One can easily spend an entire day in the Culture Zone visiting all of the various museums, the castle, and Korakuen. Outside the Culture Zone, lies a variety of worthwhile attractions that few foreign tourists are aware exist. From the Kubo Fruit Farm to the Kibi Plains on down to Kojima Bay, Okayama has an impressive array of historical, cultural, and natural sites to explore. Often overlooked, yet easily accessible by Shinkansen, Okayama is truly one of Japan's best kept secrets!
Okayama proclaims itself as the setting of the original fairytale and today even Okayama's main street is known as ''Momotar?-Od?ri'' (Momotaro St). Residents claim that the fairytale was based on the legend of Kibitsuhiko, in which prince Kibitsuhiko fought with the ogre Ura, who is said to have lived in Kinojo (Demon's Castle) in the area around Soja city.
The most frequent services are the '''Nozomi''' trains that operate on the entire ''shinkansen'' route; trains depart Tokyo at 20 minute intervals, reaching Okayama in about 3 1/2 hours. '''Hikari Rail Star''' trains also make frequent runs, stopping in Okayama on runs between Osaka and both Kokura Station in Kitakyushu and Hakata Station in Fukuoka.
There is also one '''Hikari''' train per hour that runs from Tokyo to Okayama, but it takes a bit longer (4 hours 15 minutes) since the train stops at additional stations en route.
An overnight train, the Sunrise Seto/Sunrise Izumo, operates daily from Tokyo Station, leaving at 10 PM and arriving in Okayama at 6:27 AM. Japan Rail Pass holders must pay the lodging charge on the Tokyo-Okayama segment; the rest of the trip is covered under the pass. Lodging charges currently range from \9450 for a B solo to \10500 for a B single, to \16500 for an A single deluxe. If you really want to travel on the cheap side, \3660 gets you your own floor space... literally, you sleep on the floor.
Okayama is also the starting point of '''Marine Liner''' rapid trains across the Seto Inland Sea to Takamatsu, and limited express trains to other destinations on the island of Shikoku. Many of these trains to Shikoku are timed for seamless connections with '''Nozomi''' train arrivals. Local-line trains will often wait for express trains on other lines, which causes frustration for some users, but enables smooth transfers for visitors. If you travel on the '''Marine Liner''' to Takamatsu using the Japan Rail Pass, a small surcharge will put you in a comfortable Green Car seat.
If you do not have a Japan Rail Pass it is possible to travel cheaply overnight from Okayama to Matsuyama, Kochi and Fukuoka during University vacation periods using '''Moonlight Special Rapid''' services. These are very popular and tend to get booked a month in advance.
An alternative way to get to Osaka is to take a local train or the Shinkansen to Nishi Akashi near Himeji and transfer to a Special Rapid service which travels through Osaka and Kyoto. Unfortunately the local service to Akashi runs only once an hour and takes around 90 minutes but the Special Rapid service provides a good alternative to the Shinkansen around Kobe,Osaka and Kyoto.
Local trains also run northward several times daily to Yonago and Tottori Cities in Tottori prefecture and Matsue and Izumo Cities in Shimane prefecture. This scenic trip across the mountain range takes about two hours.
Daytime buses operated by Ryobi Bus run hourly from Osaka Namba (3 hours, ¥3060 one way, ¥5610 round trip), and five times daily from Kyoto (3 1/4 hours, ¥3500 one way, ¥6300 round trip).
From Tottori, you can take a bus to Okayama for just \3000.
'''123bus''' [http://www.123bus.net/index.html] is a company which provides daily night time bus services between Tokyo and Okayama, Osaka and Okayama (4 hours, ¥2500 one way). With an online booking service in English.
A convenient '''tram''' line runs east from JR Okayama Station along Momotaro-Odori. There are in fact two tram routes, which begin from the same tram-stop on the east side of Okayama Station and then branch in separate directions. The Higashiyama line tram runs along Momotaro-Odori until Okayama Symphony Hall (stopping at "Shiroshita" tram stop, which is the closest stop to Okayama Castle) then turns south towards the prefectural government office before winding towards the terminus. The other tram line turns to the right about half-way along Momotaro-Odori, passes the central post office and terminates at Seikibashi intersection. Board Okayama trams (and buses) at the rear, take a boarding ticket and pay your fare at the front when you disembark. The driver will not give change, but there is a machine on the tram that will change your coinage before your ride ends and you can then pay the exact amount to the driver. Prepaid bus cards can also be used on the trams. (See below.)
There are '''buses''' that run throughout the city. You can buy '''prepaid bus cards''' at several locations including the Okayama station bus information booth and Omotecho Bus Center, in ¥2000, ¥5000 or ¥10000 iterations. These cards work out to be slightly cheaper than paying cash at the end of each journey, but unused portions of the cards cannot be refunded. (When a card is "drained" of its prepaid charge, you can use cash to pay the outstanding amount.) Bus journeys within the city will cost no more than a few hundred yen. Okayama station to Tenmaya/Omotecho shopping mall costs ¥100.
Perhaps the most confusing thing with the buses is that different companies sometimes offer similar routes that depart at different times from different bus-stops. The staff at bus information centers are very helpful, but might not give information on rival companies running similar routes unless asked.
Since October 2006, three bus companies have been pushing '''Hareca Integrated Circuit Cards''' (IC Cards, limited only to the trams and local buses run by Ryobi, Shimoden and Okaden companies) as an alternative to the disposable prepaid cards, but the deposit on the new cards makes them more expensive than paying by cash, especially if you are only visiting and traveling a little.
Spoken English ability is generally fairly poor, more so than the larger cities which see more foreign tourists, but some residents may surprise you with their fluency. Locals fully understand standard Japanese, but depending on the dialectical "severity" of the speaker, you may not understand the response. As in the rest of Japan, attempting to speak Japanese is appreciated, and knowledge of the local dialect will likely result in both surprise and good-natured amusement. Many tourists to Okayama have reported that, despite the lack of English-speakers, the people tend to be extremely friendly and willing to offer help, moreso than in other cities, so if you find yourself not knowing where to go, don't be afraid to ask!
'''Momotaro statues''' are a popular Okayama photo-op. Arriving by train, you'll see your first at the east exit of JR Okayama Station, but there are Momotaro motifs all over the city — there is a Momotaro mail box at the east exit of the station, and even manholes often feature Momotaro's picture. You will also find individual statues of his friends the dog, monkey, and pheasant at several intersections along Momotaro-Odori.
A visit to the historical sites of the Kibiji District is best done by bike (see Do)). However, all sites can be reached by using the train and then walking (or taking a bus, for certain locations). If you begin your travels from Bizen Ichinomiya Station, the following sites are listed in the order in which you will see them.
'''Note:''' The Koumori-zuka Burial Mound, Okayama Prefectural Kibiji Museum, Bitchu Kokubunji Temple, and Kinojo Castle are located in the part of the trail belonging to the city of Soja. For the purpose of providing a complete guide of the Kibi Plain Cycling Road, they are listed here.
The festival originated in the 16th century when people would request special talismans thrown out by priests. As word spread that the talismans were bringing those who possessed them good luck, more and more people came to the temple to request them, giving rise to the festival. Although it is not tangible, because of its long history and tradition, the Saidaiji Eyo been bestowed the honor of being designated a Cultural Asset. </do>
The '''Omotecho Shotengai''' (shopping street) is a ten minute walk from JR Okayama Station, or 3 tram stops away on the Higashiyama line (get off at Shiroshita Station). It has everything from game arcades and kimono retailers to antique shops and a multi-story branch of the '''Maruzen bookstore''' chain. From this street one can enter the '''Tenmaya''' shopping center, which has a large food hall perfect for picking and mixing a meal.
Apart from Tenmaya, there are two other department stores near the shopping street, '''Cred'''' and '''Loft'''. Cred has a large '''Kinokuniya bookstore''' with a sizable selection of English-language and Japanese learning books, as well as a Virgin CD/DVD store. Loft features a toy shop selling novelty dress-up costumes, Studio Ghibli plushies and more; there's also an HMV located in the basement.
'''Mamakari''' (________), a herring-like fish, is another specialty that can be enjoyed throughout Okayama, as they are fished from the Seto Inland Sea. Another local delicacy is ''sawara'' (__), a white-fleshed fish translated into English alternatively as "trout" or "horse mackerel". A popular takeaway option is '''matsuri-zushi''' (_______i), the local version of ''chirashi-zushi'' (sushi rice dressed with vinegar and topped with egg and seafood), sold in a peach-shaped box at Okayama station kiosks and some restaurants as well.
And in neighboring prefectures, but within day-trip distances are:
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