As an important trading center en route to the capital city of Edo, Kurashiki presented opportunities to enterprising merchants throughout the Edo period. Sugar was big business at the time, imported via Dejima in Nagasaki and transported along the so-called Sugar Road. The Kawahara family built such a fortune on sugar that they were able to construct an impressive home in Kurashiki including kura storehouses and a garden. In 1957, the property was converted into Ryokan Kurashiki, welcoming travelers to the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter.

When you first arrive outside Ryokan Kurashiki, take a moment to admire its carefully preserved exterior. Like many of the other historic structures in the district, the building is characterized by classic Edo period features such as white mortar walls, wooden latticed windows, and kawara tile roofs. As you step towards the entrance, just imagine for a moment that you have traveled back in time and are about to be feted by a family of wealthy Kurashiki merchants.

Inside Ryokan Kurashiki, you will see that the interior has been thoughtfully renovated and refurbished to preserve the historic character of the building while providing ultimate comfort and convenience to guests. For example, the deluxe suites Inui, Tatsumi, and Nishi all feature stylish modern detailing and large Western-style beds, but their natural wooden beams and ridgepoles speak to their origins within rice and sugar storage warehouses.

Between your arrival and dinner, feel free to wander through Ryokan Kurashiki’s Youzen-no-Niwa garden. This attractive inner garden is a peaceful sanctuary where different flowers bloom according to the season. Be sure to look over your shoulder as you walk—the garden provides particularly beautiful views of the ryokan itself.

If you're feeling a bit thirsty after your stroll through the garden, you can visit the ryokan’s nearby specialty coffee store Kurashiki Coffee Hall. Opened in 1971, Kurashiki Coffee Hall is justly renowned for its delicious coffee as well as its calm relaxing atmosphere. Plentiful indoor seating is available or you can sit outdoors on the cozy enclosed patio. If you prefer to relax in the ryokan, feel free to relax on the private terrace for views of the garden and self-service drinks (coffee, tea, matcha) and sweets.

If you would like to enjoy a relaxing bath during your time at Ryokan Kurashiki, you can reserve the ryokan’s exclusive private bath for up to 50 minutes during your stay (the bath is open from 6:00-9:00 AM and 3:00-11:00 PM each day). This bath contains a large Aji stone bathtub that has been a part of the building for many generations, and it looks out upon trees and garden plants that change colors with the seasons.

The Seto Inland Sea and its surrounding regions are renowned throughout Japan for the extraordinary quality and variety of the fish, fruit, and vegetables produced there throughout the changing seasons of the year. The head chef at Ryokan Kurashiki includes many of these fine local ingredients within his kaiseki dinners, striving for the perfect balance of culinary innovation and traditional Japanese cooking.

Dinner at Ryokan Kurashiki is served in classic kaiseki style, with multiple courses including many small dishes designed for balance in terms of flavor, color, and texture. Be sure to take a moment to savor the aroma and visual beauty of each dish before you taste it. The dinner menu at the ryokan changes based on the ingredients available in each of the four seasons.

While a kaiseki dinner is the standard evening meal offered at Ryokan Kurashiki, the ryokan does offer its guests several other options. Should you prefer, other options include meat or seafood shabu-shabu (a type of Japanese hotpot where you cook the ingredients yourself in light dashi broth, then dip them in sauces before eating them), sukiyaki, sushi, or tempura. Please notify the ryokan of your preferences in advance.

After a restful night in your guest room at Ryokan Kurashiki, you will wake up to the warm comfort of a delicious cooked breakfast. Served in the on-site restaurant, breakfast can be enjoyed as a leisurely morning meal so that you can take your time as you ease into your morning. Guests are free to choose either a Western-style or Japanese-style breakfast.

After you check out of the ryokan, it is well worth spending some more time in Kurashiki to enjoy what the city has to offer. To cater to guests with different interests, Wabunka offers you a choice of three different guided private tours that offer special insight into this fascinating city . Those who want to learn more about Kurashiki’s famous textile industry may enjoy touring a local denim workshop, while those interested in sake brewing may prefer the Morita Sake Brewery.

The third option is a guided tour of the Ohara Museum of Art. Instantly recognizable for the large Ionic pillars of its classical facade, this museum was founded in 1930 by local businessman Ōhara Magosaburō as the first permanent exhibition of Western art in Japan. Its collection features works by Monet, Picasso, El Greco, Jackson Pollock, and many others. The museum’s Crafts and Asian Art Gallery displays art and ceramics by several Japanese artists. You can choose either an evening tour or a morning tour of the Ohara Museum.

No matter which tour experience you choose, an interpreter-guide will accompany you throughout the day (8 hours). If you wish, this interpreter-guide can walk with you throughout the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter to help you learn more about Kurashiki’s fascinating history as a center of trade and mercantile culture, and to show you some of the best city views and spots for a lunch or coffee break.

A night at Ryokan Kurashiki will provide you with a relaxing stay in a beautifully designed room along with delicious meals and access to a private bath and terrace. But the experience runs deeper, somehow. At some quiet moment during your stay, you may pause to reflect on the hundreds of years of history that have taken place within those walls—all those lives, all those memories, all those decisions.

Staying at this former merchant’s house within the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter is a fantastic way to make history tangible and real. Those with an interest in the city’s patronage of the fine arts may also enjoy a guided tour to the Ohara Museum of Art, while those intrigued by traditional craftsmanship might prefer to visit a sake brewery or denim workshop. In Kurashiki, you can discover a city where the past has not been left behind, but still lives and breathes.