ReUse ReDevelop & Design

Kurashiki is a historic city located in Okayama Prefecture, in Western Japan. It is known for its well-preserved traditional architecture, picturesque canals, and rich cultural heritage. Kurashiki's inner city is listed as national conservation area. It therefore is a major tourist attraction but besides poses new urban challenges.

The workshop Reuse, Redevelop and Design was executed between 5 and 10 November 2024 in Kurashiki together with the local municipality, university, NGO's, architects and the residents. The workshop was supported by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) and Urbanberry Design. During the workshop we explored the future perspective of Kurashiki's historic core from macro to micro scale and exchanged knowledge of cultural heritage development. How can Kurashiki's historic features meet today's needs? The idea is that if these features are useful to modern society, they are more likely to be preserved and passed on to future generations.

Download REUSE, REDEVELP & DESIGN Report of an explorative workshop on the Future Perspective of Kurashiki’s Historic Core.

Colofon

Authors:
Jean-Paul Corten, Jacqueline von Santen, Yukiko Nezu, Hitoshi Narikiyo

Translations: Yukiko Nezu

Language: Tom Fast

Photography: Yukiko Nezu, Hitoshi Narikiyo, Tom Fast

Design: Yukiko Nezu / Urbanberry Design

©2025 authors, Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands