Fukiya Furusato Village

Visit a retro townscape of red-painted houses and storefronts, with red-tiled roofs. The historical merchant town of Fukiya in the Chugoku Mountains north of Okayama City was a production and trade center for red oxide pigment (bengara) in the mid-nineteenth century. The raw material for bengara was a byproduct of copper mining. There are several impressive mansions in the town belonging to the merchants and mine owners. The well-preserved townscape features buildings from the Edo to Meiji periods (1603–1912). Visitors can try crafts such as fabric dyeing using red oxide dye.