THE VENICE OF JAPAN | Exploring Kurashiki's Historical Town

[@kenm.3761]

Another terrific video on a town not usually or ever featured - a beautiful city.

[@darellnewsome4459]

Wow Alina this town is awesome. So far it's my favorite of all of the places that you have shown us so far in Japan. I love older historical areas a lot. Thanks for sharing and as always stay safe out there

[@costasworldofmusicmemories5792]

Another stunning video, so beautifully done. A wonderful musical score that lifts this video to another level. Harriet and I have never been to Kurashiki. It's bucket list for us. You have showed us many sides of Japan. All good. That's what makes it a special place to visit. Love you Dearly, Alina❤❤❤ Harriet, Jim and Yuki. Richmond, Va.

[@maureenalder8905]

Your love of this country comes through in your video's your absolutely glowing and I can understand why..it's a special place..definitely on my bucket list..thanks Alina ❤

[@AlinaMcleod]

Aw thank you very much, Maureen!

[@rahadisri5478]

It is approaching golden week (29 Apr to 5 May) in Japan. Almost everyone in Japan will be on vacation mode. Nice!

[@gabriellagirardi4741]

Wow! What a nice little town. It is so beautuful and with its canals is really worth a visit. The little Venice of Japan, a fairytale. Thank you Alina for showing us the beauty of this land.

[@AlinaMcleod]

My pleasure!

[@ingridnh1]

What a lovely little town! Very quiet and picturesque. Sometimes you just need to be in a lesser known area to get a taste of the everyday life of a destination! Thanks!❤

[@maxplanck9055]

I liked this town, quiet with historic buildings,not full of tourists, everything you need, accessible by train,seemed a nice parochial town, typical Japan? A joy to see and interesting, thanks Alina ✌️♥️🇬🇧

[@gediminasmurauskas7817]

Hi Alina! Kurashiki is indeed a hidden gem! There is much to explore and learn about here. I very much enjoy your historical and cultural geography explorations.

[@AlinaMcleod]

Yes, absolutely. Thank you :)

[@theoadelaidabondocabe7261]

Alina,Thanks you so much for this new remarkable video today’s from Japan in April of 2023.I wish you always the BEST in peace in Japan 2023❤❤❤

[@DavidL23.]

Hello Alina! 😁🙏👋🌟 I hope your having a super wonderful day! This is really a marvelous excellent video! 😄👍❤️👏📹🇯🇵🥇💯💫✨🌟 The town of Kurashiki looks so absolutely amazing! Also Former Ohara’s residence is really magnificent! I would definitely like to visit the town of Kurashiki one day. It is a marvelous place! Thank you so much Alina to share with us this fantastic video. You are the best and greatest world traveler adventurer! 🙂👍👏✈️🌎📹🥇💯🏆💫🌟 I wish you Alina a wonderful excellent amazing blessed day. Have a magnificent time in Japan! 😊🙏❤️👋🇯🇵👍✨🌟

[@由美子浅葉]

食べ物😂😊😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😊😂😊😂😂😂😂😂😊😂😂

[@jerryaschenbrenner712]

It’s always a pleasure to follow your travels Alina. Spring is slowly arriving in Calgary!

[@寿司ボンバー]

映画のセットのような街並みでいい所ですね😮すごく心が落ち着きそう😊

[@jimross7648]

I had never heard of Kurashiki but I have the feeling I seen it depicted in some wood block prints. I found from your video, that it was like a combination between a postal town on the old edo period trail system, the canal area is a wholly different vibe from anywhere I've been in Japan. From what you showed this would be an interesting place to explore. Obviously can be done in a day trip, but might be worth an overnight stay to do an in depth wander. Japan has so many unique locals that you rarely hear about in main tourist info. Alina finds the non touristy sites that tourists should really visit. Another place added to the list in Japan. The list keeps getting longer, Japan has so many hidden gems and Alina unveils new ones to me.

[@AlinaMcleod]

Thank you so much!

[@huapiavesyviajes]

what a lovely little town! Very quiet and picturesque. sometimes you just need to be in a lesser known area to get a feel for everyday life in a destination thanks for sharing

[@mahikonshimpu2902]

I had been to that place, Kurashiki, 10 years ago. Thanks for showing

[@jimtakahashi4638]

Good thinking and good move, Alina. There are quite a few towns in many parts of JPN which are fondly called “Little Kyoto”, where, with far less tourism and commercialism, you can taste and enjoy the serene and quaint atmosphere of “old” JPN better than Kyoto. Kurashiki is definitely 1 of those hidden gems, and if you go further down south, before Hiroshima, there’s a little town called Onomichi. Oh, and at those less known places, there are more chances to get befriended with the locals, and if you’re lucky, they might volunteer to be a guide for you.

[@トラ虎-q8r]

Thank you, I'm glad that you really took my advice. Kurashiki is wonderful. Foreign tourists go to Hiroshima after Kyoto and Osaka, so few people visit Kurashiki or Okayama. Kurashiki reproduces the traditional Japanese townscape. It's a true representation of Japan. Thank you very match. .

[@dominikmauer1853]

Hi. Very nice town. Thanks for that. Another godd alternatives for Kyoto are Kanazawa and Akita. If you want to avoid the crowds of Takayama, you should try Komatsu. In Fukui and Ishikawa are very pleasant places in general. Matsumoto and the surroundings, such as Kiso valley or Kurobe Gorge, are nice as well. If you like hiking, the Yamabushi mountain training is a good choice. Greetings, Dominik.

[@AlinaMcleod]

Great suggestions, thank you!

[@sjwgwdwgpjyx]

I am super happy to watch this video because it is my hometown😊 Thank you for introducing and choosing Kurashiki, Okayama. Your other video is also so interesting. It reminds me of the days in Canada.

[@shiningstar6659]

Hello beautiful, what scenery. I am glad you're having a good time in Japan. And thanks for your gorgeous smile. ❤😘

[@ometofu]

Damn. Japan got many of these treasured quiet towns! Love u for showing us! Well done!

[@vinodpund1574]

Beautiful city ❤ great informative video

[@brandoncoyle7110]

We just went 2 days ago. LOVED it. The boat rides sell out pretty early (you book right across the river from the actual boat google location). So far this is our favorite location of our month long Japan trip. The temple right right next to Kurashiki is also very nice and has an amazing old cemetery right behind it.

[@Toogoodxoxo]

I've been really looking forward to spending a day/night in Kurashiki when i'm in Japan in a couple of weeks. I can't wait! Thanks for the video.

[@sgaqua]

Lovely quaint little town! Thanks for taking the roads less travelled to bring this beautiful place to us.

[@tpham4607]

It's beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

[@alexykong9378]

Laid back similar to some places, definitely a must to see.

[@carlkramer7784]

Hello Ali a. Love all your posts. Very informative as always. Well done you. Always waiting for the next one lol x

[@AlinaMcleod]

Thank you very much!

[@NormanF62]

Kurashiki is such a cute city and its obvious why its the Venice of Japan. It offers something different in the spring from the ski resort places like Nagano and Sapporo on Hokkaido where Winter Olympic Games were held in Japan. Tourists can’t see everything in a short period of time and on a limited budget but Kurashiki is a place that should be checked out. Thanks for the video!

[@user-binten]

The focus of Kurashiki is the fusion of history and culture, the extraordinary and the ordinary that has been turned into a tourist attraction. There is a small hill and a traditional shrine (Achi Shrine). 400 years ago, the bottom of the sea was shallow as far as the eye could see, except for the hill where Achi Shrine is located. The Bikan Historical Quarter is lined with high-class Japanese restaurants, Japanese soba noodles, and sweets shops. On the other hand, if you walk from Kurashiki Station toward the Bikan Historical Quarter, you will find shops selling common Japanese foods, such as 40 yen croquettes and steamed buns, and 1,200 yen yakiniku set meals during weekday lunchtimes from 11:00 to 14:00. A shop, a kushikatsu restaurant, the first branch of a famous udon restaurant, and a ramen shop. In front of the station there is a traditional Kurashiki ramen shop that is open only at night. Kurashiki has a lot of clean and reasonably priced hotels, and everything but anime, games, and castles.

[@alexykong9378]

Even the tatami is exquisitely clean!#

[@changcheng-q3c]

Thank you very much for your introduction of fantastic kurashiki! Due to your introduction, I'm deeply impressed,so I'll take the time to go there. I have been to Japan thrice up to now. Your pronunciation is quite clear.And you look young. Take care! Wish you health and happiness!

[@AgeCobra]

Thanks Alina have a good week until your next upload .smile.

[@AgeCobra]

I don't have a cell phone and not on Telegram as a result .

[@raghavendra4633]

This is such a beautiful place in Japan. Thanks from India for showing wonderful locations in Japan. In Udaipur city in Rajasthan state of India is also called VENICE OF EAST

[@socrateos]

Kurashiki and the areas near by are also famous for Japanese high quality jeans, "the mecca of Japanese Denim."

[@AlinaMcleod]

Yes, that is true, lots of great denim shops in Okayama!

[@shekhargupta6718]

You look so pretty in this vlog, your expressions are mind blowing and you explain so beautifully the places you visit is just incredible.

[@johnsjourneys]

Thanks for the card hope you are enjoying japan like i did in 1992

[@AlinaMcleod]

Oh wow, you got it already? Fantastic!

[@tackyee1415]

Okayama is my hometown. I miss everything I can see in the video❤ BTW you have beautiful voice and accent. You should be proud of it 🎉

[@77AlexS]

Thanks so much for visiting our prefecture! I've been in Okayama for about 6 years now and I always love visiting Kurashiki. The train line going out to Kurashiki is always crowded...my husband and I always say how we wish they added more trains to that line to just ease the crowds. T_T Also, I feel like someone could spend a couple days in Kurashiki and have so much fun discovering all of the small shops and cafes. They also have a really nicely done art museum featuring wood block prints! It's right at the base of the stairs leading up to the shrine. And if people are fans of Japanese washi tape, the company MT, originated in Kurashiki. So, you can visit washi tape shops there and spend all your money, haha. Again, thanks for checking out this little hidden gem ;)

[@AlinaMcleod]

Great suggestions, thank you so much!

[@niaredgirl]

I am planning to visit Kurashiki on my up coming trip (I am a big stationery fan :) please could you tell me the name of the museum you mentioned above? I would love to visit and when I looked on google maps many art museums came up, thank you :)

[@77AlexS]

@@niaredgirl hello! Yes, here’s the name of the woodblock museum: UKIYO-E KURASHIKI／国芳館 🤗🤗 I hope you enjoy your time in Kurashiki ⭐️

[@niaredgirl]

@@77AlexS Thank you so much! I have added it to my list and really looking forward to exploring Kurashiki, it looks so so beautiful :) if you have any other museum or stationery recommendations I will gladly take note! Many thanks again :)

[@bennypranata5719]

Thanks for your video. Lovely city. I love visiting small city in Japan. 🙏

[@isabellafojas9592]

I visited Kurashiki Oct. 2023, and an old lady also told me to go up those stairs into the temple area!! It was early in the morning before any of the shops opened. I have a feeling it was the same old lady 💖 she was so sweet, and gave me a little tour too. :)

[@トラ虎-q8r]

If possible, after Kurashiki, please go to Shikoku across the sea instead of Hiroshima. More than Hiroshima, Shikoku has a lot more to see, eat, and go. Absolutely recommended.

[@JustJakeTravel]

Just went here and had a great time. Nice to see other people talk about okayama

[@aq4367]

Hello Alina! Thank you for the great video! In fact, this peripheral city is very popular among the Japanese art&craft lovers( the city was once a centre of the movement in which legendary masters gathered supported by a wealthy merchant family) Let alone Kurashiki, Okayama area holds in fact an craft legacy such as one of the oldest and biggest pottery and Katana sword schools in Japan. Highly recommend!

[@javy8912]

Nice introduction of Kurashiki. It's a nice little place, still unknown to tourists, though it can still get quite busy during holiday days. A lot more relaxing than the hustle and bustle of the big cities. Enjoy.

[@Indygt3]

nice video! Kururishiki is also known as the home of Japanese denim.

[@katzukateh6164]

Hi, Thank u for inviting us to a hidden scenery destination of the old days at local. No electric power lines!! Lol 😀😃🍑🫑💗💙💛

[@dominicclarkgolf4924]

Loving your videos. You have similar love for Japan as me it's great to see.🙏Plus you look great doing it. Thank you and keep the videos coming. I think you will be at 100k subs before long.😊

[@AlinaMcleod]

Thank you but I’m at 230K subs already 😅 I think you’re looking at the view count of this video

[@dominicclarkgolf4924]

@@AlinaMcleod Haaa🤣🤩🤟. I was right but wat behind time. Well done amazing recognition for your amazing work.👍👍👍

[@Marek_Cali]

i am going to Japan in couple of months. Japan is beautiful

[@mahikonshimpu2902]

I miss those train in the inaka - countryside

[@fumin8]

Hello Alina! Kurashiki is nice selection indeed. Didn't you enter Ohara Museum of Art? It's very famous and nice museum. Well, Yanagawa in Fukuoka prefecture is very famous canal city. There are 470 km of wide canals. Next time please.

[@shiva.chennai]

Awesome. I enjoyed your video. There is no crowd in our metro like in Okayama. Moreover, it is $1 wherever you go. Our people think that even that one dollar is expensive. On an ordinary train, it costs 15 cents to go everywhere.

[@daniellopez-nj1bf]

Hola alina McLeod nice tour in kirakishi nice gente, negocios, restaurante, ciudad, dia soleado , bonita panoramica de la ciudad y te miras bonita! con tu bebida

[@jawanshinglai8724]

Very nice and tiny old town of Japan nice vlogs

[@andykeast8920]

Went there yesterday whilst staying in Okayama. Really quaint little place.

[@kugunihonio]

ゴールデンウィークに行ってきました。とても混んでいました。小さな町と言いますが丸一日でも足りない！美術館や神社でも楽しめましたし、土蔵の町並みも美しくて素晴らしかったです。

[@sellingpeck]

I lived in Kurashiki in the 80’s for 6 months. Love that town.

[@astriddiaz9903]

Hey!! This is my city! I have lived here for almost 10 years now. I love this city. It is really so beautiful ❤

[@HawaiiJapan808]

I went to another place they call the “Venice of Japan” it was. Called Yanagawa. I’ll have to go ck this one out too. Thx for idea.

[@yuwish6320]

Kurashiki is more well-known than you realize. It the the home town of one Tenchi Masaki, the main character from a very popular and long-lived anime (first episode 1992 and still in production today), Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ohki. Many of the characters in the series are named after places and locations within Okayama. Such as Sasami, Yosho, Mihoshi (Bisei), and Washu. The creator even used specific sites in the anime, such as the Taro Shrine and Great Seto Bridge. Oh, and a character named Seto.

[@ahmedeliyas-y1g]

Japan so beautiful ❤

[@kuromidori828]

倉敷は古い街並みだけでなく 沿岸部にはJFEの巨大な 製鉄所がある豊かな街です🎉

[@Its_just_me_again]

great vid - really well edited. thx for posting :) fyi kurashiki is and has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region for a long time :) and the reliable and punctual japan rail system is famous not notorious. p.s great camera work - thx for listing ur gear

[@NhickVhurn-w3f]

Thanks for this. I’ll be in the Kansai area this fall.

[@AlinaMcleod]

Hope you have a great trip!

[@NhickVhurn-w3f]

@@AlinaMcleodSo I visited Kurashiki last week. There are lots of foreign tourists from tour groups but it was a great place to visit. Kurashiki is not nice little city overall.

[@Chrisfeb68]

I live in the Midwest of United States and I've watched videos on Japan for the last five years and I just can't say enough about Japan and the Japanese people. Americans could learn a lot from Japan.

[@chalermchaiwattanawongpitu7196]

I luv it's peacefulness n nice Jap houses..

[@pakinpakinn8819]

สวยงามและมีเอกลักษณ์❤

[@無双山ぽん吉]

日本には外国の人に知られていない、大小、たくさんの美しい、古風な、温泉街があります❤地元の居酒屋、神社、寺、いいですねえ。 知多半島、渥美半島には古い日本酒の製造販売所が８カ所あります。 日本酒の瓶は銘柄のステッカーが貼られていなく、新聞紙で包まれます。この日本酒は芳香が甘く、味はフルーティーです。おいしい😋

[@akaiseigo]

Notorious on time. More like very disciplined and they publicly apologised/informed to the commuters if they had a minute delay unlike some train stations in every other countries.

[@nipponhinomoto8550]

素晴らしい動画です。日本人の私も感動して見ています。 今後のご活躍を期待しています。

[@AlinaMcleod]

Arigato gozaimas!

[@wolfgang_2056]

岡山に住んでいるけど、ここは良いところがたくさんある隠れた名所だと思うよ。ぜひ来てみてね。

[@mortezaranjbaran3868]

Awesome destination for visit

[@akas224]

beautiful video.❤why don't you use suika card so that you don't need to pay each time and can be used for anywhere's shopping.

[@frankswarbrick7562]

Looks like a great place. Sorry you missed the boat ride! Glad the crowds didn't follow you all the way.

[@TUUKUU]

As　kurashiki museum exists the painting of the Spanish great famous artist El Greco, please visit in here

[@icechan8322]

Kurashiki is also famous as the first town in Japan to produce domestically produced jeans. Many Japanese people visit the city for its high-quality denim products.

[@AsgharAli-yb6td]

Very good Alina love you so much more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more ❤

[@catnet8601]

綺麗なとこだなぁ😊

[@t.macrocosm1831]

I believe Kurashiki was never bombed during WW2. Kyoto was also spared from air raids, but people don’t realize how close it was for Kyoto to be the first city to be destroyed by an atom bomb. The director of Manhattan project Leslie Groves chose Kyoto as a primary target & kept the list of targets from Henry Stimson as long as he could. Stimson has been to Kyoto before the war & removed Kyoto from the list as soon as he saw the list. In Los Alamos, NM where nuclear bombs were built, there are statues of Groves & Oppenheimer with the inscription “Courageous Heroes.”

[@80sforever3]

How about the bakeries, do they closed after 2pm too?

[@EVL-xj5vc]

Is it easy to get to Kurashiki from Hiroshima? I’m using Hiroshima as a base to make day trips and I wonder if I should change base to get to Kurashiki…

[@BeniSedano]

So beautiful

[@oldandbankrupt]

With the bicycles and canals I would say it's more like the Amsterdam of Japan. You should collaborate once in a while with other YooToobers. It would increase your popularity and subscribers. Have fun in Japan! 🤗

[@towada1066]

It's really sad I think. Before the Pacific War, Tokyo used to be like this,... lots of canals (like a natural radiator during the abysmally hot Summers). After the war there was so much rubble it was just bulldozed into the canals and built over.

[@koikoijapan6285]

Welcome to Okayama

[@MITOGURO]

「倉敷デニム」は、ハイブランドのジーンズの生地で有名です。 この映像の歴史保存地区から少し離れますが、 「水辺のカフェ　三宅商店　酒津」と その近くの「旧原田邸」は 倉敷を代表する日本式のカフェとしてお勧めします。

[@icevoss9917]

Super cute...I would visit

[@hunterthewarrior]

May I know the music from beginning of video please？

[@shaunpierce4174]

9:11 didn't you just walk right past a coffee shop? 🤣 When I arrive in Japan in a couple of weeks I am thinking of jumping on a local train and getting off at random stations to explore the 'real' local Japan, I don't speak any Japanese at all but I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem, there must be hidden gems abound in Japan.

[@youroll2008]

倉敷が素晴らしいですよ～～＾＾　日本の中でも、観光地として最高の地域の一つです。

[@kenchew5002]

Looks so much like Yanagawa in Kyushu.

[@dauny08]

I'm a Japanese who saw the video. A lot of the comments say that Kurashiki is a small town, but is Kurashiki, with a population of 500,000, a small town by international standards?

[@草w-s5q]

最初の題名がドキッとしちゃった😊❤️

[@DebyHariyanto-de3eq]

I LOVE❤ JAPAN❤❤ FROM JAKARTA CITY" BEKASI CITY" DEPOK CITY" TANGERANG CITY" BOGOR CITY" BANDUNG CITY" INDONESIA..❤❤💖💕👍👍👍

[@高内徹也]

私も姫路に仕事で滞在しているときに倉敷に行きました。良いとこですね

[@therealfoodietraveller]

how many days in kurashiki do you recommend please? thank you

[@AlinaMcleod]

I would say 1-2 full days is great.

[@DebyHariyanto-de3eq]

AMAZING BEAUTIFUL❤ JAPAN❤ FROM JAKARTA CITY" PIK2 SEDAYU CITY JAKARTA" KEPULAUAN SERIBU ISLAND JAKARTA" INDONESIA..❤💖💕👍👍👍

[@isurukottahachchi6156]

Hey Alina! I love your videos and please visit Sri Lanka too.

[@芋瀬童子]

京都大原での gardening で有名な　ベニシア・スタンレー・スミスさんが『日本で生きて行こう』と決心なさった町が倉敷だったと聞きました。