Okayama

Travel Guide

• Bizen Osafune Sword Museum

  

  06.07.2018

• Japan’s Most Beautiful National Parks

  

  21.06.2018

• What to Do in Ushimado

  

  19.06.2018

• Shopping on Okayama’s Jeans Street

  

  05.10.2017

• Inujima

  

  11.09.2017

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• Festivals

  

  • Bicchu Takahashi Matsuyama Odori
  • Uraja

• Cherry Blossom

  

  • Tsuyama Castle

• Fireworks Festivals

  

  • Kasaoka Port Matsuri Fireworks Show
  • Tsuyama Noryo Gongo Festival in Yoshii-gawa River

Top Things to do

• Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter

  Okayama Pref. Kurashikishi Chuou - Hon, Higashi-Achi

  The Bikan Historical Quarter in Kurashiki City is an area established based on landscape ordinance. Strictly speaking, it was selected as one of Japan’s “Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings”, “a preservation district for the group of traditional building in Kurashiki Riverbank in Kurashiki City” and the “Traditional Aesthetic Preservation District” which was established by ordinance of Kurashiki City. The “Kurashiki Riverbank” with its rows of willows which line Kurashiki River and the white earthen-walled warehouses are representative of the Bikan district. There are also cultural facilities and sightseeing spots standing side by side including Ohara Museum of Art.

• Okayama Castle, Castle Tower

  3.5

  986 Reviews

  Okayama Pref. Okayamashi Kita-ku Marunouchi 2-3-1

  Okayama Castle was constructed over a period of eight years by Ukita Hideie, one member of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Council of Five Elders, and was completed in 1597. It is also called “Crow Castle” for its external appearance, as the castle tower walls have black lacquered siding which was a characteristic of this era. The three-tiered, six-storied watchtower-style castle tower is a pentagon of unequal sides and is said to imitate the castle tower of Oda Nobunaga’s Azuchi Castle. The castle tower, which was a National Treasure, was lost due to wartime fires but was rebuilt in 1966.

• Okayama Korakuen

  4.5

  1478 Reviews

  Okayama Pref. Okayamashi Kita-ku Kourakuen 1-5

  This Japanese stroll garden is located in Okayama City and named one of the Big Three Japanese Gardens. Construction of the garden began in 1687 by Tsunamasa Ikeda, Lord of Okayama, with its initial completion in 1700. Since this time, it was beloved and enjoyed as a place of relaxation for the feudal lord and as a place of interaction with the retainers and people of the domain. One can see the footprints of history through the structural remains preserved in the expansive 144,000 square meters area and enjoy blooms in each season dotting the park. The Korakuenmae bus stop is the closest public transport stop.

• Hiruzen Plateau

  Okayama prefecture Maniwa shi mountain

  A plateau 500 to 600 meters above sea level located in north Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture known as one of the top resort destinations in western Japan. Located in Daisen-Oki National Park, the plateau offers a superb view of the three peaks of Hiruzen. Cute Jersey cows graze on pastureland on the plateau, and visitors can watch them basking in the sun. The plateau is full of tourism destinations, including leisure facilities offering horseback riding, cycling, and barbecuing, as well as an amusement park and a hot spring bath facility.

• Bitchu Matsuyama Castle

  4.5

  246 Reviews

  Okayama Pref. Takahashishi Uchisange 1

  Bitchu Matsuyama Castle stands at the highest elevation above sea level in Japan at 430 meters as a castle which has a surviving keep. The castle was originally built on Omatsuyama by an Ukan town feudal lord, Akiba Shigenobu during the Kamakura period It was restored by Mizunoya Katsumune in 1683 and retains that castle keep appearance to this day. You can see the vestiges of a castle that was called impregnable, a solid wall of rock rising up to the mountain top. It is also famous as you can observe the apparition of a sea of clouds floating by in the early morning from the end of September to early April. Bitchu Matsuyama Castle was used in the opening shot of the “Taiga” (a long running historical drama on NHK) drama series called “Sanada Maru”.

• Kibitsu-jinja Shrine

  4.5

  296 Reviews

  Okayama Pref. Okayamashi Kita-ku Kibitsu 931

  A Shinto shrine primarily dedicated to Kibitsu-hiko-no-mikoto, a prince who subjugated rebels and brought peace and order to this area as one of the four mighty Shido Shogun. Kibitsu-hiko-no-mikoto is also known as the model for the legend of Momotaro, one of Japan’s most popular folktales. The shrine is one of the largest in the old San’yodo area. The front shrine and main shrine, built in the hiyoku irimoya-zukuri style, are designated National Treasures, and were rebuilt in 1425 by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Must-see highlights include the shrine’s roughly 400 meter long covered gallery, and the various flowers which grow on the grounds year round. The shrine is famous for the Narukama Shinji, a ritual in which the whistling of a steaming iron pot is used for fortune telling purposes. The nearest station is Kibitsu Station.

• Omocha Okoku

  Okayama Pref. Tamanoshi Taki 1640-1

  A theme park located in Tamano City, Okayama Prefecture where the whole family members, from children to adults, can enjoy toys together. The majority of the entire park is comprised of indoor pavilions and outdoor attractions. In the park’s 18 themed pavilions, visitors are free to play with such popular toys as Tomica Plarail trains, Licca-chan dolls, and DiaBlock interlocking building blocks. Outdoors, there are 19 attractions to delight children, including roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, and go-carts. The Kodomo Studio, an NHK character-themed pavilion and shop, is also popular.

• Ohara Museum of Art

  4.5

  595 Reviews

  Okayama Pref. Kurashikishi Chuou 1-1-15

  Located in the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, this museum was Japan’s first private museum dedicated to Western art. The museum was built by Kurashiki industrialist Magosaburo Ohara in 1930. The Main Gallery, styled like a Greek temple, remains as it looked when the museum first opened. Inside, works by master Western painters such as Cezanne, Degas, and Renoir are on display. Several gallery concerts are held each year, a tradition which began in 1950.

• Brazilian Park Washuzan Highland

  Okayama Pref. Kurashikishi Shimotsuifukiage 303-1

  An amusement park in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture with a spectacular view of the Seto Inland Sea and Seto-ohashi Bridge. In addition to bungee jumping, a rarity in the Chugoku and Shikoku region, that park offers a variety of exciting attractions, including four roller coasters and the Turbo Drop vertical free fall drop ride. There's also an inline skate park, pool in summer, petting zoo, and dog park, making Washuzan Highland a popular destination for people of all ages. Brazilian samba shows are held in the park every day.