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Little rainfall and
mild climate - Scenic views of the islands in the Seto Inland Sea and
the Seto-ohashi Bridge
Okayama is situated in the southeastern Chugoku region (the
southwest end of Japan's main island) and faces the Seto Inland Sea.
The mild climate and little rainfall make Okayama ideal for grapes,
peaches and other fruit plantations. The Chugoku Mountain Range
extends in the north, the Kibi Heights spreads on the south of the
mountains beyond the Tsuyama Basin, and the Okayama Plain faces the
Seto Inland Sea in the south.
Okayama is endowed with abundant natural beauties, including the
islands in the Seto Inland Sea, the Seto-ohashi Bridge that spans
Honshu (the main island of Japan) and Shikoku Island, Mt. Washu-zan
that overlooks them, and the Hiruzen Heights in the Daisen-Oki
National Park. Other must-sees are Okayama Castle noted for its unique
black exterior, the Kibitsu-jinja Shrine that has a national treasure
sanctuary and worship hall as well as the important cultural property
Kita-zuishin-mon Gate, and many other historic sites and historical
structures.
The Koraku-en Garden, one of the three major gardens in Japan, offers
a beautiful sight of its garden and the view of the Okayama Castle.
There is also Kurashiki Tivoli Park, created to resemble the world's
first theme park, the Tivoli Park in Denmark.
Getting there
An hour and 20 minutes from Tokyo Handa Airport to Okayama
Airport. Take the JR Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen Lines for 3 hours
and 15 minutes from Tokyo Station or 40 minutes from Shin-Osaka
Station to Okayama Station.
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Bizen
Hometown
of Bizen-yaki pottery with a history of over 1,000 years -
Experience ceramic making by hand kneading
Bizen is a town of pottery facing the Katagami Bay in
southeastern Okayama. It is known as the hometown of Bizen-yaki, one
of the six ancient potteries in Japan. Bizen-yaki has a history of
over 1,000 years, and is the oldest among the six ancient potteries.
The old name of Okayama, Bizen, is retained in the name of the
pottery.
The town bustles with Bizen-yaki pottery and ceramic shops.
Bizen-yaki employs neither glazing nor painting. The flames in the
kiln change the patterns on this simple pottery, and no two pieces
are alike. There is a workshop where you can experience making your
own piece by kneading the clay by hand without the use of a potter's
wheel. The Bizen Ceramic Art Museum displays the Bizen-yaki pieces
and materials of the ceramic artists who live in this town. You can
learn the mechanism of the kiln at the Bizen Provincial History
Museum. There are many restaurants where food is served in
Bizen-yaki dishes. You can enjoy them both with your palate and
eyes. Here, too, is the Shizutani School, the first school for the
general public in Japan established in the 17th century. The lecture
hall in its original form built in the 18th century is designated as
a national treasure. Its roof tiles are of course Bizen-yaki.
Getting there
An hour and 20 minutes from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Okayama
Airport. Take the JR Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen Line from Tokyo
Station to Okayama Station. Take the JR Akou Line from Okayama
Station to Inbe Station for 3 hours and 50 minutes. It takes 1 hour
and 15 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station.
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Hiruzen Heights
Herb garden that grows 250 different species - Limpid stream
inhabited by giant salamanders
Hiruzen Heights is situated at the foot of three mountains - the
1,200-meter-high Mt. Kami-Hiruzen on the border of Okayama and
Tottori, Mt. Naka-Hiruzen, and Mt. Shimo-Hiruzen - and belongs to
the Daisen-Oki National Park. It is also known as the Karuizawa of
the West, and for 14 kilometers east and west, and 5.5 kilometers
north and south, you can see herds of Jersey cows grazing in the
peaceful scenery. Around the highlands is Hiruzen Herb Garden that
boasts of its 2.5 hectare-size. It grows 250 different varieties of
herbs represented by 20,000 lavenders. At the "House of Scent" that
is attached to the garden, you can experience making herbal goods.
There is also a restaurant at which you can savor dishes that use
herbs grown here. This garden is popular among visitors.
Shiogama-reisen Cold Spring, the source of the Asahi-gawa River that
runs at the foot of Hiruzen Heights, is known as one of the best
waters in Japan and the area around Shiogama-reisen Cold Spring is a
habitat for giant salamanders, a natural monument.
Getting there
An hour 10 minutes from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Okayama Airport.
Thirty minutes from Okayama Airport to Okayama Station. Three hours
15 minutes from Tokyo Station to Okayama Station by the JR Tokaido-Sanyo
Shinkansen Line, and 40 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station. Two hours
40 minutes from Okayama Station to Chugoku-Katsuyama Station via
Tsuyama Station by the JR Tsuyama Line.
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Ikura-do and Maki-do Caves
Two hundred forty-meter tall vertical precipice carved by a river -
Two fantastic caves with different atmospheres
The Ikura-do Cave and Maki-do Cave are situated in Niimi in
northwestern Okayama.
The Ikura-do Cave is located on the 240-meter tall vertical
precipice formed by slow but long erosion of the limestone by the
Takahashi-gawa River that runs from the spring near the border with
Tottori Prefecture to Kurashiki. It is one of three major limestone
caves in Japan, and its total length is as long as 1,200 meters.
There is a series of stalactites with various names, and you can
enjoy a fantastic underground adventure. A short course is also
offered for those who are not sure about walking the whole distance
of the cave. The area around the Ikura-do Cave is called Ikura-kyo,
a beautiful ravine carved by the Takahashi-gawa River in the
limestone tableland. It is also famous for beautifully colored
leaves in autumn. The Kusama Karst Tableland extends upstream.
The Maki-do Cave is a 400-meter long limestone cave. It is
relatively smaller than the Ikura-do Cave, but is characterized by
an underground lake at the farthest end of the cave. The red
Ryugu-bashi Bridge and many other bridges are built on the lake and
illuminated to entertain visitors.
Getting there
An hour 20 minutes from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Okayama Airport.
Take the JR Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen Line from Tokyo Station to
Okayama Station. Then, take the JR Hakubi Line to Ikura Station. It
takes 4 hours 30 minutes. It takes 2 hours from Shin-Osaka Station.
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Kibi
Temples,
shrines and ancient burial mounds in pastoral scenery
The area from western Okayama in the south of Okayama to Soja is
the Kibi Route. It was the center of Kibi-no-kuni, which boasted
strong power and culture equal to those of the Yamato administration
that controlled Japan in the 8th century. A series of ancient burial
mounds, old temples, and shrines dot the peaceful pastoral scenery
that is reminiscent of the prosperity of olden times.
It is the area closest to Okayama with the most temples and shrines.
The Kibitsuhiko-jinja Shrine has an 11.5-meter tall all-night
lantern. It is also called Asahi-no-miya, or sunrise shrine, because
the sun rises from the front of the Zuishin-mon gate and sets behind
the sanctuary on the day of the summer solstice. The Kibitsu-jinja
Shrine is an old shrine with its main sanctuary in the peculiar
Kubitsu style architecture that joins the two roofs of the Irimoya
Style with a pitch on the two sides on the upper part and on the
four sides at the bottom.
Closer to Soja is the Bitchu-Kokubun-ji Temple. Its 34-meter tall
five-story pagoda built with two different types of trees is the
symbol of Kibi. Ancient burial mounds of all sizes dot the area. The
4th largest burial mound in Japan, Tsukuri-yama-kofun, has many
unsolved mysteries and it is a very interesting monument.
Getting there
An hour and 20 minutes from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Okayama
Airport. Take the JR Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen Line for 3 hours and
15 minutes from Tokyo Station or 40 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station
to Okayama Station. Take the JR Kibi Line for 10 minutes to
Bizen-Ichi-no-miya Station.
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Kurashiki
An "aesthetic area" of old kura-yashiki streets - A Danish theme
park, Kurashiki Tivoli Park
Kurashiki is located in the western part of the Okayama Plain in
the central Chugoku region (the southwest end of Japan's main
island). It developed as a commercial center, and was named
Kurashiki because it had many kura-yashiki (residences with
storehouses). The city still preserves many of those kura, or
storehouses. The south of JR Kurashiki Station is called Bikan-chiku,
an area that has eighty-five storehouses built between the 18th and
19th centuries and which preserve traces of those old days. It is
designated as an "aesthetic area" as well as a national important
preservation district for groups of historic buildings. All-night
lights that were set up at the end of the 18th century and old post
boxes that have been used since the latter half of the 19th century
blend in with the town's scenery. Ivy Square, a cultural complex of
an impressive brick building covered in ivy, stands on the former
grounds of a cotton mill that was built in the 19th century. In the
compound is the Ohara Museum of Art with its main building built in
a Greek-temple style, and collections of representative Western art
after the 17th century are exhibited.
A tourist spot as popular as the aesthetic area is Kurashiki Tivoli
Park. It was modeled after the world's oldest theme park in Denmark,
the Tivoli Park. It consists of Old Copenhagen that resembles the
old streets of Denmark, the Scandinavian summer house-like Colony
Garden, and Back Alley that resembles the back alleys of England.
Getting there
An hour 10 minutes from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Okayama Airport.
Thirty minutes from Okayama Airport to Okayama Station by bus.
Fifteen minutes from Okayama Station to Kurashiki Station by the JR
Sanyo Honsen Line. Four hours form Tokyo Station to Shin Kurashiki
Station by the JR Tokaido Sanyo Shinkansen Line. An hour 30 minutes
from Shin-Osaka Station.
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Okayama City
Crossroads for traffic in the Sanyo Region - Castle town with a
beautiful garden and museums
Okayama is situated at the center of the Chugoku region (the
southwest of main island of Japan). It is the center of
administration and business for the prefecture, a central city of
the Sanyo region (the Inland Sea Coast), and a crossroads for
traffic between the San-in region (the Japan Sea Coast) and Shikoku
Island. It thrived as a castle town from the 16th to 19th centuries.
Okayama Castle, the Koraku-en Garden, one of the three major gardens
in Japan, and a number of art museums and science museums are to be
found here.
Okayama Castle, built in the 16th century, has another name: Ujo, or
Raven Castle, because its exterior painted in black is associated
with ravens. The castle tower was rebuilt later, but there are
Tsukimi-yagura turret and other structures that are in their
original state. The Koraku-en Garden, that took as long as 14 years
to complete, is the first lawn garden in Japan and was created in
the 17th century. It has an area of 133,000 square meters. It
employs the view of the Okayama Castle outside the premise as part
of the scenery that provides further depth in the view of the
garden. Okayama Prefectural Art Museum collects many pieces of
artwork by artists from Okayama, and has a corner that displays
famous Japanese swords, and a permanent exhibit of the works of
Yasuo Kuniyoshi, who spent his life in the US. The Takehisa Yumeji
Museum is popular with the exhibit of this poet/artist who
represents the age of the early 20th century.
Getting there
An hour 20 minutes from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Okayama Airport.
Take the JR Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen Line for 3 hours 15 minutes
from Tokyo Station, or 40 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Okayama
Station.
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Seto-ohashi Bridge
The six bridges that span five islands - The silhouette glowing in
the setting sun is beautiful
The Seto-ohashi Bridge is a collective term for the six bridges
that connect Kojima, Okayama Prefecture on Honshu Island (the main
island of Japan) and Sakaide, Kagawa Prefecture on Shikoku Island
spanning five islands, namely Hitsuishi-jima Island, Iwaguro-jima
Island, Wasa-jima Island, Yoshima Island, and Mitsugo-jima Island in
the Seto Inland Sea. It took 40 years and a tremendous amount of
money to build. It is over 13 kilometers long, and has become a
major sightseeing spot. The upper level is for the Seto-Chuo
Expressway, and the lower level is shared between the JR Seto-ohashi
Line and a pass road. It is crowded with not only those who need to
cross it but many tourists as well.
The six bridges consist of three suspension bridges, two oblique
suspension bridges and one truss bridge. They are the essence of all
available bridge building technologies, and the beauty of their
forms is also splendid. The silhouette glowing in the setting sun is
particularly beautiful. It is illuminated after sunset.
You can see the entire bridges from the top of Mt. Washu-zan that
juts out at the southwestern edge of the Kojima-hanto Peninsula.
Pleasure boats cruise from Kojima Sightseeing Port and Yoshima
Island to provide a view from the sea. It is a pleasure to compare
the different angles for each course and boat.
Getting there
An hour 20 minutes from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Okayama Airport.
Take the JR Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen Line from Tokyo Station to
Okayama Station. Then take the JR Seto-ohashi Line to Kojima
Station. It takes 3 hours 45 minutes. It takes 1 hour 10 minutes
from Shin-Osaka Station.
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Tsuyama
Forty-five-meter tall stonewalls - Old merchants' residences with
latticework and square tiled walls
Tsuyama is situated in the Tsuyama Basin between the Chugoku
Mountain Range and the Kibi Heights in northeastern Okayama. It was
the center of the former Mimasaka region (Tsuyama and its vicinity)
and has a long history. It was a center for the traffic between the
two ancient powers, Izumo and Yamato, and it thrived as a castle
town after a castle was built there in the early 17th century. The
Tsuyama Castle was constructed over a long period of 13 years, and
called the best castle in Japan. But it is gone now, and only the
45-meter tall sturdy stonewalls remain. The site has been
transformed into a park, and is famous as one of the most prominent
cherry blossom viewing sites in western Japan. A samurai's residence
with white plastered walls is preserved to the west of the former
castle site. On the east side, there remain old merchants'
residences characterized by walls covered with square tiles jointed
with raised plaster and latticework. The area is designated as a
historical preservation site.
The Shuraku-en Garden with its elegant scenery also is reminiscent
of the 17th century. There are four islands in a large pond in this
garden with the Chugoku Mountains in the distant background.
Okutsu-onsen Hot Spring, one of the three major hot springs of
Mimasaka, is located upstream of the Yoshii-gawa River that runs in
the suburbs of Tsuyama. In this province, they preserve the
traditional atmosphere, such as the treading of laundry along the
river.
Getting there
An hour 20 minutes from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Okayama Airport.
Take the JR Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen Lines from Tokyo Station to
Okayama Station. Then take the JR Tsuyama Line to Tsuyama Station.
It takes 5 hours. It takes 1 hour 45 minutes from Shin-Osaka
Station.
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Information
provided by Japan National Tourist Organization.
