I picked Okayama for my first solo trip for a very practical reason.
Just because I could get there with the JR Pass.
But I ended up unexpectedly falling in love with this city. Okayama Station is so big, though, and I got lost a lot, so I’m taking off one star.
I loved Okayama so much that I came back for a second solo trip less than three months later lol.
Okayama Station | Review by 謝佩妤
Other Reviews by 謝佩妤
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The Historical Remains of Takamatsu Castle (Tamamo Park)
Takamatsu-jo was the resident castle for 4 generations of the Ikoma and 11 successive generations of the Matsudaira feudal clans. It is also known by its nickname, Tamamo-jo. Built facing the Seto Inland Sea, it is counted as one of the three largest seaside castles in Japan.
Overall, I thought it was pretty boring. You can’t go into the castle, but you still have to pay. Maybe it’s just me, I don’t know, but I walked around anyway and there really wasn’t much to see. It felt a bit like a waste of money, so I didn’t really like it. It was just okay, though I wouldn’t say it was ugly.
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Kojima Jeans Street
In the empty store space on Ajino Shopping Street, which used to be the most popular in Kojima, more than 40 jean shops, cafes and galleries opened.
There were a lot of jeans, but when I went, most of the shops were closed. I also felt the prices were kind of high. As a student, it was a bit too expensive for me, though maybe I just didn’t find the cheaper stores.
There are lots of side streets too~
The manhole covers were seriously so unique!
I really love these kinds of little details in Japan. -
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Okayama Castle
This castle was created by Warlord Hideie Ukita in 1597. The main castle was built on top of a hill named Okayama, and the Tensyu (castle tower), was built in front of the Asahikawa River. The adjacent castle town was created with merchants and craftsmen.
Okayama Castle. It was cloudy that day. I’ve been there twice, but only went inside once.
I think I used the Okayama pass?
But the sundae inside had gotten worse and looked nothing like the photos other people posted. It wasn’t that impressive. I did like the artwork inside, though, and there was also some kind of gold-trimmed fish? I’m not sure what it was, but it just wasn’t really for me.
There were two pieces of artwork I especially liked, so I hope you’ll check them out.
Oh, and there was also some equipment you could try for the experience.
Maybe armor? I don’t really remember.
I’ll correct this if I got anything wrong. -
