Okayama Visit the refined beauty of Japan. Okayama & Kurashiki Walking Tour
Last updated: 19 April, 2021
Covering the three largest gardens in Japan, Japan's first Western art museum and other must-see spots that reveal the roots of Japanese beauty.
Okayama City and Kurashiki City, two of the most popular areas in the Chugoku and Setouchi regions of Japan, are home to many of Okayama Prefecture's most distinctive tourist attractions. Okayama City is dotted with spots where you can enjoy art, focusing on traditional Japanese beauty such as the gorgeous tower of Okayama Castle, and Japanese gardens. Kurashiki City is also a must-see for its historical townscape, which was once a place for the stocking of goods, as well as offering a unique taste of Western culture. Some of the highlights of the tour include Okayama Korakuen Garden, a Japanese garden with over 300 years of history which has been awarded three stars by the Michelin Guide for its beautiful scenery, and the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, which has been compared to the streets of Kyoto and is of great historical value. Other must-see attractions in Okayama include museums that have influenced the development of Japan's unique aesthetic sense. This tour is recommended for those who want to explore not only the popular sightseeing spots, but also an in-depth exploration of Japanese cultural sensibilities.
An all-encompassing one-day tour of Okayama City and Kurashiki City, two of Okayama's most popular tourist destinations.
The focus of this tour is the beauty of Okayama City and Kurashiki City. In Okayama City, you will visit Okayama Castle’s gorgeous tower, Japanese gardens, as well as other places of traditional Japanese beauty. In Kurashiki City, you can enjoy the historical value and beauty of the city's landscape, a scenery which has been compared to the streets of Kyoto. This is a luxury plan that allows you to fully enjoy the beauty of Okayama in a single day.
You can enjoy one of the most historically significant landscapes in Japan.
The area along the Kurashiki River in Kurashiki City is known as the "Kurashiki Bikan Area" and its architecture and traditional beauty has earned a comparison to the olden streets of Kyoto. The area was developed as a distribution centre for goods in the Edo period (1603-1867), and the traditional buildings and old townscape have been preserved to this day. Today, the area is a popular place to enjoy the quaint atmosphere of renovated traditional machiya houses converted into stylish shops and cafes.
A taste of Western art, which has had a major influence on the development of Japan's unique aesthetic.
On the tour, you will visit the famous Ohara Museum of Art in Kurashiki, the first private western art museum in Japan. It was founded by Magosaburo Ohara, Kurabo Company’s second president, an entrepreneur who contributed to the cultural development of Kurashiki. You will surely be fascinated by the aesthetic curiosity of the works of art displayed, containing a fusion of Japanese and Western beauty that can only be enjoyed here.