This post was sponsored by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Click here to read The City Lane’s policy on sponsored content.
OKAYAMA | It’s no secret that Japan is one of our favourite travel destinations. We’ve been to the country several times, and even have a Tokyo City Guide full of great tips and things to do in that city. After several visits there’s a lot that we’ve explored, and as a result when thinking about our next trip to Japan (there will be one), we’ve started to look at cities outside of the major ones that most visitors know about.
One such city is Okayama. It’s the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan, and located about halfway between Osaka and Hiroshima, two other cities that we’ve visited and enjoyed. You might not have heard of Okayama before (we hadn’t), but its convenient location makes it’s a real contender for a day trip from the better known Hiroshima, Kobe, or Osaka. Attractions include Okayama Castle, a 1966 reconstruction of the original 1597 castle that was destroyed during World War II, Korakuen Garden, which dates back to 1700 and is considered by many to be one of the best traditional gardens in Japan, and several art and history museums.
Food is always one of the main reasons we like to visit a city, and the one thing that really got our attention was the local delicacies in Okayama. Two local specialties are Barazushi, a sort of deconstructed sushi topped with local vegetables and sometimes fresh fish, and the dessert kibi dango, made by forming rice and millet gyūhi, a sort of soft mochi, into flat round cakes.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has put together this rather impressive 360° video of Tokyo at night, and Okayama. At any point in the video, you can pause it and get a 360° view. Check it out.