Shirakabe Dozogun: the white-walled storehouses
Kurayoshi in Tottori Prefecture is best known for its Shirakabe Dozogun, a district of storehouses with white plaster walls, red Sekishu roof tiles and a canal, the Tamagawa, running through the middle. Many of the buildings date from the Edo and Meiji periods, and the area is a nationally designated group of traditional buildings, listed as Utsubuki-Tamagawa. People who search for Tottori Kurayoshi usually want exactly this walk.
The town began as a castle town near Mount Utsubuki in the Muromachi period and grew around the administrative residence in the Edo period. Today many shops and cafes use converted storehouses and townhouses. The district is not one museum with one ticket, so the individual storerooms follow no common entry rule; you simply walk the streets and go into whichever shop or cafe is open. Do not assume that all houses share the same construction date.
Our pick: a private walk through the Shirakabe district
About two hours with a local guide through the storehouse district, with taiyaki and craft beer tastings and a craft gallery visit.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Guided walk in Kurayoshi's old town
A guided walk through the white-walled district with a taiyaki tasting and a craft beer tasting, with live prices and availability.
Kurayoshi Figure Museum
Anime and TV characters, dinosaurs and animals.
The Enkei Gekijo Kurayoshi Figure Museum shows figures of anime and TV characters, dinosaurs and animals. A permanent exhibition on the series HinaBita is confirmed by the operator. This is the one confirmed anime link in town, so do not treat Kurayoshi as a general anime location.
The ticket price depends on where you look. The operator lists 1,300 JPY for adults and upper secondary pupils and 650 JPY for primary and lower secondary pupils for the full exhibition, while the local tourism association lists 1,200 JPY and 600 JPY. Confirm the price at the desk. The operator also lists the permanent exhibition alone at 1,000 JPY and 500 JPY. Opening hours are 09:00 to 17:00, and from July to September until 18:00. The museum is open year round in principle, though special closing days can be announced.
The museum has a free car park. By bus, take the stop 2 bus from the south exit of JR Kurayoshi, about 15 minutes to Hirosemachi or Kajimachi Itchome, then about five minutes on foot.
Parking and getting around
Free visitor lots, one paid garage and a rental car counter at the station.
The local tourism association lists free visitor car parks around the Shirakabe district, including the town hall lots and the one at Kajimachi next to the figure museum. The public Shinmachi garage is separate and paid: the first hour is free, up to 2 hours costs 200 JPY and each further hour costs 100 JPY. Do not assume that parking is free everywhere.
There is a rental car location at JR Kurayoshi, and a reservation in advance is recommended. For licence rules and the airports, read how to get to Tottori. A road warning applies on National Route 313 in north Kurayoshi, a full-day construction closure of about 1.7 km between Hokuei IC and the junction with National Route 9. Check it before you drive. The bus from Tottori Airport reaches JR Kurayoshi in about 45 minutes; see the airports page.
Base for Misasa
A short bus ride to the hot spring town.
From JR Kurayoshi a local bus takes about 20 minutes to Misasa Onsen, and the same line continues to the Mount Mitoku car park. Departures should be checked before you travel, because the published timetable is from April 2025. Kurayoshi therefore works as a stop between the old town and the hot spring town: walk the storehouses in the morning and take the bus to the baths in the afternoon. Read our Misasa Onsen page for the riverside bath and for Nageiredo on Mount Mitoku.
If you are choosing where to sleep, see where to stay in Tottori for the areas around the prefecture.
Kurayoshi: questions
Do I need a ticket for the Shirakabe district?
No single ticket exists, because the district is a living town and not one museum. Individual shops, cafes and museums set their own rules.
How much is the Kurayoshi Figure Museum?
The operator lists 1,300 JPY for adults and 650 JPY for children for the full exhibition, while the local tourism association lists 1,200 JPY and 600 JPY. Confirm the price at the desk.
Is parking free in Kurayoshi?
There are free visitor car parks around the Shirakabe district and one at the figure museum. The Shinmachi garage is paid, with the first hour free and 200 JPY up to 2 hours.
How do I get to Misasa Onsen from Kurayoshi?
Take the local bus from JR Kurayoshi, about 20 minutes. Check the current timetable before you travel.