Name: Okayama | 3-Day Suggested Itinerary
Uploaded: 2025-06-17T14:57:01.000Z
Duration: 17 min 49 s
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I'm standing in front of the historic canals of Kurashiki, an area important to Japan's cotton and rice history.

Adverbs of degree

But this is just one of the spots that I'll be visiting on my Okayama trip.

So join me as I cycle through the Kibi Plain, stroll through a famous Japanese garden, and visit Uno Port, the gateway to Japan's art islands.

Okayama is located between Osaka and Hiroshima along the Sanyo Shinkansen.

In addition to offering some nice attractions of its own, Okayama City is also a great base for side trips to various nearby sightseeing spots, including a number of islands famous for their part in the Setouchi Triennale, a recurring contemporary art festival.

On this trip, I'll be based in a hotel in central Okayama and use public transport to visit nearby spots.

Several rail passes are available for exploring Okayama and the greater region along the Seto Inland Sea, including the Kansai Wide Area Pass, the Setouchi Area Pass, and a variety of others.

Day 1 After dropping my bags off, I'm taking a 15-minute local train ride to neighbouring Kurashiki, which is famous for its preserved canal district.

Afterwards, I'll return to Okayama where I'll spend each night.

Namiya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Okayama Kurashiki's canals are only a 15-minute walk from the station, and everything on today's itinerary is easily accessible by foot.

Looking around at these traditional buildings and beautifully preserved canal, you would never guess that Kurashiki was built on reclaimed land at shallow sea, but that historic base is exactly what gave us the city we see today.

The seawater made the soil too salty to grow Japan's main commodity of rice, so the people of Kurashiki turned to a more salt-hardy plant, cotton.

For an area that couldn't grow rice, though, the grain played a surprisingly large part in Kurashiki's history.

The city was a collection point for rice, so neighbouring areas would bring it here for storage.

These picturesque white buildings with their tiled roofs are the storehouses, or kura.

Because Kurashiki has so many of them, that is precisely where it gets its name, loosely meaning town of storehouses.

These days, many of these storehouses and other buildings have been renovated into cute cafes and shops, just like Cafe Miyake Shoten.

Set in a former kura from over 100 years ago, Cafe Miyake Shoten has kept much of its former structure with clay walls contributing to its atmosphere.

Now they serve a variety of light meals and drinks for a peaceful Kurashiki afternoon.

It's like a little bit of spiciness, a bit of sweetness, and a great array of textures with all these vegetables.

The atmospheric canal area and its surrounding streets are full of cute shops and cafes to explore.

Just a few steps from the canal leads me to another site tied to the area's history.

Ivy Square was the site of one of Japan's early cotton mills, known as Kurabo Mill.

The mill, run by the Ohara family, opened in 1889 and drew inspiration from British mills, resulting in a western-style structure that now houses a hotel, museum, and other facilities.

Kurashiki's cotton became popular throughout Japan, which led them to develop techniques and systems perfect for joining in the global post-war trend of denim.

To this day, there are many denim shops found around the area.

The second-generation owner of the mill we just visited, Ohara Magosaburo, began a number of educational initiatives, including a scholarship.

He set up the museum to commemorate one of the scholarship students, which has now expanded to include all sorts of contemporary Japanese and western pieces.

Inside, there are pieces by the likes of Monet and Picasso, alongside many renowned Japanese artists.

For day two, I'm taking a 15-minute local train ride to Bizen Ichinomiya Station, where I'll continue on a 17-kilometre bike ride across the scenic Kibiji District.

Along the way, I'll visit a few sites of interest before returning to my base in central Okayama.

The Kibiji District is a flatland that was once the home of the Kibi Kingdom, and its clan that controlled much of the area that we now call Okayama.

The area is mainly known as the origin of Japan's most famous folktale, Momotaro, known throughout the country.

The story is adapted from the legend of Prince Kibitsuhiko, so I'll be exploring some spots linked to that legend.

The legend goes that Prince Kibitsuhiko fought a demon, Ura, throughout the region, ending in a battle where the two transformed into animals and Ura was captured.

The first spot on my cycle route related to the legend is Kibitsuhiko Jinja Shrine, which stands on the spot where the prince is said to have stopped to pray before launching his attack.

The shrine was built in 1697 and is dedicated to the prince.

One of the most important shrines of the region, Kibitsuhiko Jinja Shrine, is said to have been the site where the prince fought the demon, and the shrine carries out many customs and rituals related to the legend.

This is where Prince Kibitsuhiko was enshrined, and his legend became the foundation for another well-known story, Momotaro, or Peach Boy, where the hero was born from a peach.

So around the area you'll find many references to the story, just like this one.

Like at many Shinto shrines, the main hall and the worship hall are combined into a single large complex.

The main hall here is unique in its design, characterized by its four dormer gables.

As it is the only one of its kind in Japan, the architectural style is called kibitsuzukuri.

At the back of the main hall, you'll find a long covered corridor, which is a rare feature for a shrine and definitely worth a visit.

This is where the prince finally caught the demon, who had transformed into a carp.

The shrine is called Koikuri Shrine, meaning carp-eating, in reference to his capture.

Though small, you can see some references to the tale here.

Nearby are the ancient Tsukuriyama tombs, built in the 5th century.

There are many of these keyhole-shaped tombs in Japan, called kofun, and this is the fourth largest in the country, and the largest you can freely climb.

Bichu Kokubunji Temple dates back to the year 741, where the emperor ordered one kokubunji temple to be built in every province of Japan, including this area, formerly Bichu province.

Its most striking feature is the pagoda, which you can see from the cycling route.

It is the only five-storied pagoda in Okayama prefecture, with a height of 34 metres.

Near the cycling route, there are a number of different cafes and bakeries, just like this one, where I've got myself a couple of snacks and a hojicha latte.

Today, I'm having some Okayama favourites.

This is mackerel sashimi, this is Japanese sardinella, and this is a warm local sake to warm up my hands after a long, cold day of cycling.

This fish goes really well with the lemon flavours because it has such a light and refreshing feel to it.

Day three starts with a visit to Okayama Korakuen Garden, one of Japan's three great gardens.

Then, in the afternoon, I'm heading south to Uno Port, where I will explore the local artwork and end my trip there.

Built around 300 years ago by the Ikeda clan, the garden was once a retreat for the feudal lords.

Today, however, it's open to the public year round.

The garden is a strolling garden, meaning it is best enjoyed while walking along the paths and taking in the scenery.

It's characterised by its extensive use of lawned areas, but on my winter visit, much of the grass was a browny-orange colour.

This is one of the best viewpoints of the gardens.

From here, you can see Sawanoike Pond and its multiple small islands, as well as the strolling pathways going around it.

This is a beautiful spot to view from different seasons throughout the year.

The garden is a beautiful area to explore, with various ponds, groves and rest houses.

Okayama Korakuen Garden is the pride and joy of Okayama Prefecture, as it is recognised as one of Japan's three great gardens, alongside Kenrokuen and Kaidakuen.

From Okayama Station, it's about an hour on the train to Uno Port, an entry point for visiting Japan's incredible art islands.

The port gives you access to the big art festival known as the Setouchi Triennale.

The festival happens just once every three years, where more than ten islands in the Seto Inland Sea participate as venues to explore.

But while you're waiting for your ferry to take you out to the islands, the port area itself provides a preview of what's to come, with statues and artworks dotted here and there.

This is perhaps the most iconic artwork of Uno Port, the black sea bream of Uno.

Made from waste materials that washed up on the shore, it was created for the first ever Setouchi Triennale in 2010, and it brings some colour and an important message to the port's landscape.

With Okayama being between Osaka and the art islands, this makes for the perfect connecting trip to explore a different side of Japan.

This may be the end of my trip, but it could be just the beginning of yours.

Thanks for joining me on my trip to Okayama.

I learnt a lot about the crafts and legends of the region, so I hope you did too, and that you are perhaps even inspired to visit for yourself.

If you're looking for more travel inspiration for a future trip, have a look at some of our other travel videos here.