11 Days in Chūgoku & Kyushu – Day 07 – Kurashiki – Bikan Historical Quarter – Ohashi House

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The boat ride done at about 3:30pm, I still had several hours to kill before the attempting the sunset shoot of Kurashiki River.  My planned itinerary included a visit to the Ohashi House, a quick five minute walk from the canal mouth itself. The house is an exemplar of 18th century housing in the Edo period, and owned by the Ohashi family, who were apparently wealthy merchants in Kurashiki.

There weren’t too many visitors to this location, aside from a few single travellers and two groups of ang mohs – one a small family with kids in their teens, and a sizable party of Russians – I recognised the language – who were on a personalised tour when I got to the House, and putting on traditional Japanese wear and posing with accessories (think katana swords, and paper fans) for pictures. I didn’t get a map of the house, so am not 100% certain of each room’s functionality. Admission fee is ¥550/SGD7 for adults.

The house is located in a quiet side road about a minute walk from the main road. You can’t miss it. Just look for this house on your left, or the signage in the picture below.
A large signage directly opposite the entrance.
The main open area interconnecting the various rooms.
Interesting moss pattern and possible wallpaper for Windows.
Minute sized gardens between rooms.
Looks like a tea room.

The bedroom I assume, on account that the room is devoid of any furniture.
The master room maybe?
If this is a diary or letter, then it’s the equivalent of 18th century blogging!
Dolls in the showcase area where the storeroom once was.
Intricate attention to detail.
Looks like Batman, Japanese version.
A little souvenir shop area for visitors.

Summary: this spot is an alright place to check out, especially if you have time to spare. Admission is a little on the pricey side though, as the house itself is fairly small. It’ll take you just 30 minutes to fully explore the grounds, unless you are with a guided tour.

My return and evening visit to Bikan Historical Quarter in the next post!