Kurayoshi White Wall Warehouses

This is a historical town and street that kept the reminisce of a time long ago in Japan. Of particular interest was this street lined with white houses that used to belong to shop owners and their stores. The back of the street was used as warehouses and that was why there are these little bridges across the stream. Very nice setting.

Historical place for short visit. 1 to 2 hours is sufficient since not much shops or restaurants opened during our visit on Sunday.

We did a one hour tour at Kurayoshi "Shirakabe" White Warehouses in Tottori on our 30th anniversary trip, and it was fascinating! The warehouses were from various eras from Edo to Meiji, with glass that was warped due to the manufacturing methods of the day. The guide showed us all the various differences from era to era, which was really cool. The red "Sesshu" tiles looked lovely against the white walls, and black burnt cedar wood skirtings, and it was great to learn about the architectural style of these protected buildings. One oddity was that several shops had life sized "sexy anime mascot girl" cutouts in their store fronts. Maybe "otaku" types would like it, but, these were jarring and added nothing to the history or attraction of the place. Our regret here was that we wished the tour let us have time to browse a bit as there was a craft beer brewery shop, a cool looking café, gallery, local goods, and others which were beckoning. Also it was raining. They say “in Tottori, even if you forget your bento, don’t forget an umbrella” because the wet is so unpredictable.

Nice small quiet traditional Japanese village. You can see many small shops and most of all there is a great bakery place. A bread looking like a shape of fish with a filling of red bean paste. It costs ¥100 for a piece. You have to try it. Speaking of it now I can remember how crispy the bun was and the filling was so sweet and creamy.

Located near central Kurayoshi is this historic area where every house, store shop or warehouse takes you back to the Edo era. Lots of great craft shops, small coffee shops, Japanese sweet shops, places to experience old crafts with workshops, and the chance to do Japanese archery. Lots of free parking. Buses from the station are also easy to catch.