History / Culture / Tour Spots in Okayama City / Around Korakuen Area

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Okayama City / Around Korakuen

Category

Travel / Tourism

History / Culture / Tour

Okayama Castle, Castle Tower

4.0

1172 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

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.

Impressive castle from the outside. The museum on the inside does not have any English translations so I didnt have the opportunity to understand the exhibits and stories
Kibitsu-jinja Shrine

4.5

382 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

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.

A hidden gem located in the middle of nowhere but definitely worth the visit. The shrine sits atop a hill that offers a great scenery. The temple complex includes a long corridor. The shrine can be...
Kibitsuhiko-jinja Shrine

4.0

160 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okayama Pref. Okayamashi Kita-ku Ichinomiya 1043

This shrine is located at the foot of Kibi no Nakayama in the Ichinomiya area of Kita Ward, Okayama City. The main shrine building is on the site of the residence of Okibitsuhiko no mikoto, who suppressed Kibi no Kuni, and has him as the principal shrine god. The shrine is also called “Asahi no Miya” (shrine of the morning sun) because the sun rises directly in front of the main torii gate and enters the mirror in the shrine on the summer solstice.

When I went there in the morning, the weather is cold. It has nice scene to capture photos. We can also check small pond in front of this temple. If you are interested, you can insert 100 coin at the...
Saijo Inari (Saijo Inari-san Myokyoji Temple)

4.0

127 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okayama Pref. Okayamashi Kita-ku Takamatsuinari 712

A Nichiren Buddhist temple located in Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture officially known as the Saijo Inari-san Myokyoji Temple. Founded around 785 by the great priest Ho’on, despite being a Buddhist temple rather than a Shinto shrine, the Saijo Inari is considered one of Japan’s three largest Inari temples. The temple survived the anti-Buddhist movement of the Meiji period unscathed. Permitted to engage in rituals syncretizing Buddhism and Shintoism, the temple is a rare example of an Inari “shrine” which follows Buddhist traditions. The temple grounds are marked by Shinto torii gates and the main temple building is built in the Shinto jingu style. Since ancient times, the temple has been believed to grant worshipers a variety of benefits, including prosperity in business, better fortunes, and traffic safety.

i dont remember how we came to visit this temple, rebuilt in 1600. its not in my notes. it was raining on our second day in okayama, so we hired a cab and off we went. we were staying at the...
Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art

4.0

64 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Okayama Pref. Okayamashi Kita-ku Tenjinchou 8-48

"Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art is located along Prefectural Route 400 in Tenjin-cho, Kita Ward in the city of Okayama. It collects and exhibits the works of traditional illustrators, traditional Japanese painters, Western-style painters, craftspeople, sculptors, and other artists who have a connection with Okayama. In addition to the permanent collection ""The Art of Okayama,"" in which the objects on display are changed periodically, and special exhibitions, the museum also sponsors events such as lectures about art and workshops."

Looking over some previous reviews, I learn that the museum has a collection. The reason I mention this is because on my visit today, there was nothing to be seen from said collection, as they were...
Takamatsu Castle Park Museum

3.5

62 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okayama Okayama-shi Kita-ku Takamatsu 558-2

Takamatsu Castle Ruins are located in Takamatsu, Kita Ward in the city of Okayama. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked the Chugoku region on the orders of Oda Nobunaga in 1582, he attacked this castle and conquered it when a member of his staff, Kuroda Kanbei, suggested flooding it. Nowadays, the area around the ruins of the castle is set aside as a historic park. A museum in the park exhibits materials related to the former castle.

戦国期の物語や大河ドラマに必ず出てくる場所です。豊臣秀吉の水攻めで有名です。公園の案内がなかったら、農地の一角ぐらいで通り過ぎてしまいそうです。有名の場所のわりには普通の農村地帯の風景の一角だったので、やや拍子抜けがありました。駐車場は整備されていて、国道からも案内があります。公園になっていて一角に資料館がありました。
Yumeji Art Museum (Honkan)

4.0

62 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Okayama Pref. Okayamashi Naka-ku Hama 2-1-32

The museum was opened in 1984, near the Korakuen Garden in commemoration of the 100th birthday of Yumeji Takehisa. Here, in addition to the hanging scrolls drawn by Yumeji, the main building has about 3,000 items including watercolors and oil paintings, letters and books and other materials. In addition to the permanent exhibition where about 100 works can be seen, exhibitions introducing Yumeji’s art from various viewpoints is held several times a year. At the museum cafe, you can have fancy European baked raisin cookies called Garibaldi which were a favorite of Yumeji.

Each of his drawings are very beautiful and I enjoyed so much! After that I went to the cafe in this museum.
Okayama Orient Museum

4.0

69 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Okayama Pref. Okayamashi Kita-ku Tenjinchou 9-31

"A museum which contains many ancient works of Oriental art from Mesopotamian civilizations and other areas. The museum is located a 15-minute walk from the east entrance of JR Okayama Station along Prefectural Route 42. The museum was originally opened to house 1,947 works of art donated by Okayama University. The museum's collection continued to grow thanks to donations and loans and today the facility manages around 4,800 pieces of ancient art. The museum's collection primarily consists of earthenware, glass, and porcelain mosaics. The museum's centerpiece is its ""Relief of Protective Spirit, Apukallu"" Assyrian relief created in Iraq in the ninth century BCE."

I am a big fan of museums devoted to archaeology. I knew this one would be a small one, with limited English explanation, but it was advertised all around the city, both in Japanese and English, I...
Okayama Prefectural Museum

3.5

31 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Okayama Pref. Okayamashi Kita-ku Kourakuen 1-5

Here, the cultural heritage of Okayama Prefecture from primitive through modern times is displayed in an easy to understand manner. In addition to the main attraction, the Akakawa Odoshi yoroi red leathered armor, a national treasure, valuable cultural artifacts are preserved and displayed. Twice a month, a curator provides presentations on the exhibits. This museum is located in the outer garden of Korakuen.

I came with a study-buddy for a special Nichiren exhibition that displayed many excellent Buddhist artworks. What a pity that the arrangement was poor and without a concept, the items just put into...
Hayashibara Art Museum

3.5

49 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Okayama Okayama-shi Kita-ku Marunouchi 2-7-15

The title says it all, this is a small museum that has a great variety of exhibitions. Check what is being exhibited before going. It is a fun and interesting place to check out while in Okayama
Manekineko Museum of Art

4.0

30 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Okayama Pref. Okayamashi Kita-ku Kanayamaji 865-1

This art museum for manekineko (beckoning cats) is located in the Kinzanji area of Kita Ward, Okayama City. Besides the permanent exhibition of 700 manekineko of various shapes and materials from traditional ones from throughout Japan to ones made by modern artists, it also holds temporary exhibitions related to manekineko. In addition, there is an adjoining museum shop that sells original manekineko goods.

ドライブがてら寄ってみました。名前の通り、外観も内観も猫だらけで可愛い感じ。広くないのでさくっと見回れます。招き猫の絵付けが出来るのが良かった。
Saidaiji Temple

4.0

38 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okayama Pref. Okayamashi Higashi-ku Saidaijinaka 3-8-8

About a 10-minute walk from the Saidaiji Station on the Ako Line, this temple is said to be established in 751 when Princess Fujiwarano Minataru of Kuga manor built a thatched hut in Kanaoka-no-go in which she placed a thousand-armed Kannon deity. Within the precinct are many things to see, such as the three-tier pagoda that is a prefectural Important Cultural Property, a Korean Bell that is a National Important Cultural Property, and the ushidama deities, which are a Tangible Cultural Property. Every year the Eyo - Hadaka Festival is held on the third Saturday of February, which is considered to be one of Japan's three unusual ritual festivals. Having its roots in the Nara period, during this festival brave male believers garbed only in loin clothes compete and scramble for a treasure stick in the main temple.

Went to Saidaiji in the morning partly to check the place out before the festival in the evening and also to collect the previously reserved ¥5,000 ring side seat ticket from Saidaiji office of...
Okayama City Museum

4.0

30 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Okayama Pref. Okayamashi Kita-ku Ekimotomachi 15-1

Okayama City Museum is located near the west exit of Okayama Station in Ekimotomachi, Kita Ward in the city of Okayama. The concept behind it is “to record, preserve, exhibit, and promote the history, present day, and glories of Okayama.” The permanent exhibit, “The History and Culture of Okayama,” displays materials about the natural environment as well as the history and culture of the city, and there are also time-limited exhibitions and art exhibitions.

JR岡山駅とはデッキで繋がっているビル内に有ります。戦国時代にこの地を支配した宇喜多直家・秀家の資料も展示されています。
Okayama Kinshu Kaikan

3.5

17 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okayama Okayama-shi Kita-ku Marunouchi 1-1-15

This wooden, western-style building was built in 1923. It was originally built as a temperance center, to help rehabilitate those whose lives had been damaged by alcohol. It was used in a variety of temperance related activities. Despite its wooden structure, it survived the bombing of Okayama, and is now a registered Cultural Property with the Agency for Cultural Affairs. The first floor is a religious bookstore and a retro cafe. The second floor and third floor hold rental offices and meeting rooms.

There is a retro building beside Nishite Yagura scaffold. This used to be an office of anti-smoking movement. It was built in Taisho Time, about 100 years ago. Now it is a coffee shop.
Old Inukai Family Residence

4.0

8 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okayama Okayama-shi Kita-ku Kawairi 102-1

This private home building is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property, and is found along the Sanyo Shinkansen tracks about two kilometers north of JR Niwase Station. This was the birthplace of Tsuyoshi Inukai (also known as Bokudo , his pseudonym), a politician active from the Meiji into the early Showa period. The building is believed to date from the mid-Edo period, and is particularly valuable as a well-preserved village-headman's manor. Inside, it holds displays of items, pictures, letters and more related to Inukai. The joists lain across the ceiling in the earthen floor area, and the appearance of the main house still radiate the stately dignity of an official's home. The Inukai Bokudo Memorial Museum is next door, offering even more education about this man once called God of the Constitution.

「話せばわかる」の犬養毅の生家です。歴史を感じさせる建物に多数の書物が展示されています。岡山駅、庭瀬駅からも近いのに、入場無料は驚き。読み物が多いので、たっぷりと時間のある時に行くべき施設だと思います。
Renaiss Hall

3.5

9 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okayama Okayama-shi Kita-ku Uchisange 1-6-20

In this area there are many financial institutions. This building, almost 100 years old, used to be Okayama branch of the Bank of Japan. Its classic architecture is quite imposing.
Kibiji Literary Museum

3.5

5 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Okayama Okayama-shi Kita-ku Minamigata 3-5-35

This museum introduces important cultural figures from Okayama active since the end of the Meiji period, including luminaries like Renzaburo Shibata, Yumeji Takehisa, and Seishi Yokomizo. It's found alongside the Nishigawa river, about a 15-minute walk from Okayama Station. Inside, they display valuable items like books and hand-written manuscripts. There is no permanent exhibit, rather they introduce a variety of cultural figures through temporary and special exhibitions. Apart from the gallery, they also have a concert hall and mini-theater event spaces, as well as study rooms suitable for poetry sessions, and more. The grounds once held a samurai residence, and the garden still has stone bridges, stone garden lanterns, a maple forest and ukon cherry trees offering delightful scenery year-round.

岡山駅から少し歩いた場所にあります。一階、二階に展示フロアがあります。企画展『あやかし、まぼろし文学展』、『吉備路ゆかりの文学者生誕記念展』がかいさいされていて色紙、図書などが展示、解説していて文学に関してしることができました○
Okayama Prefectural Ancient Kibi Cultural Properties Center

4.0

3 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Okayama Pref. Okayamashi Kita-ku Nishihanajiri 1325-3

"This museum is located approximately a 20-minute drive from the west exit of JR Okayama Station. It is situated on the southern side of Mt. Kibi-nonakayama, one of the famous mountains appeared in ""The Pillow Book"". As a base for the protection and preservation of buried cultural properties of the prefecture, about 400 excavated items such as Jomon pottery and Yayoi pottery are displayed regularly. It regularly carries out temporary exhibitions, and you can learn more about the history of the local area from the exhibits and panel explanations."

展示室は小規模ながら、出土品を選りすぐり、コンパクトに縄文時代から中世までの岡山県の歴史を概観できるように工夫してあります。企画展も定期的にやっています。先の口コミの情報は正確ではなく、土日も基本的に開いているようです。
Tsukuriyama Burial Mound

Travel / Tourism

Okayama Okayama-shi Kita-ku Shinjoshimo

The keyhole-shaped burial mound boasts being the fourth largest in scale nationally. It is estimated that it was built in the first half of the 5th century, with a total length of 350 meters. A large amount of ironware such as mirrors and bells have been excavated, but the entombed person is still a mystery.
'Tenjin''yama Bunka Plaza'

Travel / Tourism

Okayama Okayama-shi Kita-ku Tenjincho 8-54

Okayama Okayama City / Around Korakuen

Travel / Tourism History / Culture / Tour

Reference/Local/Exhibition/Literature Museum Shrine Castle / Ruins of Castle Historical Monument Temple Church Ruin / Grave / Ancient Tomb Memorial Hall Cultural Property Event Hall / Public Hall Art Museum Museum / Science Museum Other Historic Site/Building

Okayama Areas

Overshadowed by Hiroshima to the west and the Kansai region to the east, Okayama is an easy spot to miss but a nature-rich gem where the Seto Inland Sea laps at its toes and peach and grape farms complete its interior. One of Japan’s Three Great Gardens, Koraku-en in Okayama city is well worth a visit before progressing to Kurashiki, where preserved wooden Edo buildings line the picturesque canal.