Okayama Travel Guide for Japanese Learners
A great garden, a 'crow castle', and the canal town of Kurashiki.
Sunny Okayama is home to Kōraku-en, one of Japan's three great gardens, and the picturesque Bikan canal district of Kurashiki. It's linked to the Momotarō peach-boy legend.
History & background
Okayama (岡山) tied its identity to the Momotarō (桃太郎) peach-boy legend. Kōraku-en (後楽園), laid out in 1700, ranks among Japan's three great gardens, beside the black-walled 'Crow Castle'.
What to see
- Kōraku-en garden and Okayama Castle
- Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter
- Washūzan views of the Seto bridges
- Kibitsu Shrine
What to eat
Peaches, muscat grapes, and barazushi.
Getting there & when to go
Getting there: Okayama is ~3h15m from Tokyo and ~45 min from Osaka by shinkansen.
Best time: Summer for peaches and muscat grapes; any season for the gardens.
When to go — season by season
Sunny most of the year (Okayama markets itself as the 'Land of Sunshine'). Summer brings peaches and muscat grapes; the gardens are lovely spring through autumn.
A suggested visit
Pair Kōraku-en with adjacent Okayama Castle (岡山城), then take the train to Kurashiki (倉敷) to stroll the willow-lined Bikan (美観) canal quarter. Okayama is also the gateway to Shikoku's art islands.
Okayama is the gateway to Shikoku's art islands via the Seto-Ōhashi bridge.
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