Okayama city boasts many art galleries and museums featuring everything from the fine arts to toy collections. Yumeji Art Museum Honkan exhibits works by Takehisa Yumeji, an artist from Okayama city known for his lyrical paintings of beautiful women, and is famous for housing many original drawings. If you are lucky, you may be greeted by the popular black cat known as “Kuro-no-suke” - the guardian of the art museum's garden. The sight of the cat, which looks just as if it has jumped out of one of Yumeji's paintings, is sure to steal your heart.

If you are a cat lover, you should also head to the “Manekineko” (lucky, beckoning cat) Art Museum. This museum is located in an old, nostalgic Japanese house and exhibits as many as 700 of the popular manekineko – a talisman that is thought to bring prosperity in business. There are various kinds of manekineko, including those made of wood, paper and stone. On your way out you can even buy your favorite manekineko as a good-luck charm.

For transport you might want to take the cat-themed street car or bus. The bus, which links Okayama Station with Yumeji Art Museum and Korakuen, is covered with decals of the black cat Kuro-no-suke and you won't be able to help but smile when you press the buzzer to get off and hear a “meowing” sound.

If you have time you may also like to visit the Kibi Highroad which crosses the Kibi Plateau. This is dotted with venues reminiscent of the legend of Momotaro. For example, there is Ki-no-jo (Demon's Castle) which was built around the latter half of the 7th century and sits at an altitude of 500 meters. Here you can enjoy the refreshing air of the plateau. If you go to Kibitsujinja Shrine, its corridor that is some 400m long will no doubt refresh you mind; a walkway that has been designated as one of the prefecture's important cultural properties. Furthermore, a hike to Bicchu Matsuyama Castle makes a perfect excursion. It is a fantastic sight when the whole area is wrapped in a sea of cloud (morning mist).

As you go around the sights in Okayama, you may want to buy some of the unique products that have the local feel and features of the region as souvenirs. The area is known as the birthplace of Japan's first jeans and Kojima, in the nearby city of Kurashiki, is famous for its Okayama denim, which can also be bought in Okayama city; a denim that is popular worldwide for its delicate craftsmanship. In terms of food, Okayama's specialty kibi dango (millet rice dumpling) are good and of course the delicious fruit for which Okayama is particularly well-known cannot be left out. The Shimizu White Peach is a type of peach that originates in Okayama. It is extremely sweet and is ranked number one in Japan in terms of production volume. The temperate climate of this Setouchi area also makes the region the number one producer of certain varieties of grape; with particular recommendations for the “Muscat of Alexandria” - the queen of grapes with an elegant bouquet and refreshing sweetness, and “Pione” - a seedless grape developed in Okayama. You may also want to sample other local cuisine such as sushi made using mamakari (Japanese sardines).

Map of Okayama Area

●Access

It takes approximately 80 minutes from Haneda Airport to Okayama Airport. And about 30 minutes by bus from Okayama Airport to the bus terminal at Okayama Station.

●Contact information

Momotaro Tourist Center
TEL. +81-86-222-2912
Okayama City Tourist Information Office
2F, JR Okayama Station, 1-1 Ekimotomachi, Kita-ku, Okayama City