Kurashiki, Okayama

Infobox City Japan
Name= Kurashiki
JapaneseName= 倉敷市
Map

Region= Chūgoku
Prefecture= Okayama
District=
Area_km2= 354.71
PopDate= Feb. 2008
Population= 478,176
Density_km2=
Coords=
LatitudeDegrees= 34
LatitudeMinutes= 35
LatitudeSeconds=
LongtitudeDegrees= 133
LongtitudeMinutes= 46
LongtitudeSeconds=
Tree= Camphor
Flower= Wysteria
Bird= Kingfisher
Symbol
!border
SymbolDescription= Flag
Mayor= Kaori Itō
CityHallPostalCode= 710-8565
CityHallAddress= 640 Nishinakashinden, Kurashiki-shi, Okayama-ken
CityHallPhone= 086-426-3030
CityHallLink= [http://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/ City of Kurashiki] nihongo|Kurashiki|倉敷市|Kurashiki-shi is a historic city located to the west of Okayama, Japan, sitting on the Takahashi River, on the coast of the Inland Sea.

As of February 2008, the city has a population of 478,176. The total area is convert|354.71|km2|sp=us.

History

The modern city of Kurashiki was founded on April 1, 1928. Previously, it was the site of clashes between the Heike and Genji clans during the Heian period. It gradually developed as a riverport; during the Edo period, it became an area directly controlled by the Shogunate. Distinctive white-walled, black-tiled warehouses were built to store goods. During the Meiji Restoration (Japan's Industrial Revolution period), factories were built, including the Ohara Spinning Mill which still stands as the nostalgic tourist attraction Ivy Square.cite web
url=http://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/kankou/JAPANESE%20STYLE/jp_style/CITY/history.html
publisher=City of Kurashiki
title=Kurashiki's History
date=August 7, 2006]

In August 2006, the neighboring towns of Mabi and Funao merged with Kurashiki.

Attractions

Kurashiki is the home to Japan's first Western art museum, the Ohara Museum of Art. Established in 1930 by Magosaburu Ohara, it contains masterpieces by El Greco, Monet, Matisse, Gauguin, and Renoir. The collection also has fine examples of Asian and contemporary art. The museum itself is housed in a neo-Classical building.

The ancient merchant quarter, called the Bikan historical area. This area of the city is surrounded by almost unique examples of 17th century wooden warehouses called "kura" (倉) painted white with traditional black tiles, along a canal framed with weeping willows and filled with "koi". The area has no electric poles in order to make the area more closely resemble the look of the Meiji period. The nearby AEON Shopping Center is a popular destination for the locals. One of the city's former town halls was located in the Kurashiki Kan, a European style building constructed in 1917.

The Tivoli theme park was built in 1998, based on the theme park of the same name in Copenhagen, and is not popular with local Japanese or tourists as having lost money every year it has been in operation would indicate.Fact|date=October 2007

The Great Seto Bridge connects the city to Sakide in Kagawa Prefecture across the Inland Sea.

Colleges and Universities

The city is home to several private universities and one public university.
* Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts
* Kurashiki Sakuyo University
* Kawasaki College of Allied Health Professions
* Kurashiki City College (public)
* Okayama College
* Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare

Sister/Friendship Cities

Kurashiki maintains the following Sister/Friendship Cities. [ [http://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/kurakoku/english/SisterCities/E_SisterCities.html Kurashiki's Sister/Friendship Cities] ]

*,

*

*
*

References

External links

* [http://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/index_e.html Kurashiki's official homepage]
* [http://iwe.kusa.ac.jp/OHARA/om_op.html Ohara Museum of Art website]
* [http://www.kusa.ac.jp/ Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts website]
* [http://www.ryokan-kurashiki.jp/e_index.htm Ryokan Kurashiki's website (English)]
* [http://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/kurakoku/english/SisterCities/E_SisterCities.html Kurashiki's Sister/Friendship Cities]
* [http://www.ksu.ac.jp/ Kurashiki Sakuyo University] (Japanese Only)