Kurayoshi
Kurayoshi (εεεΈ) is a city in Tottori Prefecture.
Understand
- π Kurayoshi Tourist Information Center (εει§ ε 観ε ζ‘ε ζ), 195 Agei (In Kurayoshi Station), β +81 858-24-5371. Tourist pamphlets and bus information available here.
- Kurayoshi Tourism MICE Association (εε観ε MICEεδΌ) has a multilingual guide site.
Get in
By car
Visitors arriving by car can park for free at the city hall, just up the hill from the scenic center of town.
Get around
Buses from JR Kurayoshi Station run to popular tourist sites.
Parking is also available at all of these sites for tourists visiting by car.
See
Many of the old storehouses (kura) in town have been restored and filled with small shops. There are many narrow canals and waterways winding through the town which is pleasant for a short walk through the Meiji era houses and store fronts.
- π Tottori Nijisseiki Pear Museum (ι³₯εδΊεδΈη΄ζ’¨θ¨εΏ΅ι€¨ γͺγγ£γ逨), Dakyojicho 198-4 (12 min by bus from Kurayoshi station platform #2, get off at the Kurayoshi Park Square stop), β +81 858-23-1174. 8:30 to 17:30. The Tottori Nijisseiki Pear Museum celebrates the prefecture's signature product, the 20th Century Pear. This is the only pear museum in Japan. It features interactive exhibits highlighting pear production, the history of pears in Japan, a tasting area, a dessert parlor, and more. Β₯300 adults, Β₯150 children.
- π Chokoku-ji (ι·θ°·ε―Ί), 2960 Nakanocho.
Do
- π Utsubuki Park (ζεΉε ¬ε), Nakano-cho (Bus to Utsubuki Koen Iriguchi), β +81 858-22-1200. Every April, Utsubuki Koen is filled with people admiring the 4,000 cherry blossom trees and 40,000 azaleas in the park. Utsubuki Koen has been designated one of the top 100 city parks in Japan, and it is also known as one of the top 100 cherry blossom viewing sites in the country.
- Akagawara Craft District (θ΅€η¦), Shinmachi 1, β +81 858-23-6666. 09:00-17:00. In the Shirakabe area, these crafts shops offer visitors the chance to experience traditional Japanese crafts. Classes include Hakota doll painting, postcard-making, kite-making, and ceramics. Participants must reserve a spot in advance.
Buy
Many small craft shops and antique stores fit the retro theme of this town. Antiques can be an especially good deal here if you know what you are looking for.
- Shirakabe Warehouses (η½ε£εθ΅ηΎ€) (From JR Kurayoshi Station: 12 mins by Hinomaru or Nikko bus Shinai Line, from Shirakabe-Dozogun-Mae bus stop: immediate access.), β +81 858-22-1200. The warehouses that line this street comprise some of the oldest buildings in the area, dating back to the Edo and early Meiji periods. Shops specializing in sake, oil, rice, or soy sauce once formed a prosperous shopping district, and the old-style buildings with white plastered walls, black wall panels, and red tiled roofs give an authentic glimpse back into old Japan. Many of these buildings have since been remodeled on the inside to offer regional crafts and souvenirs. You can also try soy sauce ice cream and specialty coffees here.
Eat
A signature sweet of the area is utsubuki kouen dango, and they're available in many souvenir shops.