|
| |
|
OKAYAMA |
| |
|
|
| |
The main reason for stopping off in the capital of Okayama-ken,
OKAYAMA , 730km west of Tokyo, is to stretch your legs in its famous
garden, Korakuen , considered one of Japan's top three. The spacious
gardens are overlooked by the reconstructed castle Okayama-joi , around
which the city developed in the Edo period, but aside from the
intriguing Okayama Orient Museum there's little else of note in this
modern town.
Okayama, with its trams and riverside walks, is a transport hub for
trips out to surrounding attractions. The top draw is Kurashiki , just
fifteen minutes west of the city, with its well-preserved enclave of
picturesque old merchant houses and canals. From Kurashiki you can head
inland to Takahashi to discover Japan's highest castle, Bitchu Matsuyama
, looking down from its mountain-top over a town of old temples. For a
spectacular view of both the Inland Sea and the Seto-Ohashi bridge, aim
for Washu-zan on the southern tip of the prefecture. To discover
fragments of the area's ancient history, consider pedalling along the
Kibi bicycle route , west of the city, past fifth-century burial mounds
and rustic temples and shrines. And even more off-the-beaten-track
sights will be within your reach if you opt to stay at one of the
prefecture's International Villas , self-catering accommodation in
scenic locations specially reserved for foreign visitors.
The City
Although you can hop on a tram and travel the length of Momotaro-dori to
Shiroshita (¥140), the closest stop to Korakuen, the walk is easy enough
and takes you across the tree-lined Nishi-gawa Greenway Canal , a
pleasant spot for a stroll. At the main cross-road, Shiroshita-suji,
turn north and you'll soon arrive at the atmospheric Okayama Orient
Museum (Tues-Sun 9am-5pm; ¥300), an unusual and well-presented
collection of Near Eastern antiquities, ranging from Mesopotamian
pottery to Syrian mosaics and Roman sculptures. A block further north,
you'll see an angular modern building, which is home to the Okayama
Prefectural Museum of Art (Tues-Sun 9am-5pm; ¥300), a collection of more
recent and local art. As well as dreamy ink paintings by the fifteenth-century
artist and priest Sesshu Toyo, there are examples of the local pottery
style, Bizen-yaki , and regularly changing special exhibitions, for
which you'll have to pay an additional fee.
Just north of the museum, turn east and head across the Tsurumi-bashi (bridge)
to the northern end of the comma-shaped island on which you'll find
Okayama's star attraction, Korakuen (daily: April-Sept 7.30am-6pm; Jan-March
& Oct-Dec 8am-5pm; ¥350). Founded in 1686 by Lord Ikeda Tsunamasa, this
landscaped garden is notable for its wide, lush green lawns, highly
unusual in Japanese garden design. Other than this, all the traditional
elements, including teahouses, artificial lakes, islands and hills, and
borrowed scenery (in this case, the black keep of Okayama-jo), are
present. The strange bleating sound you'll hear on entering the garden
comes from a flock of caged red-crested cranes. Fortunately, Korakuen is
large enough to soak up the crowds that deluge other famous gardens,
such as Kenroku-en in Kanazawa and Ritsurin-koen in Takamatsu , both of
which are more interesting.
Outside the main gate to Korakuen is the lacklustre Okayama Prefectural
Museum (Tues-Sun: April-Sept 9am-6pm; Jan-March & Oct-Dec 9.30am-5pm;
¥200), where the historical exhibits are presented with little ceremony
and no English captions. Better to head for the smartly renovated
castle, Okayama-jo (daily 9am-5pm; ¥300), reached by walking round the
island and crossing the Tsukimi-bashi (Moon-viewing Bridge). Its
nickname, U-jo (Crow Castle), refers to the black-wooden cladding of the
donjon, from the top of which you get an excellent view of the
surrounding area. Founded in 1573 by Lord Ukita Hideie, the adopted son
of the great warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the castle fell foul of both
the Meiji restoration and World War II bombings, with the only original
bit of the building now being the Tsukimi Yagura (Moon-Viewing Turret),
at the western corner of the compound. You can pick up a good
English-language leaflet from the ticket desk at the entrance to the
donjon, and inside there's the chance to dress up in regal kimono as a
lord or lady.
A final pit stop on the way back to the station is the small Hayashibara
Museum of Art , 2-7-15 Marunouchi (daily 9am-5pm; ¥300), which displays
selections from the Oriental art collection of local businessman
Hayashibara Ichiro. There are some beautiful items in the collection,
including delicate ink scroll paintings and exquisite No theatre robes
from the sixteenth century, but they're not always on display, so take a
moment to leaf through the catalogue while sipping a free cup of green
tea in the lounge.
|
| |
|
