Blogs from Okayama, Okayama, Japan, Asia

SC writes: We had a relaxed and comfortable trip up from Kagoshima to Okayama: 3 hours plus on the Shinkansen yesterday, and having checked in we immediately set off on a pre-planned trip out to the Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter, where we were able to stroll through streets boasting traditional architecture from the Edo period. Simply delightful with a waterside setting and lots of very attractive retail opportunities. The weather was again really good, so I‘m going to let the the photos speak for themselves. A really good side trip out via local trains......What had been a very good day ended on a downbeat. We went to an Ozzie Bar, recommended in Lonely Planet, but it was dreadful. A real wasted opportunity! (Cj writes) Another day, another fabulous garden - the second of the three best ... read more

Voici les photos d'Okayama, très jolie petite ville qui permet de rayonner dans différents endroits, nous avons fait un petit tour à Kurashiki, ainsi qu'à Himeji. Malheureusement le château d'Himeji était en rénovation et donc caché par un échafaudage, dommage car le jardin en lui même était déjà très joli. Okayama possède également un très joli château ainsi qu'un jardin non moins magnifique. Les températures ce sont un peut rafraichies, mais cela reste encore agréable, dans les 25°C, et toujours pas une goutte de pluie. Demain départ pour Nara, dernière étape de notre périple avant Tokyo et le départ pour la France, le retour à la vie normal va être rude ...... read more

Well after catching a train from Kagoshima to Okayama we are now in our hotel room just unloading the rucksacks off our backs. It was funny but at Hiroshima station four westerners joined our train and too be honest I thought "we're the only westerners on this train" - sounds like "I'm the only gay in the village", ha ha. Cannot add any photos as the wifi in our hotel in Okayama is really bad - sorry. When arranging our trains for Takayama and then onto Tokyo the queue ended up being out of the building as the poor man behind the counter was getting flustered with our request. I did say to him once he had completed the bookings "you speak very good English - to which he beamed and said do I" ah bless. ... read more

Every year on the 3rd Saturday in February, one of the coldest night of the year, a crowd of 100s gathers around Saidaiji Temple in Okayama city at midnight. Pushing, crushing each other they vie for space and wait for the chance to receive a blessing, good luck for a year. When the stroke of midnight finally occurs the lights are shut off and the head priest throws three shingi (sacred sticks) into the masses for the participants to grapple for. Of course what I’m leaving out here is that the crowd is entirely composed of nearly naked men clad only in fundoshi (a Japanese style loincloth) and who are completely juiced on sake. Hadaka Matsuri literally means naked festival. There are several in Japan every winter, but the largest and most notorious is held in ... read more