Kurashiki

Up early. What’s new?

Very efficient: have our brekky and complete the packing. Clothes have dried overnight.

Three trains today.

Off to the station. An hour early (!!!) maybe planned too much contingency into today’s timing?? But we still find things to do while we wait like loading up our Suica cards which are getting low in yen. 

It is 9 deg C. Toilet seat is lovely and warm(!). I know what I want for Xmas!!👏

First train is to Nagoya - a bit over 2 hours. We pass Kiso-Fukushima where we stay Day 4 on the Nakasendō trail and later on we pass Ena where we start the walk. Initially on this journey, there are lots of tunnels through the tree-covered mountains.

I continue my reading of  ‘Water, Wood, and Wild Things’. Hannah continues the Wild Things section from boar-hunting (ugh) to fishing and the foraging of wild food: sansai has historically been important sources of food. Foraging in the countryside by city dwellers was common in the wake of WW2. Mushrooms, udo roots, berries, nuts, etc. Then she moves on to rice production.

We arrive into Nagoya and work out the platform for the shinkansen to Okayama (about 1 hr 40 mins). 

The procedure to enter the shinkansen tracks is to enter the tickets first from our previous journey then scan the QR code - but we have to be shown this. Even the nice young attendant has trouble doing this seamlessly. Many arigatōs to thank him. We have 25 mins to wait.

They say the Japanese rail system is easy. Yes! Once you know how!!!

A train comes in and we are unsure - is it OUR train?!! No, it is the one 6 mins before. Phew! Our train duly arrives on the dot. It is PACKED!

We pass Kyoto and Osaka.

Into Okayama and then a local train to Kurashiki - off the shinkansen at 11:20 and scanned out and walk to the local train section of the station and Suica’d in - and on the 11:29 bound for Kurashiki - amazing!

Well over 550 kms travelled today I think.

About a 2  km walk from the stn. to our accommodation - right through the heart of the historic Bikan merchant district: tourism-central. We walked past the craft and food shops and vendors tempting people to take gondola rides along the willow tree lined canal or on rickshaw rides. All very picturesque.

The architecture has been well preserved here (unlike in Matsumoto): the traditional burnt cedar structures and the namako lattice-walls of the merchant warehouses (kura).

We took plenty of snaps, then left our bags at reception and set off for an out-of-the-way coffee shop where the coffee was OK but the waffles were yummy; mine came with red bean paste. Great for lunch!

Afterwards, we walked up to the (shinto) Achi shrine with its nice views over the town.

Interesting history here in Kurashiki: it was the domain of the Shogunate during the Tokugawa Period (1603-1857). The construction of the cotton mill in 1888 greatly contributed to the prosperity of the town. 

We visited the Kurabo Memorial Hall which was the storehouse for raw cotton. The Kurabo Company was established in 1888. The second president (in 1900) was Magosabuto Ohara who was a true labour idealist, believing that if employees are happy, the company will prosper. He was also the driving force behind the establishment of the Kurabo Central Hospital (initially for employees) and later opened up to the prefecture: now Kurashiki Central Hospital. 

Today, over 100 years later, the company that was a major spindle maker has diversified as a textile producer particularly the export of cotton thread ‘Mitsuuma’ and innovations include the development of one of the finest raincoat fabrics in the world; it is also famous for the Kurabo Denim ‘Prime Blue’.  

There are denim shops everywhere!

Our hotel is a part of the old cotton mill complex.

After a lovely soak in the onsen, we head back through town following Google Maps to a supermarket to buy stuff for breakfast. The crowds have dispersed and the vendors shut up shop. Unbelievable! I don’t recognise some of the streets without people in them. We walk along some new (for us) streets and it is sooo peaceful. Lovely!

A further walk takes us to a terrific place for dinner: THE BEST okonomiyaki. We had it as a soba noodle base: cabbage, egg, green onion on a pancake. I have been sooo looking forward to trying this dish. The husband and wife team are so sweet and he is a real ‘card’. They cooked in front of us on a big metal hot plate. Tremendous fun. Enjoyed the lemon sake too (draft beer for MF-san).

Picturesque walk home along the canal. Walked 8 kms today.

BREAKING NEWS: Japan has just elected its first female PM.