Kurashiki Ivy Square, a repurposed Meiji-era spinning mill draped in Virginia creeper, hosts a popular series of summer evening events each August within its atmospheric brick courtyards. Local folk dance groups perform Kurashiki-style Bon Odori as twilight falls over the red-brick heritage buildings, while local artisans and food producers fill the market stalls. Live jazz and traditional shamisen concerts alternate on the central stage, reflecting the area's unique blend of Japanese and Western cultural heritage. The event is the ideal complement to a daytime stroll through the adjacent Bikan Historical Quarter.
- Type
- Experience
- Category
- Culture
- Season
- Summer
- Month
- August
- Region
- Chugoku
- Prefecture
- Okayama
- City
- Kurashiki
Highlights
- ◆Bon Odori folk dance in a unique Meiji-era brick courtyard setting
- ◆Live jazz and shamisen performances
- ◆Local artisan and food market
- ◆Set within a registered national important cultural property
- ◆Adjacent to the Bikan Historical Canal Quarter