A trip to Kurashiki and Okayama Cities

Okayama Prefecture is called "Land of Sunshine" for its mild climate and sunny skies

typical of the Seto Inland Sea region.

I had an overnight trip to Kurashiki and Okayama cities in the south-west part 

of the prefecture with my son and his daughter.

Unfortunately my husband stayed home because of a cold he had.

In Kurashiki City, we spent most of the time in Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter,

the old merchants quarter,

where the city's former canal system and about 400-year-old buildings have been preserved.

The canal area dates back to the Edo Period (1603-1867), when the city served

as an important rice distribution center to Edo and Osaka.

Weeping willows and original storehouses line the canal and the stone bridges 

cross over the canal water.

There are sightseeing riverboats in operation.

There are narrow lanes from the main roads along the river.

The distinctive feature of the architecture is white walls and black tiles.

One block away from the canal, Storehouse Shopping Street runs parallel to the canal.

The historic townhousese are repurposed as cafes and restaurants, boutiques, 

souvenir shops as well as specialty shops including canvas (Kurashiki Canvas),

jeans, sake, and others.

Kurashiki is the birthplace of domestically produced jeans.

After a round trip of the quarter, we returned to the starting place.

The Seto Inland Sea is dotted with many small islands.

Right after the sunset, the sea turned into mellow oranges.

In Okayama City, we walked through Korakuen Garden to Okayama Castle.

Okayama Castle is called "Ujo 烏城 Crow Castle" for its black exterior.

It is in stark contrast to the white Himeji Castle, or "Shirasagi-jo 白鷺城 Egret Castle."

(White Egret in the sea of Sakura)

The original castle was built in 1597 during the Warring States period and was destroyed 

by fire almost completely during the WWII.

Reconstruction was made in 1966 and then major renovation was completed in 2022.

That's why the castle stands shiny.

The appealing points of the southern Okayama is historical towns and

the beautiful seascape of the Seto Inland Sea.

Okayama is also known as "Kingdom of Fruits".

White peaches, muscats, piones are special products grown there.

While I prefer raw fruits, fruit parfait served with ice cream, sauce, and others

 tastes exquisite.

I also like to see the ingredients artistically arranged in layers.

Center; the view of Koraku-en Garden and Okayama City beyond the castle moat,

Seto Ohashi Bridge, and the seascape 

Okayama Prefecture Official Tourism Guide

Websiste of sightseeing in Kurashiki

Linked to Mosaic Monday

The views from Ushimado: Japanese Aegean Sea

Ushimado, Setouchi City, Okayama prefecture, is a nice and quiet small coastal community of the Seto Inland Sea with lots of olive trees and sailboats.  Yacht harbor is the biggest scale in western Japan.  Olive is extensively cultivated at this reagion utilizing the mild climate of the Inland Sea like the Aegean.  Shodo-shima Island is known as "olive island".

Go up to the olive garden, and you’ll have the fine view of the sea with numerous islands and the mountains of Shikoku.  

On a sunny day, the color of the Inland Sea is azure.   The Sea was shimmering in the lighter color on that day.  The small white dots are yachts.

This place is close to Shimanami Kaido (island-wave-highway,　しまなみ海道), which connects Honshu (main land, the largest island of Japan) with Shikoku by bridges via several islands of the Inland Sea.  The islands are known for their breathtaking scenery, beaches, and olive or citrus cultivation.  Some people enjoy pedalling from island to island feeling the wind.

On our way, we stopped by an orchard close to the olive garden.   These are not strange fruits.

These are small paper bags to protect peaches to ripen to perfection.  It's peach season: they are picked between late July and early august. 

White Peach is one of the specialty products of Okayama.  It is well known for its juicy and sweet flavor. The soft lusciousness is exquisite. 

Fukushima prefecture has produced the most peaches in Japan, however, we can't expect so much on them from Fukushima this year. 



Back to Ushimado, I was satisfied thoroughly for the picturesque surroundings and landscapes as a traveler, nature lover, and amateur photographer. Still more if you are a sailor, I think.

In a couple of dyas, I'll become inactive in blogging and commenting.  Stay cool and have happy summer days, Friends.  Have a nice obon holiday, Japanese Friends.  See you two weeks later.

Yoko

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