Kurashiki Bikan Historic District 倉敷美観地区
A rice storehouse of the shogunal domain from 1642; today you can travel the canal by rowing boat.
In 1642 the district became territory under the direct rule of the shogunate (天領) and the seat of the Kurashiki magistrate's office: the canal through its centre was used to gather rice, cotton, salt and sugar from the whole southern Bitchū region for shipment. The municipality declared it a district of scenic value in 1969, and in 1979 the Agency for Cultural Affairs designated it an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings (重要伝統的建造物群保存地区), over an area of about 15 hectares.
Okayama
Kurashikishi, Kurashiki
