Okayama

Okayama Castle

岡山城 Okayama-jō

Popularly known as Crow Castle (烏城 U-jō), it is so named for its striking black color, rare among Japanese castles (which tend to be white, like neighboring Himeji Castle). Only a few protruding bits and the occasional lucky fish-gargoyle (金の鯱 kinnoshachihoko) are gilded. With the exception of one external turret, the current version dates from 1966, but the outside is much more accurate than most Japanese castle replicas, as the original blueprints were used to rebuild it. In the tower is a museum documenting the castle's history, although English explanations are few and far between. On the first floor of the castle, you can also make your own Bizen pottery for an extra fee.

Closed · opens 9 am·¥300 (except during special exhibits) · Built 1346

Animo Museum

アニモ・ミュージアム

A museum established to honor Okayama native and Olympic marathon medalist Yuko Arimori. Here you can see her silver medal from Barcelona, bronze medal from Atlanta, and other Olympics memorabilia.

Closed · opens 10 am·¥300

Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art

岡山県立美術館

A large museum housing approximately 2,000 works by famous artists throughout Okayama Prefecture. The museum's permanent exhibition features art dating back as far as the Muromachi Period (1336-1573), such as work by the priest Sesshu and the swordsman Musashi Miyamoto, as well as Bizen pottery and works by more contemporary artists.

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00·¥350, discount with student ID

Okayama Prefectural Museum

岡山県立博物館

An excellent museum with a variety of artifacts excavated from various areas throughout Okayama Prefecture from prehistoric artifacts to the Edo and Meiji Periods. Some highlights of the museum are the famous Bizen swords and Bizen pottery. It's just outside the main entrance to Korakuen, so it's well worth a stop.

Apr-Sep: Tue-Sun 09:00-18:00, Oct-Mar: Tue-Sun 09:30-17:00·¥250

Okayama Orient Museum

岡山市立オリエント美術館

An interesting museum of Middle Eastern art. The special exhibit details art and trade between China and Persia. If you can speak conversational Japanese, talk with the friendly docents; they will present some highly interesting explanations and background. However, the dates and areas are clearly marked, and the artifacts themselves are interesting enough that you don't need to have a guide to enjoy them.

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00·¥300 adults, discounts with student ID

Yumeji Art Museum

夢二郷土美術館

A museum featuring the works of Okayama-born artist Yumeji Takehisa, a well-known artist throughout Japan. He is best known for producing paintings and sketches of beautiful women, and many such works are on display in the museum.

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00·¥700 · Wi-Fi

Hayashibara Museum of Art

林原美術館

A small museum which houses the private collection of the Ikeda Family, the former Lords of Okayama. The collection features Japanese and Chinese works, primarily calligraphy and scrolls. Pottery, beautiful textiles, samurai armor, and other works may also be on display; however, because the museum is not large enough to display the entire collection at once, the exhibits are rotated often.

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00·¥500

Handayama Botanical Garden

岡山市半田山植物園

A botanical garden filled with various types of flowers. It's particularly beautiful during the spring cherry blossom season; however, one can easily enjoy this garden anytime of the year. It's a 10-minute walk from Hokaiin Station on the JR Tsuyama Line. There are also buses from JR Okayama Station.

Wed-Mon 09:00-16:30·¥308

Ikeda Zoo

池田動物園

Ikeda Zoo offers many of the typical zoo animals: elephants, giraffes, tigers, lions, and a variety of birds and monkeys. The most unique animals here are perhaps the tapirs and the red pandas. It's a short distance northwest of JR Okayama Station.

Apr-Oct: daily 09:00-17:30, Nov-Mar: daily 09:00-17:00·¥1080 for adults, ¥840 for high school students, ¥630 for middle school and elementary school students, and ¥315 for children over 3 years of age

Okayama City Museum

岡山シティミュージアム

Formerly known as the Okayama Digital Museum, the permanent exhibit uses modern technology to showcase the city's history, local culture, and nature, but it's the special exhibits that attract most visitors. The special exhibits cover a wide range of subjects from classic famous art exhibits to interactive exhibits for children. To determine whether or not this museum is of interest, it's best to check their website to see what will be featured during your visit.

Closed · opens 10 am·Prices vary depending on the exhibit

Kibiji Literary Museum

吉備路文学館

Displays of original works and transcripts from famous authors from the Okayama area. It helps to have Japanese reading ability and an interest in Japanese literature, of course. It's just north of the city center, a couple blocks east of the Nishi-gawa Canal.

Tue-Sun 09:30-17:00·¥400

Okaden Museum & Mitooka Eiji Design

おかでんミュージアム＋水戸岡鋭治デザイン

The Okaden Museum is a museum dedicated to Okayama's Okaden tram. Inside you can see the tram's "station master" cat, Momo along with videos, train models, and artwork. Overall, it's more of a fun place to take children who like trains/the tram than a museum. It really doesn't have any objects or information but instead features train and other toys that kids can play with. It's at the terminus of the Higashiyama Line so outside there are out-of-use trams and you can also see the trams coming and going.

Closed · opens 10 am·¥1000

Sci-Pia Science and Humanity Museum for the Future

岡山県生涯学習センター 人と科学の未来館サイピア

A small space museum with various exhibits about space study, telescopes, and satellites among other things. The main draw is the planetarium which has viewings at specified times throughout the day with various videos and themes changing throughout the year.

Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00·Museum free, Planetarium ¥300

Ancient Kibi Cultural Properties Center

岡山県古代吉備文化財センター

A small museum housing artifacts from the ancient Kibi Kingdom. Although the information is all in Japanese, one does not need to be able to read the information to appreciate the artifacts, which are mainly clay figurines and pottery. It is located.

Closed · opens 9 am·Free

点字ブロック発祥の地

Tactile paving (also called tenji blocks (点字ブロック), truncated domes, detectable warnings, tactile tiles, tactile ground surface indicators, tactile walking surface indicators, or detectable warning surfaces) is a system of textured ground surface indicators found at roadsides (such as at curb cuts), by and on stairs, and on railway station platforms, to assist pedestrians who are visually impaired. Tactile warnings provide a very distinctive surface pattern of truncated domes, cones or bars, detectable by a long cane or underfoot, which are used to alert the vision-impaired of approaching streets and hazardous surface or grade changes. There is disagreement between the design and user…

Kibitsu Shrine

吉備津神社

Last rebuilt in 1425, this shrine is important for two reasons: it was once the head shrine of the entire Kibi Kingdom, and legend holds that Prince Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto fought the demon Ura on this site. He shot arrows at the demon, but the demon evaded his attacks by throwing boulders at the arrows. Finally, the prince shot two arrows at the same time, hitting the demon directly in the eye (but not yet killing him - read on).

Free

Kibitsuhiko Shrine

吉備津彦神社

This shrine, rebuilt in 1697, is dedicated to Prince Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto, and has a unique architectural style. To get there, turn right after exiting the station and cross the train tracks.

Free

Japanese Fossil Museum

日本化石資料館 nihon kaseki shiryōkan

A small museum showcasing fossils found in Japan, particularly ammonite. They request that you call beforehand if you intend to visit.

Wed-Sat Mon 10:00-17:00·Free

Kitchoan Museum

源吉兆庵本店

A museum that features a variety of pottery, including bizen-yaki and ceramics made by the famous artist Rosanjin. Other types of art are also featured. A second location in Okayama was opened within walking distance of Okayama Station. They also have a museum in Kamakura.

Closed · opens 10 am·¥600

Kōrakuen Garden

後楽園

The name means "Garden of Pleasure After", a reference to a famous Confucian quote stating that a wise ruler must attend to his subjects' needs first and only then attend to his own. Construction started 1687 and was completed 13 years later. Despite slight changes, Korakuen largely keeps its form from the Edo era, with waterfalls, tiny shrines, teahouses, miniature maple forests, a lotus pond, and even a greenhouse filled with orchids and cacti. The rare red-crested white cranes are another notable feature. They are released for flying exhibitions on special occasions throughout the year. The large wooden building called the Enyo-tei was used to host daimyo (feudal lords), Emperor Meiji, and other members of the imperial family. The view from the veranda (usually off-limits to the general public) is considered the best in the park, and the strategic location of trees and hills/mounds in the park act as a natural frame. A local ordinance prevents high-rise buildings that would encroach on this view. The roof of a temple can be seen on the side of the distant Mt. Misaoyama, but it was built to enhance the view from the porch. There are two entrances to the garden: across from the Okayama Prefectural Museum, and across the Moon-Viewing Bridge (月見橋 Tsukimi-bashi).

Closed · opens 7:30 am·¥400

Manekineko Art Museum

招き猫美術館

A museum devoted entirely to the famous good luck cats seen in many shops and restaurants throughout Japan.

Thu-Mon 10:00-17:00·¥600

Omizuen Garden

近水園

One of Okayama's largest gardens, Omizuen belonged to Lord Kinoshita of the Ashimori Clan. The garden was designed in the style of Kobori Enshu, famous man of culture.

Tue-Sun 09:00-16:30·Free

RSK Rose Garden

RSKバラ園

Yet another excellent place in Okayama to view flowers (best in May and June). As the name suggests, this garden features roses, and it is the largest rose garden in Japan. Although the roses are the main attraction, there are also other blossoming plants, such as irises, peonies, and plum trees.

Closed · opens 9:30 am·¥600

Saidai-ji

西大寺

This is the location of the famous Naked Man Festival (see "Do" section). The priest Yasutaka founded this temple. It is said that while meditating in Hasedera Temple, an oracle came to him instructing him to repair the Kannon Hall in Bizen Kanaoka. He immediately departed for the West. On his way, he met a dragon deity carrying a rhinoceros horn who told him to build the temple and then vanished. The priest did as he was told and called it Saidaiji (犀戴寺) "rhino temple", but the characters were later changed by retired Emperor Gotoba to its current spelling (西大寺) after prayer-writing revealed to him the new name.

Closed · opens 9 am·Free

Former Ashimori Domain Samurai Residence

旧足守藩侍屋敷遺構 kyu ashimori-han samurai yashiki ikou

This building was once the residence of one of the most influential samurai in the region.

Tue-Sun 09:00-16:30·Free

Former Ashimori Merchant, Fujita House

旧足守商家藤田千年治邸 kyu ashimori-shouka fujita sennenji tei

Formerly a soy sauce factory, visitors can roam the building and see the tools used to make soy sauce.

Tue-Sun 09:00-16:30·Free

Saijo Inari

最上稲荷

Considered to be one of the Three Great Inari Shrines of Japan, Saijo Inari is a large shrine complex built on the side of Mount Ryuo. Legend has it that the shrine was commissioned by the priest Hoon-Daishi after prayers to Saijo (who came to him as a white fox in a dream) successfully cured two emperors of seemingly fatal illnesses. Buses run from outside the east exit of JR Okayama Station — disembark at 'Inariyama'.

Free

Site of Takamatsu Castle

備中高松城跡

While very little remains here of any part of the castle, it has great historical importance. In 1582, Toyotomi Hideyoshi defeated the ruling Mori Clan by diverting a river to flood the castle. The moat still exists, and is filled with lilies that bloom in the summer. You can also still see some of the old waterways. There is even a small museum with some artifacts and information on the site.

Grounds always open, museum 10:00-15:00·Free

Sogen-ji

曹源寺

A large Zen temple at the base of Mt. Misaoyama at the end of the path between Tendai-ji (right side) and Daiko-in (left side). It is a well known place for western Zen students. Free meditation sessions from 08:00-09:00 most Sundays are usually followed by a simple tea ceremony. The garden behind the temple is famous for having one of the largest cherry blossom trees in Okayama and a lake which beautifully reflects the tree and the surrounding countryside. This garden was designed by the same architect who built Korakuen. Although the mountain is near the center of the city, the area around it maintains a rural atmosphere. It can be very pleasant to hike over around this hill and visit the various small temples and shrines. If Zen meditation at Sogen-ji gives you a backache, you can relieve your aches and pains at a ganban onsen (rock hot spring.) This style of hot spring does not have a large bathing area but instead has gravel and hard rock beds where steam passes up from under you or down from above like a sauna.

Closed · opens 6 am·¥100

Yahata no Sato

やはたの里

Three interesting yet completely unrelated sites. First up is a Yogurt Factory (ヨーグルト工房) where you can see how they make yogurt and then taste it, too. From there, the Toy Museum (おもちゃの宿) has displays of traditional Japanese toys and some for children to play with. Finally, there is the Killifish Research Center (めだかの学校), which studies the fish of the same name. Yahata no Sato is most enjoyable for those travelling with kids, particularly if they understand Japanese.

Closed · opens 9 am·¥300, yogurt ¥150 extra