Okayama
Travel plans
Northern Okayama: Hiruzen's Jersey Highlands, the Sand Bath of Yubara & the Sake Town of Katsuyama — 2 Days
The Hiruzen dairy highlands and a timber sustainability pavilion, a free riverbed sand bath at Yubara and a historic onsen ryokan at Okutsu on day one, then the sake town of Katsuyama and the stone walls of Tsuyama Castle on day two — two days in Okayama's cool northern hills
Castle in the Sky: Bitchu Matsuyama's Mountaintop Keep, a Sea of Clouds & the Red-Ochre Town of Fukiya — 2 Days
The original mountaintop keep of Bitchu Matsuyama, a tea master's Zen garden and the samurai street of Takahashi on day one, then a dawn sea of clouds and the red-ochre village of Fukiya on day two — two days of castles in the sky in inland Okayama
Bizen: Six-Ancient-Kiln Pottery, the Forge of the Samurai Sword & Japan's Oldest Public School — 2 Days
The kiln town of Imbe, a hands-on Bizen-ware experience and the prefectural art museum on day one, then an Inland-Sea olive garden, the swordsmiths' forge at Osafune and the world's oldest commoners' school at Shizutani on day two — two days inside the crafts of Bizen
Kurashiki for Two: The Willow Canal of Bikan, Japan's First Western-Art Museum & the Birthplace of Japanese Denim — 2 Days
The willow canal and white kura of Bikan, Japan's first Western-art museum, a hilltop shrine and a night in a machiya ryokan on day one, then the jeans street of Kojima and the Seto-Inland-Sea panorama of Washuzan on day two — two days in Kurashiki for a couple
First-Time Okayama: Korakuen, the Crow Castle & the Momotaro Shrines of the Kibi Plain — 2 Days
Korakuen, the Crow Castle and the demi-katsu shop that invented Okayama's signature cutlet on day one, then the Momotaro shrines, a giant keyhole tomb and the five-story pagoda of the Kibi plain on day two — a first-timer's two days in sunny Okayama
Okayama travel guides
Bitchu Matsuyama Castle Guide 2026: The Castle in the Sky
Bizen Ware & Sword Guide 2026: Okayama's Craft Country
Kurashiki Guide 2026: The Bikan Canal & Kojima Denim
Northern Okayama Guide 2026: Hiruzen, Yubara & Katsuyama
