๐ฃโโ๏ธ Off-the-Beaten-Path Destination | Worth-Visiting Okayama Kurashi
๐ Okayama Kurashiki is located in the Chugoku region of Japan. Yes, that's the name, and there's even a bank called the Bank of China, which is completely different from our China. Okayama, the hometown of Momotaro, the peach boy of Japanese folklore, and the birthplace of Japanese denim fabric, is currently a major production center for Japanese denim. The evius store in Okayama is worth visiting; the pocket logos are hand-drawn by designers, and there are several limited colors. โค๏ธ Okayama Korakuen & Okayama Castle โค๏ธ These two places are very close, just a 5-minute walk apart, so you can visit them together. Korakuen, along with Kairakuen in Mito and Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, are known as the three famous gardens of Japan. ๐ฐ Okayama Castle ๐ Address: 2-3-1 Marunouchi, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture ๐ Opening Hours: 5:00๏ฝ18:00 (Reception 9:00๏ฝ16:00, Prayer Area 9:00๏ฝ14:30) ๐ฟ Korakuen Garden ๐ Address: 1-5 Korakuen, Okayama City ๐ Garden Hours: 7:30๏ฝ18:00 (April 1st to September 30th) 8:00๏ฝ17:00 (October 1st to March 31st) ๐ฐ Admission Fee: General Adults 350 JPY, Children 140 JPY ๐ Transportation: Walk for 25 minutes from JR Okayama Station Take the city tram to Higashiyama-jo Station, then walk for 10 minutes Take the Tobe bus heading towards Saio-ji, about 10-15 minutes After visiting Okayama, you can continue to Kurashiki. Kurashiki is known as Japan's version of the "Water Town of Jiangnan", a paradise for notebook enthusiasts, and also the birthplace of denim, so you can find many denim-themed souvenir shops on both sides. When you arrive in Kurashiki, you can first go to the mountain where the Kurashiki University of Arts is located and sit to enjoy the view, where you can see the whole of Kurashiki. Kurashiki is really worth taking your time to stroll and walk around. ๐ Transportation: From JR Okayama Station to Kurashiki Station, the fare is 330 JPY. It takes about 5 minutes on foot to reach the Kurashiki Beauty Area. ๐ The Kurashiki Beauty Area is the number one merchant street in Japan. As a direct domain of the shogunate at that time, it still retains many ancient white-walled buildings and ancient Western cultural buildings, accompanied by the Kurashiki River flowing through the entire area. ๐ฏ The streets are sparsely populated, with a very petty bourgeoisie atmosphere, and have a unique Japanese delicate tranquility. The Ohashi Museum of Art is also in Kurashiki, where you can see the original work of Monet. This is the earliest private Western art museum in Japan. ๐๏ธ Ohashi Museum of Art ๐ Address: 1-1-15 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture ๐ Business Hours: 9:00-17:00 ๐ฐ Admission: Adults 1300 JPY ๐ฃโโ๏ธ On the small river of Kurashiki, you can take a boat ride. Of course, it can't be compared with our Jiangnan water town. If you are lucky on holidays, you can see a traditional Japanese wedding. I encountered one during the Golden Week 11 years ago. ๐ Sightseeing boat on the Kurashiki River, about a 20-minute cruise. ๐ Hours: 9:30-17:00, closed on Mondays from December to February, and the second Monday of the other months. ๐ฐ Price: Adults 500 JPY, Children 250 JPY #OffTheBeatenPath #OffTheBeatenPathGuide #JapanTravel #JapanOffTheBeatenPath
