Here’s the latest on Okayama sightseeing in 2022! Four historical hotspots

１. 【 Kurashiki City Bikan Historical Quarter 】A town where past and present live in harmony

Everyone loves the old streets of the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter. The townscape blends the architecture of traditional Japan with modern Western design in a harmonious area now designated as one of Japan’s “Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings.” From stylish boutiques to cafes set in old traditional houses, there’s plenty to catch your eye here!

A beautifully illuminated nightscape  
Be sure to take a stroll not only in the daytime but also at night ♪ The beautiful town enveloped in a dreamlike illumination is not to be missed.

Kurashiki Kimono Komachi Bikan District Store

The Kojima district of Kurashiki City is the birthplace of Japanese domestic denim, an industry that began around the 17th century when cotton cultivation and the textile industry flourished here. Take a walk through the beautiful area wearing a unique “denim kimono” made of Okayama denim ♪

TANE

Masking tape with cute, colorful designs is said to have originated in Kurashiki. The city’s industrial tape manufacturer, Kamoi Kakoshi, developed the adorable stationery, and the product name “mt” is now famous. Masking tape with unique designs like motifs of the Kurashiki cityscape make perfect souvenirs!

Kurashiki SOLA

On April 28, 2022, a shopping area set in a restored old folk house opened in Kurashiki. The five stores here showcase Kurashiki’s craftsmanship through clothing, food, and living spaces, including a denim store, a Western-style restaurant, accommodation, a Japan-style shoe store, and a Japanese restaurant. The “Mingei Square” courtyard is a relaxing space to hang out with friends.

Taking a rest at Mingei Square

２. 【 Setouchi City Osafune 】In this Japanese Sword Village, the soul of the swordsmith lives on

In southeastern Okayama, Setouchi City’s Osafune area is famous as “sacred ground for Japanese swords.” The region has a long history of steel-making expertise and many famous swords have been fashioned here, fed by the rich resources of the Chugoku Mountains.

The Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum

This museum exhibits a variety of swords, mostly made in Okayama Prefecture. Here you can observe the techniques of real modern swordsmiths at work in the sword workshop on the premises. Hands-on courses (reservation required) offer the experience of making various items such as small swords and paper knives, in addition to rings made with metal engraving technology.

Sword exhibition room（写真提供：備前長船刀剣博物館）

A national treasure, “Sanchomo (Yamatorige)”

The national treasure “Sanchomo (Yamatorige)” sword, made in the Osafune region, is one of the finest, most famous blades in Japan, beloved by the feudal warlord Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578). Passed down for generations as a prized possession of the Uesugi family, it was purchased in 2020 when Setouchi City collected 500 million yen through crowdfunding. Its homecoming for the first time in about 800 years caused a sensation. Currently, it is publicly exhibited about once a year at the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum. Keep an eye out for your next chance!

Bizen Fukuoka Area

This historical cityscape is about 2.5 km from the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum. Around the 14th to 16th centuries, the city prospered as one of the largest commercial hubs in medieval Western Japan, handling various items from clothing to food and weapons. These days, a regular market is held on the 4th Sunday of every month, and efforts are now under way to revive the energy of the former business center.

Bizen Fukuoka Ichimonji Udon

This “self-style” udon noodle restaurant uses locally grown wheat and a special manufacturing method, and was also awarded Michelin Plate’s “Green Star” in 2020. Enjoy a set that includes a hands-on class making udon noodles and grinding wheat in a stone mill (reservation required), along with information about the townscape of Bizen Fukuoka.

３. 【 Maniwa City 】The nostalgic townscape of Katsuyama decorated with colorful Noren curtains

The Katsuyama district of Maniwa City in northern Okayama is a former castle town, and Okayama’s first area designated as a “Historical Preservation District.” Here, a historical sake brewery, samurai residences, cafes set in old folk houses, and galleries await. Recently, the scenery has gained fame for the old streets where traditional entry curtains called noren sway over the doorways.

Studio Hinoki

Katsuyama became the “noren town” when the owner of this plant-based dyeworks shop put up a Japanese entry curtain at the front of her parents’ liquor store. Many of the noren that brighten the Katsuyama Historical Preservation District were produced here. In addition to exhibiting and selling plant-dyed noren and accessories, the shop also offers a tie-dyeing class (reservation required).

Tie-dyeing experience

Restaurant Nishikura (Gozenshu Brewery/Tsuji Honten Co., Ltd.)

The building of this venerable sake brewery, founded in 1804, is registered as a tangible cultural property. The sake here is made with careful attention to local ingredients and has a delicious, crisp taste. Enjoy homemade dishes unique to sake breweries made with lees and koji (malted rice) at the restaurant in a renovated former warehouse, the Nishikura.

Maniwa fermented cuisine   
Maniwa, an area endowed with rich nature, a cold climate, and high-quality water, has long had a thriving brewing industry, and much of its culture of fermented food continues to this day. “Maniwa Hakko’s” is a team formed to promote such “fermentation culture.” Various companies that specialize in fermented products including craft beer, wine, and cheese are coming together with historic sake and soy sauce brewers and miso makers to promote fermentation tourism. Why not explore this growing health food trend while taking in the charm of Maniwa?

４. 【 Yakage Town 】New trends of a modern post town unchanged for centuries

About 35 minutes’ drive from central Kurashiki City, Yakage Town is in southwestern Okayama Prefecture. As a post town that prospered during the Edo period (1603-1868), the townscape still retains the feel of that bygone time. In recent years, refurbished old folk houses and other new attractions have been popping up.

Michi-no-Eki, the Sanyodo Yakage-juku

A new gateway to Yakage Town opened in March 2021. A “Michi-no-Eki” is generally a roadside rest stop where travelers pick up local goods and get tourist information. However, in this building there are no shops or restaurants. As part of Yakage Town’s project called “All the town is a roadside station,” only information is available here, introducing the charm of the town and encouraging visitors to take a walk around the city. Stop by here first!

issai

This shop sells authentic craft chocolate made in a particular way. To make the chocolate, the cocoa beans are ground in a unique stone mill made of high-quality granite from Yakage Town. The stone counters, tables, chairs, and unique interior celebrate this theme.

Chocolate products