Okayama

Hotel accommodation is not as expensive as many people think if you stick to what are known as Business Hotels, designed for business people staying for a couple of nights so expect small rooms, lack of hanging space but clean with good facilities. We used a number of them including MyStays, APA and Tokyo Inn and thought they were all good value. Check out the usual booking sites such as www.booking.com or www.venere.com to see what is available although some of these chains say the rates are always best through their official web sites.

We stayed at the Tokyo Inn at the rear side of the station, it was perfectly adequate, handy for transport and included a free Japanese style breakfast. There were a couple of places nearby but most of the time we spent around the main road Momotaro-Odori  running from the station towards to symphony hall.

We probably found eating in Okayama more difficult than other places with even less English spoken and the difficulty as ever of addresses. We did have a couple of really enjoyable meals but unfortunately they were all found by chance and the receipts have no names or addresses.

If you walk along Momotaro-Odori from the station the main restaurant, bar and entertainment area is to the right of the main street.  There is an arcade that runs parallel to the main street on the left hand side, slightly run-down but it had a couple of stand-up bars one near the start on the left where we met a some very friendly locals and were given some complimentary local food and another on the right further on.

Tei-Syoku, 1-24 Nishikimachi, turn right out of the station along a main road and take the third on the left opposite the Aeon Mall, this is a lovely modern style café & restaurant run by a really sweet couple. We popped in for a beer to shelter from the rain and were given three small complimentary dishes of food, lovely people.

Barrel House, was a small craft beer bar we came upon by chance, if you walk along the main road from the station about 200 metres along there is a canal which you cross, if you turn left on the far side of the canal then first right Barrel House is on the left. Friendly owner and customers and it stocks a wide range of beers.

We were recommended to try a Spanish Bar called Balsa Balsa by a Japanese wine supplier we met in Hiroshima unfortunately his directions were totally wrong and when we did find it by accident it was packed out, it is on the main  street of the entertainment area.

At the other end of the spectrum is a small eating place as you head back to the station, the last place on the right before crossing the road, squeeze in and order some skewers and drinks, there is a limited English menu, and join the locals.

Even in Okayama there are bars that will add a cover charge without any notice ask if in doubt.

Drink

Where to start, beer is relatively expensive due to the fact that the tax on beer is among the highest in the world at around 45% but is still very popular and there are well known brands such as Kirin, Sapporo and Asahi and increasingly many craft beers. Wine is becoming more popular and is cheap in supermarkets but quite expensive in most restaurants. Sake is of course the best known drink and ranges from very dry to very sweet, try and arrange a tasting to get an idea of what you enjoy. Also becoming popular is sparkling sake which is very easy to drink and relatively low alcohol. The most popular drinks in the evenings in bars are highballs, usually Suntory whisky with lots of soda and ice in a glass tankard, even nicer with a slice of lemon. Also popular are highballs made with Shochu, Japanese spirit, which is less strong than whisky, again with soda & ice but often flavourings such as plum, citrus or ginger, these are refreshing and cheap.

Naoshima is an easy day trip from Okayama, the tourist office have a sheet showing train & ferry times. Take the JR Uno line changing trains at Chayamachi, this is very simple and announced on the trains and get off at Uno station. This is covered by your JR Pass, there is a short walk to the Ferry Terminal where you can be a return ticket for the 20 minutes crossing. The boats are met by shuttle buses to Benesse, Art House Project etc. and fares cost Y100 they also go to the famous Yellow Pumpkin statue the symbol of the island. There are maps available showing places to eat, we chose to return to Okayama and the return journey was equally simple taking about 90 minutes each way.

Kurashiki, is on the JR San-yo line 15 minutes west of Okayama, it was the centre of the rice growing before it became a textile centre. The owner of the largest textile company built up a huge collection of European Art and built a museum to house his collection. This area is known as the Bikan Quarter and the original black and white warehouses built along side a lovely canal have been restored and now feature several other museums. It is very popular with visitors but is lovely to wander around. The Bikan area is about a twenty minute walk from the station. N’s Shokusai Swan is a restaurant at the far end of the canal and we had a lovely lunch there, very popular and a very friendly owner and staff.

Koraku-en Gardens are rated as one of the top three gardens in Japan and given that they are next to the imposing Okayama castle they are a must. They are either a short bus journey or a 30 minute walk from the station and are truly stunning. It is really difficult to describe how beautiful they were and this was a real highlight of the trip.