashiki with us! See you back in Tokyo!

kurashiki looks like it came straight out of a storybook and is probably one of our favourite cities we visited

0:00 day 1
5:11 day 2
27:40 day 3

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