{"id":4033,"date":"2026-06-25T09:48:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T14:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jenny-chan.com\/blog\/?p=4033"},"modified":"2026-06-25T10:03:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T15:03:39","slug":"kurashiki-okayama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jenny-chan.com\/blog\/?p=4033","title":{"rendered":"Kurashiki & Okayama"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I had a very busy day of sightseeing after pushing all my shopping to the previous day. I woke up at 6:00am, did my usual morning routine, then made it out to Kurashiki just after 8:30am. The train ride from Okayama was around 20 minutes, then another 15 minute walk to the Bikan Historical Quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it was still early, I made a stop first at Achi Shrine. The shrine itself was so peaceful early in the morning and it was well worth a visit. After descending from the shrine I made my way over to the historical quarter. As it was a nice day out, I walked over to the tourist information centre and bought a canal ride for 11:30am. Then I was off to start my museum tour at the Ohara Museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Achi<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Achi<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Aside from the main gallery, the admission to Ohara also grants you access to the Craft Art Gallery and Kojima Torajiro Memorial Hall, which is inside a former bank building. I took advantage of their free coat check to drop off my backpack, then leisurely spent two hours going through the exhibits at all three buildings. The main gallery is definitely the highlight with its collection of Western art, but I did enjoy seeing the other two galleries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After I was done, it was nearing time to board my canal ride, so I walked over to the pier to join my group. It was honestly the perfect day for a boat ride as the sun was out and there was a light breeze in the air. We were given bamboo hats for the 20-minute ride as we were expertly led along the canal. I was reminded by the guide that Rurouni Kenshin was filmed in Kurashiki, with the bridge used for the iconic fight scene. The whole area is breathtakingly picturesque and the boat ride further elevated the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Kurashiki\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Kurashiki\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Once the ride was done I walked over to a nearby restaurant to leave my name in the queue, then browsed through some shops until my table was ready. For lunch I ordered their Setouchi oroshi lemon udon, which was exactly what I needed for a hot day. Later on I took my time to walk down denim street, before slowly making my way back to the station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Udon\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The second half of my day started back at Okayama Station, where I walked over to catch the romen densha<\/em>, or Okaden tram to head to Okayama Castle. The fare for the tram is included in the Setouchi pass. Once you make it to Shiroshita Station, you need to walk through this weird underground passage with a fountain to get to the opposite side of the street. Then as you walk further, you have the option of heading in one direction towards Okayama Castle, or the opposite direction towards Korakuen. I did the castle first as it had an earlier closing time, but you can buy a set ticket that saves you on admission when you see both attractions on the same day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I enjoyed seeing the exhibits at Okayama Castle and I was happy there was an elevator that takes you up to the fourth floor so you can easily work your way down. The view from the top was great and I even got to play dress up in a kimono. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Okayama<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Okayama<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Afterwards I made my way across to Korakuen. I was surprised by how much greenery there was inside the garden as it was flatter and had more open spaces than other Japanese gardens I’ve been to. I very much enjoyed the matcha ice cream I bought while sitting in the shade admiring the views. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Korakuen\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Korakuen\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

It was a ridiculously long day by the time I made it back to Okayama Station where I grabbed a meal of motsunabe<\/em>. I was happy I managed to cover so much ground in a day, but I crashed out not long after making it back to the hotel. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I had a very busy day of sightseeing after pushing all my shopping to the previous day. I woke up at 6:00am, did my usual morning routine, then made it out to Kurashiki just after 8:30am. The train ride from Okayama was around 20 minutes, then another 15 minute walk to the Bikan Historical Quarter. Since it was still early, I made a stop first at Achi Shrine. The shrine itself was so peaceful early in the morning and it was…<\/p>\n

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