Okayama Prefecture is well-known for Okayama Korakuen, Shirakabe Dozogai Street, and Kurashiki. This time, we’ll introduce spots aimed at those who’ve been to Okayama previously and want to visit somewhere only experts know about. With this info, you’ll be able to enjoy your next trip to Okayama even more! We’ll also introduce the best way to get the most out of traveling in Okayama—the Setouchi Area Pass provided by Discover West Japan! Use this pass to travel throughout Okayama to your heart’s content!
#3 Feel the Explosive Denim Love of Kojima Jeans Street!
Kojima Jeans Street, the main street of the Kojima area, is known as the birthplace of denim jeans in Japan. The street is lined with more than 40 different jeans stores, as well as other novelty goods shops. This spot is famous amongst denim lovers throughout the world. Kojima is also home to the famous brand BettySmith, which operates the BettySmith JEANS MUSEUM & VILLAGE. At the jean creation experience factory, visitors can choose buttons and leather patches to create their own unique pair of jeans. Fashion lovers won’t want to miss this fun jean creation activity! (7,000 JPY participation fee, tax not included.)
How to Enjoy it Like a Pro
Take in the artsy vibes the area has to offer, like the hanging jeans art installation!
Kojima Jeans Street is full of interesting displays and fashionable spots! The sight of jeans floating in the air is sure to make for a great picture to share with friends. There’s even a cute jean-shaped sign you won’t want to miss!
Kojima Denim Street
- Access: A 15-minute walk from JR Kojima Station
#2 Get Your Dose of Vitamin C While Strawberry Picking with Family and Friends!
You can go strawberry and grape picking at Okayama City South Village. Their large, juicy strawberries are chocked full of vitamin C and great for your body and skin! There are two plans, one where you can eat what you’ve picked on location, and one where you can take home what you’ve picked. There are also plans where you can eat the strawberries you’ve picked on the spot without even having to wash them!
How to Enjoy it Like a Pro
1) Enjoy a variety of different fruits throughout the seasons!
Visitors can enjoy picking seasonal fruit such as strawberries from winter to spring, and grapes from summer to autumn. There are five different varieties of strawberries, such as Akihime and Kaorino, each with their own distinct flavors.
2) Get farm fresh fruits and vegetables at the roadside market!
The roadside market offers fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms delivered first thing in the morning. The market also sells fresh fish, meat, obento lunches, bread, and flowers. When in season, freshly picked strawberries are available at the storefront as well.
Okayama City South Village
- Access: A 7-minute walk from JR Bizen-Kataoka Station
#1 Did You know Okayama is the Masking Tape Titan of Japan?
Masking tape has long been used for painting walls and sealing and caulking, but recently, the decorative varieties have become popular for use on presents, letters, and in journals with ladies. Masking tape with the letters “mt” can be found at various novelty goods shops throughout Japan, which is actually a product of the famous company Kamoi Kakoshi. Kurashiki has around 850 different shops that sell masking tape, including four local Kurashiki brands, as well as brands from outside the area, such as masking tape specialty store TANE, and Nyochikudo.
How to Enjoy it Like a Pro
1) Check out this massive wall of masking tapes!
TANE, a store known as the masking tape holy land with over 1,000 varieties in total, has walls lined with shelves of small cubby holes filled with all sorts of cute types of masking tape! From the run-of-the-mill to artsy, and the long to thick, you’re sure to find a favorite amongst the plethora of masking tapes offered here! Decorate a storage box for all your masking tapes with tapes at the store! (500 JPY) Even if you aren’t confident in your decorating skills, fear not; you can remove and reapply the tape as necessary. Make your own unique storage box as a memento of your trip!
TANE
- Access: A 15-minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station
2) Try creating a unique storage box with colorful tapes!
At the famous masking tape store Nyochikudo in Kurashiki, visitors can decorate their own art goods box during the collection box creation experience available only on weekends. Decorate your box to your heart’s content with colorful masking tape! If you find yourself taking a stroll around Kurashiki on the weekend and you’re feeling artsy, drop by the store to join in on this fun experience.
Nyochikudo
- Access: A 20-minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station
Recommending Lodging for Previous Visitors
Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter’s old Japanese inn, Ryori Ryokan - Tsurugata
Within the central area of Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter lies an old Japanese inn originally build toward the end of the Edo period (1744) that was renovated by a merchant. The inn offers dinner courses that integrate fresh ingredients from the mountains and sea, as well as a variety of other courses. The inn’s head chef has a history of producing first class meals for Japan Airline’s domestic flights.
The Japanese gardens that can be seen from the special room Achi no Ma’s veranda include approximately 400-year-old pines.
Ryori Ryokan – Tsurugata
- Access: A 10-minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station
Yoshii Inn – an old Japanese style inn once visited by Ryoma Sakamoto
Within the building preservation district lies and old Japanese inn built at the end of the Edo period, around 270 years ago, that was originally a private home. During the final days of the Tokugawa shogunate, it's said that Ryoma Sakamoto stayed in one of the guest rooms here on his way to the capital. The inn offers traditional meals based around the seasons with ingredients from the Seto Inland area. In summer, visitors can enjoy eel hot pot and, in winter, seafood hot pots chocked with seasonal vegetables.
Visitors can rent the inn's two types of bath, the hinoki bath and the kouyamaki bath.
Yoshii Inn
- Access: A 10-minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station
The best way to get around Okayama Prefecture -Discover West Japan's Setouchi Area Pass
There are plenty of wonderful places to visit in Okayama Prefecture, so many so that you might not be able to choose just one. If you're looking to travel with ease, the Setouchi Area Pass is your best bet! This pass covers travel via shinkansen, train, and buses (some excluded) over a 5-day period throughout Okayama prefecture, Hiroshima prefecture, Yamaguchi prefecture, and other areas within Setouchi, so it's a must-have for first-time and seasoned travelers! We'll introduce the best way to use this pass in a separate article, so don't miss it!
Check out the following links for more info on the Setouchi Area Pass:
https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/setouchi/
Related Articles
Okayama Prefecture:
- The Top 3 Major Tourist Spots to Read About in 5 Minutes for Your First Okayama Trip! (For Beginners)
- The Top 3 Tourist Spots to Read About in 5 Minutes as Recommended by Okayama Experts! (For Previous Visitors)
- Check Out FUN! JAPAN's Top 3 Places to Eat in Okayama Prefecture!
Hiroshima Prefecture:
- The Top 3 Major Tourist Spots to Read About in 5 Minutes for Your First Hiroshima Trip! (For Beginners)
- The Top 3 Tourist Spots to Read About in 5 Minutes as Recommended by Hiroshima Experts! (For Previous Visitors)
- Check Out FUN! JAPAN's Top 3 Places to Eat in Hiroshima Prefecture!
Yamaguchi Prefecture:
- The Top 3 Major Tourist Spots to Read About in 5 Minutes for Your First Yamaguchi Trip! (For Beginners)
- The Top 3 Tourist Spots to Read About in 5 Minutes as Recommended by Yamaguchi Experts! (For Previous Visitors)
Okayama and Hiroshima Prefecture:
sponsored by West Japan Railway Company
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