What other travelers are saying about Former Ohara's House, Kurashiki
Given the extensive presence of the Oharas in Kurashiki, I was hoping to get a better sense of this family. There are not very many rooms available for viewing but the tatami room plus garden make the visit worthwhile. The cafe in the library room offers coffee served in locally-made pottery cups, enjoy in view of the garden if you can.
Entrance is 500 Y. Most of the interior is not accesible but i think the beauty lies in the garden. If i could only just sit and enjoy the peace and natural beauty of the garden. It would be nicer to go in December when the Maple leaves turn red. The staff are so friendly and nice. Even though the visit was within 15 mins, was worth supporting the preservation of Kurashiki heritage and history.
A beautiful property which acts as a museum, with access to several small rooms describing the history of the family and showcasing some of their possessions. It's disappointing that most of the information is only in Japanese , though if you aren't a big fan of history then that won't bother you as they give you a booklet with a little bit of background info.
The entrance has hanging quotes of the heads of the house, with his mercantile mindset for business shown "I can foresee ahead ten years", or "Business must be begun by the time three of ten people agree with it. It's too late when 5 people agree and it's no use when 7 people agree"
The highlight of the visit is the architecture of the buildings and the beautiful garden out the back. The cafe also looks nice and it's situated inside the library.
Ohara Residence – A Hidden Masterpiece in Kurashiki
Tucked away in the historic heart of Kurashiki, the former Ohara Residence is a quiet triumph of Japanese domestic architecture. Elegant, serene, and impeccably preserved, it whispers the refined lifestyle of a bygone era.
But what truly sets it apart is the garden and the room that opens onto it. Simply extraordinary. This is not just a garden — it’s one of the finest examples of residential landscape design in Japan. Every stone, branch, and reflection seems placed with effortless grace. From the tatami room, the view is pure poetry: framed, minimal, alive.
It’s a place to sit, breathe, and feel time slow down. Understated, timeless, unforgettable.
Amazing garden during fall,
The rest of the old house is also very interesting to look at.
You get a discount if you also go to the Ohata museum later that day ;)
The Former Ohara Family Residence is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property where generations of the Ohara family lived, including Magosaburo Ohara who founded the Ohara Museum of Art and Soichiro Ohara. The Ohara family contributed to the commerce and culture of Kurashiki for over 300 years, with the sixth generation Koshiro founding Kurashiki Spinning (Kurabo) and the seventh generation Magosaburo establishing the Ohara Museum of Art. The main building's construction began in 1795, with the tatami room and storehouse added in the mid-Meiji period (1868-1912). It opened to the public in April 2018 as a place for visitors to learn about the Ohara family's philosophy and social contributions.
General admission costs 500 yen (400 yen for groups of 20 or more people), while high school students and below pay 400 yen (200 yen for groups). Preschool children receive free entry. The house also offers discounts for students, making it an accessible cultural attraction for various age groups.
The house is located a 15-minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station. By car, it takes approximately 20 minutes from Kurashiki IC on the Sanyo Expressway or from Hayashima IC on the Setouchi Chuo Expressway, though no parking is available on-site. The residence sits directly across the Kurashiki River from the famous Ohara Museum of Art in the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, making it easy to combine both attractions in one visit.
Visitors encounter the "Pouring Words" exhibition featuring meaningful quotes from successive Ohara family heads displayed with shadows cast on the floor. The Nakakura storehouses present the chronological history of eight generations of the Ohara family, while another room displays artifacts including a zelkova cabinet by woodworker Tatsuaki Kuroda and prints by woodblock painter Shiko Munakata. A book cafe houses approximately 2,000 books on classical music, birds, and folk art from Soichiro's collection. Visitors can freely wander the grounds to the detached section of the house to view the Japanese garden and follow stone paths to the storehouse .
The Former Ohara's House is closed on Mondays, though it remains open on public holidays and substitute public holidays, and during the New Year's holiday period. The facility may also be reserved for private use or temporarily closed at times, so visitors should check in advance if planning their trip around specific dates.
