Okayama » Okayama city, Ushimado, Bizen
This area in the southeastern part of Okayama Prefecture, adjacent to Hyogo Prefecture, is a very attractive tourist destination, with Okayama City, the prefectural capital, Setouchi City where Ushimado, also known as the Aegean Sea of Japan, is located, and Bizen City, famous for its Bizen Pottery.
In Okayama City, Korakuen Garden is one of the three most famous gardens in Japan, along with Kairakuen Garden in Mito and Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa, and is a sightseeing spot that should not be missed. Korakuen was built by the Ikeda clan (Ikeda Tsunamasa), the feudal lord of the Edo period, and completed in 1700 (Genroku 13).
When the garden was first completed, it was called Gokouen because it was built behind Okayama Castle. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful seasonal expressions of the garden, especially during the autumn foliage season, when it is illuminated.
Other sightseeing spots include Okayama Castle, Inujima Island, and Kibitsu Shrine around Kibiji.
In addition, the Kaiyo, or naked festival, usually held on the third Saturday of February at Saidaiji Temple, is a nationally famous tourist event.
Meanwhile, as for gourmet foods, fruits such as muscats and white peaches are famous throughout Japan, and visitors can enjoy fruit-picking experiences and sweets when they are in season. In recent years, the city has also become known as "Fruit Parfait Town, Okayama.
Setouchi City, where Ushimado is located, borders Okayama City to the east. The inland town of Osafune is famous for the production of swords called Bizen Osafune, and the Bizen Osafune Sword Village and Bizen Osafune Sword Museum is one of the few museums in Japan specializing in swords.
Ushimado, a port town facing the Seto Inland Sea, is a scenic tourist destination reminiscent of the Mediterranean Sea. Ushimado Olive Garden is a symbolic sightseeing spot in Ushimado with a panoramic view of the beautiful archipelago, and has been certified as a holy place for lovers. The Bell of Happiness in the park should be added to the route when visiting on a date. The exquisite gelato is also not to be missed.
Furthermore, sappa (mamakari), a specialty fish, is often caught in the port town of Ushimado. Okayama's local delicacies, mamakari sushi and Bizen bara-zushi with mamakari on top, are local delicacies that you should definitely try when you visit not only Ushimado, but also other parts of Okayama Prefecture.
Bizen City is located further east of Setouchi City, on the eastern edge of Okayama Prefecture, bordering on Ako City in Hyogo Prefecture. There are many places to visit, such as Ibe, where Bizen ware is produced, Shizutani Gakko (Kanya School), which was opened by the Okayama Clan for the common people in the Edo period, Hattoji Furusato Village, and Gomi no Ichiba (market of five flavors).
Oysters, one of Okayama's representative delicacies, are cultivated in Hinase, and Hinase's oyster okonomiyaki, or okonomiyaki with oysters, is a must-try dish if it is in season. Gomi no Ichiba is also famous for its oyster soft serve, an unusual local soft serve called oyster soft serve.
The main shrine and worship hall, dedicated to Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto, are national treasures, built in a grand and graceful hibi-irimoya style. The present main hall and worship hall were begun by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third Seiin Taishogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, at the order of Emperor Go-...»
Korakuen Garden is one of the three most famous gardens in Japan and is designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, the highest level of garden design. It is also highly acclaimed overseas, being ranked three stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japon. The garden was built by order of the feudal ...»
Construction of the castle began in 1573 by Ukita Naoye and was completed in 1597. The castle tower was destroyed by fire during the war, but has been rebuilt and the interior is used as an exhibition hall. In the northwestern corner stands a turret that survived the fire and reminds us of the day...»
Demikatsudon is a rice bowl with cabbage and cutlet (some serve without cabbage) and demiglace sauce on top. This katsudon was invented by the founder of Ajitsukasa Nomura, a restaurant in Okayama, when he was a trainee chef in a hotel in Tokyo. Demikatsudon, a mixture of Japanese and Western cuisin...»
One of the three great production areas of oysters is Okayama prefecture. The environment is suitable for farming high quality oysters. Oysters are also called “the milk of the ocean” and contain various nutrition such as protein, calcium, zinc, and other minerals. Oysters go well with any kind of d...»