[Japan tour 2026] Kurayoshi Shirakabe Dozôgun ~ white-walled warehouses from the Edo period

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Date: 17th January 2026 (Saturday)

After finishing lunch at Karoichi Market, we left Tottori City and headed towards Kurayoshi (倉吉). Kurayoshi is located in central Tottori Prefecture, around 35 km west of Tottori City. Remember the limited express train 'Super Hakuto' we took from Osaka to Tottori? Some Super Hakuto services continue along the San'in Main Line after reaching Tottori station and terminate at Kurayoshi. However, unlike many Japanese cities or towns, the area around Kurayoshi station is not the traditional town centre. The real historic centre is around 3 km southwest of the station, in the area known as 'Utsubuki Tamagawa' (打吹玉川), where the Kurayoshi Shirakabe Dozôgun (倉吉白壁土蔵群, White-Walled Warehouses) is located. 　 ▲ Kotozakura & Akagawara Tourist Car Park (琴桜・赤瓦観光駐車場) 　 The drive from Karoichi Market to Kurayoshi took about an hour. There are several free tourist car parks around the Utsubuki Tamagawa area, and we parked at the Kotozakura & Akagawara Tourist Car Park, opposite Utsubuki Elementary School (打吹小学校) on the main road. 　 For those not driving, after arriving at Kurayoshi station by JR, you can take almost any bus from bus terminal boarding point 2 (don't find a wrong boarding point!) and get off at either 'Akagawara & Shirakabe Dozô' (赤瓦・白壁土蔵) or 'Shiyakusho & Utsubuki Kôen Iriguchi' (市役所・打吹公園入口). The journey takes around 15 minutes and costs JP¥260. Suitable buses usually run every 5-10 minutes. 　 ▲ Akagawara No. 7 – Gensui Shuzô (元帥酒造, a historic sake brewery) 　 Most Japanese towns and cities developed around their railway stations, gradually expanding outwards. Kurayoshi is rather different. 'Utsubuki Tamagawa' is not actually an official place name, but simply a collective name for the area between Mount Utsubuki and the canal Tamagawa. In reality, it consists of several districts such as Higashinakamachi (東仲町), Togiyachô (研屋町), Uomachi (魚町), etc. 　 When the San'in Main Line was planned, the railway avoided making a large detour into the historic town centre, so a station was instead built in nearby the town of Agei (上井町). As a result, when Kurayoshi station opened in 1903, it was not actually located within the town of Kurayoshi itself. It was only after Kurayoshi Town, Agei Town, and several surrounding villages merged in 1953 to form Kurayoshi city that the station officially became part of 'Kurayoshi'. 　 ▲ Street in front of Gensui Shuzô 　 ▲ The opposite side of the street 　 Although the San'in Main Line did not pass through the old town centre, a branch line called the Kurayoshi Keiben Line (倉吉軽便線, later renamed the Kurayoshi Line) was opened in 1912, linking Kurayoshi station with Sekigane Town (関金町, which was also merged into Kurayoshi City in 2005). A station was built in the Utsubuki Tamagawa area and named 'Kurayoshi Station', while the original Kurayoshi station on the San'in Main Line was renamed 'Agei Station'. However, the San'in Main Line remained the main gateway into Kurayoshi. In 1972, the newer Kurayoshi station on the branch line was renamed 'Utsubuki Station', while Agei Station reverted back to the name 'Kurayoshi Station'. 　 Every train on the Kurayoshi Line carried both passengers and freight. At each station, trains had to stop for long periods to load and unload goods, meaning the short 4.2 km section between Kurayoshi station and Utsubuki station took more than 20 minites. Efficiency was extremely poor. Once road infrastructure improved and most residents switched to faster bus services, the Kurayoshi Line was eventually closed in 1985. 　 ▲ Akagawara No. 6 – Kuwata family residence and soy sauce brewing facilities (桑田家住宅及び醤油醸造施設, Prefectural Protected Cultural Property) and Kuwata Garden (桑田氏庭園, Prefectural Scenic Site) 　 ▲ A stele for Tottori Prefecture's 'Top 100 Buildings' – Shirakabe Dozôgun along the Tamagawa 　 I have previously visited the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter (倉敷美観地区) in Okayama Prefecture (岡山県), which also features Edo period white-walled warehouses. However, unlike Kurashiki, Kurayoshi is nowhere near as crowded with tourists. That's one of the nice things about Tottori – nowhere ever feels overwhelmingly busy, so it's very relaxing to walk around. 　 The Kurayoshi Shirakabe Dozôgun is one of the most representative historic street districts in central Tottori Prefecture. The biggest attraction is the row of old warehouses with white walls and red Sekishû roof tiles lining the canal Tamagawa (which, once inside the town centre, is really more like a drainage canal). The whole area is filled with an Edo period atmosphere. 　 Kurayoshi's history dates back to the Muromachi period, when it developed as the castle town of Utsubuki Castle (打吹城). During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate issued the 'One Castle per Province' policy, Utsubuki Castle was abolished. The area then came under the control of the Arakawa family, senior retainers of the Ikeda clan, who established a jin'ya (陣屋, similar a manor house) administrative compound at the foot of Mount Utsubuki, forming a jin'ya town. 　 By the Taishô period, the area had developed into a prosperous commercial district, with sake breweries, soy sauce producers, rice merchants and other businesses. Large numbers of Edo to Meiji periods buildings still survive today, and the area has been designated an Important Preservation District for Traditional Buildings by the Japanese government. 　 ▲ The canal and the white-walled warehoses 　 ▲ Akagawara No. 5 – Kura 　 The most recognisable architectural features of the Shirakabe Dozôgun are the white plaster walls, black burnt cedar wooden panelling, and the red Sekishû roof tiles commonly seen in the San'in region. Some buildings beside the canal Tamagawa even have small stone bridges crossing over the waterway. The combination of white, black, and red creates a very striking contrast. Many of the restored and revitalised warehoueses are promoted by a third-sector company called Akagawara Co., Ltd., and these buildings are named 'Akagawara No. X' ('Akagawara' means red-roof-tile). Today, most house cafés, craft shops, souvenir shops, traditional sweet shops, or small museums. 　 Probably the most popular among visitors is Akagawara No. 5 – Kura (久楽), a café converted from a traditional white-walled warehouse. The name 'Kura' refers both to Kurayoshi and to the Japanese word for 'warehouse'. Even the most popular places in Tottori rarely require much queuing. and Kura was no exception. Since we were already there, we decided to go in for a coffee (or tea). After opening the door, we could immediately place and pay for our order. Kura feels completely different from a modern coffee shop. The entire place has a very traditional Japanese atmosphere, with lots of preserved wooden structures and furnitures. 　 ▲ Counter in Kura 　 ▲ Stone coffee mill 　 Some older information online says the ground floor sells handicrafts while the café seating is upstairs. That may have been true in the past, but it is no longer the case. Inside the entrance, the ground floor is covered with gravel in the style of a Japanese dry landscape garden. In the centre sits a traditional stone coffee mill, while benches line both walls. Although it serves coffee, the atmosphere actually feels rather influenced by the Japanese tea ceremony. 　 Since the stone mill is placed right in the middle of the café, the most famous item here is naturally the 'Stone Mill Coffee' (JP¥850), which I ordered. Todd chose a matcha latte instead (JP¥700). 　 Using a stone mill perhaps adds more of an Edo period atmosphere to the coffee than it does to the actual flavour. The 'mood' it creates is more important than the taste itself. What really gives Kura's coffee its unique flavour is actually the adzuki bean paste. Instead of serving the coffee with sugar or milk, it is paired with sweet adzuki bean paste. 　 Adding the bean paste to the coffee gives it a gentle sweetness, while the starchy texture of the beans creates a smooths, creamy mouthfeel similar to milk, without diluting the original coffee flavour. 　 ▲ Inside Kura 　 ▲ Matcha latte and Stone Mill Coffee 　 Besides hot drinks, there are also iced versions available, including iced Stone Mill Coffee. However, since the cold drinks are served in glass bottles, the freshly made hot drinks somehow felt more appealing. 　 As for food, the main items are dango (sticky rice dumpling). Permanent flavours include mitarashi (a sweet thick soy sauce glaze made with sugar and kudzu starch), matcha, and pear, alongside various seasonal limited flavours. But since we had only just finished lunch and still had a large kaiseki dinner waiting for us at the onsen ryokan that evening, we had no intention of eating more glutinous rice foods. 　 Customers ordering Stone Mill Coffee can also pay extra JP¥1,350 to join a stone-grinding experience. It felt slightly expensive, though probably reasonable as a family activity. This time, however, we did not go upstairs. Apparently, the second floor offers a very nice view over the canal and the white-walled warehouese. 　 ▲ The Tamagawa looking increasingly like a drainage canal 　 ▲ Smal stone bridge crossing the canal behind the white-walled warehouses 　 ▲ The water is very clear 　 ▲ Ordinary residential houses 　 Although Kurayoshi is not bustling with crowds, compared with overly commercialised tourist streets such as Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter or Kyoto, Kurayoshi actually feel more 'alive'. 　 The liveliness of places like Kurashiki or Kyoto largely comes from tourists, both domestic and international. In Kurayoshi, however, the sense of life comes from the local residents who still genuinely live here. Ordinary houses sit side by side with the historic warehouses. Even though there are not many people around, you still see elderly locals out shopping or strolling around, and children playing in the parks. It gives the old streets a much more natural and down-to-earth atmosphere. 　 After leaving Kurayoshi, our daytime sightseeing for today was more or less finished. It w as finally time to head towards Misasa Onsen (三朝温泉) and enjoy the first ryokan stay and onsen town atmosphere of this trip...

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