Okayama review
Located in southern Honshu Okayama shares a coastline with Hiroshima and neighbours Osaka, its coast overlooks the beautiful island of shikoku. If you plan to explore Shikoku it is the easiest place to transit as there are ferries and bridges leading to Kagawa. The prefecture is known for its scenery beautiful mountain ranges which frame the prefecture and create stunning opportunities to see uninterrupted starry skies. The prefecture is in fact a designated dark zone because of its mountains and rural areas there is very little light pollution making it a star gazers paradise outside of its cities. The prefecture was a convenient shinkansen journey for me and very soon I found myself in Okayama city.
Being on the shinkansen line the prefecture has good connections it is also the place to transit if you want to explore one of the most rural prefectures in Japan, Tottori. Sadly, due to its position between Hiroshima and the urban jungle Osaka it has to be said this prefecture suffers a similar fate as Saga. It is often a fly over prefecture overlooked for its more popular neighbours. It is less fortunate than Saga city however where people are forced to change trains if they want to explore Sasebo and parts of Nagasaki. For those heading to Hiroshima, Okayama is simply another stop read out by the train conductor and a 2-minute stop.
Okayama city has character and charm, it has beautiful rivers cutting through it and the city is built on a slope creating a beautiful nightscape. The castle is a must see, its cheap and easy to access you do not need a car or to climb a ropeway to get there. The city offers trams, buses and taxi options. The castle overlaps a beautiful garden which often hosts lantern events and there is a famous botanical garden in the city. The castle was fun to explore and it was slightly different from the few I had seen before, being built squarer and there being very few windows. Its also the first castle I have not been able to walk around at the top due to the fact there isn’t a walkway it ends with a room with views of the city.
The city offers many places to eat near the station, an entire district bustles with bars, restaurants and places to eat a variety of cuisines. There are lots of places to shop and many museums that you can visit. I noticed there was a lot of foreign cuisine and many independent stores selling craft goods. There is also a scenic romantic walk designated through the city perfect for taking a stroll with a special someone.
A short distance from Okayama is the town of Kurashiki a must see for anyone wanting to see a traditional old street along a cancel. Kurashiki Bikan offers visitors a glimpse into the past with its canal rides, Sakura tree lined canal and many places to rent kimono. The area is picturesque and there is also an old-style wooden factory that you can visit and temple. There are many places to eat local cuisine and relax the area is prone to being very busy on weekends and holidays so plan your visit with this in mind. Kurashiki also has many places to shop including outlet stores, the shonen Jump store, cat cafes and many more.
Okayama offers a lot to those who wander of the beaten track, it has a lot of outdoor activities for those who love nature, starry skies and observatories for those looking to relax under the nights sky, coastal paradises and city life. The prefecture would make a beautiful place to propose to a special someone or even honeymoon location if you are particularly interested in the nights sky and space. Traditional inns, dark space campsites or hotels, resorts or even high-end love hotels will often ask for high prices so keep this in mind when you are looking for somewhere to stay. There are cheaper options but if you are wanting to come specifically for the dark zone you will need to book in advance and part with the yen to match.
I recommend checking out Okayama and adding it to your schedule if you have time to spare on a Kansai focused trip. It is easy to reach from Osaka and also a good stopping point if you plan to go further to Hiroshima.
