Finally getting around to these pics I took back in Nov in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture!
I really liked Okayama because it felt as much like a big city as it did a little country town. It has a certain charm you can’t really find in Tokyo - and yet it still has a lot of famous spots and trendy cafes.
Welcome to Okayama city…
How cute is this train? This was the line that took us from UNO station (where we took the ferry to Teshima from) back to OKAYAMA station…about 40 minutes. Trains like this always remind me of the Japanese countryside because you’ll never see something like this in Tokyo.
On this particular night, were starving by the time we got back to Okayama and looked up the best udon in town. We found this cute little place just a 10 minute walk from the station called OTOKO UDON “Men’s udon” (turns out it’s a popular chain in the area) HAHA…and were very happy with the meal. My noodles came with a giant fried gobo (burdock root) on top that looked so gross but tasted AMAZING.
We walked back to our hotel that was right next to Okayama Station and crashed so hard. We slept like babies and woke up the next day with a few more hours to explore the city before taking the Shinkansen back to Tokyo.
There is NO BETTER WAY to start your day than at at Japanese bakery. FACT. We did our research and googled the best bakeries around Okayama station and found this one… FUSAYA BAKERY. Which turned out to be a real hole in the wall because our very experienced Taxi driver didn’t even know what it was!! HAHA. But I read an article saying this place has been around for 40+ years so I knew it had to be legit. Turns out I was right and we had some of the best pastries and breads EVER.
I mean….just look at this heaven.
These were my fav “mochi mochi donuts (kinako)” ….OMGGGGG. Basically a chewy, fluffy, little bit crunchy on the outside mochi donut with the lightest bit of kinako (soybean) powder on top. Perfection.
After getting our breakfast bakery stop, we decided to walk to Okayama Castle and the famous KORAKUEN gardens.
Almost every big city in Japan has a castle…and they all are unique in their own ways. Okayama castle was really pretty to me for where it sits surrounded by the water like this, elevated high above the ground as if it were floating in the sky.
The castle is right next to KORAKUEN 後楽園, which is one of Japan’s top three best landscape gardens. You pay a few yen to enter the gardens and can walk around and enjoy the scenery and tranquility.
As we were walking through, I began to understand why it was ranked as one of Japan’s best gardens. I mean, the landscaping was meticulous and I almost forgot I was looking at real living plants - they were so perfectly groomed!
Every detail of the garden was perfectly places and that, to me, is the quintessential Japanese experience.
After our walk through Korakuen, it was time for some COFFEE!!! Thankfully, Steph and Miri are coffee people AKA the best people to travel with :)
The little backstreets of Okayama were magical.
Shout out to my travel buddies Steph and Miri. I am truly blessed to have these two in my life. Traveling with them was such a gift!
The coolest coffee shop in Okayama - KITSUNE. Now, this is a chain (in Paris and Tokyo) but i’d have to say the Okayama location is in the coolest building. Coffee shop goals.
let’s give a hand to Japanese parking structures…** clap clap **
AAAANd…..just like that, out trip to Okayama/Teshima came to an end and we said farewell to MOMOTAROU (famous story from this city) and headed back to Tokyo.
What I love so much about Japan is how endless it feels. Like, I thought I knew Japan pretty well…having lived in Tokyo, seen Osaka and Kyoto many times…but then I went to Okayama and realized how much I have YET TO SEE and that just made me love Japan so much more.
Okayama, thank you for your many denim stores, your adorable Momotarou gifts, your beautiful garden, your delicious hole in the wall bakeries, and your trendy coffee.
I’ll be back :)