Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [346]
Sakuraya (223-5318; 1-8-21 Nodaya-chō; dishes ¥800-1800;5-10.30pm, closed Sun) A brightly lit izakaya attached to a more formal restaurant next door. Superlative fish from the Inland Sea dominates the Japanese-only menu here, along with tempura, kara-age (deep-fried chicken pieces) and other standards. There’s also sashimi tenko mori (a selection of sashimi) from ¥1000 per person, and there are around 40 different jizake (local sakes) available, from ¥500 yen. It’s a small glass-fronted place.
Padang Padang (223-6665; 1-7-10 Omote-chō; dishes ¥1000-2000; 6pm-midnight, closed Tue) Despite its name, this mellow restaurant focuses on French and Italian fusion dishes, like Iberiko-buta hone-tsuki rōsu (roast Iberico pork; ¥1880). Close to the castle on Shiroshita-suji, it’s a good spot for a glass of wine after a day of sightseeing. Look for the glass-fronted ground-floor building on the right as you walk away from the castle.
Drinking
Izayoi No Tsuki (222-2422; 1-10-2 Ekimae-chō; 5pm-midnight) An atmospheric izakaya on a street corner in the Sky Mall arcade, five minutes’ walk from the station. It has a menu listing 150 different sakes from Okayama prefecture (from around ¥450) and several beers from local microbreweries. The name of the bar is written in large characters on the wall, on the left as you head away from the station.
Aussie Bar (223-5930; 1-10-21 Ekimae-chō; 7pm-3am) A laid-back expat-run watering hole that’s popular with the city’s English-speaking population and their Japanese hangers-on. Drinks include Coopers Sparking Ale from Adelaide (¥600).
Saudade Na Yoru (234-5306; 2nd fl, Shiroshita bldg, 10-16 Tenjin-chō; dishes ¥650-1000; 6pm-3am) A chic 2nd-floor lounge bar overlooking the Symphony Hall building. Most drinks are around ¥700; a limited food menu is also available (pastas and curry rice from ¥700 to ¥800). A ¥300 cover charge applies after 9pm.
Fukuda Chaya (1-5 Kōraku-en; 7.30am-6pm Apr-Sep, 8am-5pm Oct-Mar) An old tea house is on the small island of Naka-no-shima within Kōraku-en, where you can enjoy matcha (powdered green tea) for ¥800 per person.
Shopping
Okayama-ken Kankō Bussan Centre (234-2270; 10am-8pm, closed 2nd Tue of each month) Found in the Symphony Hall, this centre has a good range of souvenirs from around the prefecture, including Bizen-yaki pottery, handicrafts, and sake.
Getting There & Away
Okayama airport (294-1811; 1277 Nichiyōji; www.okayama-airport.org/en/) is 20km northwest of the station. There are flights to Kagoshima (¥29,500, one hour and 25 minutes), Naha (¥34,200, two hours), Sapporo (¥44,000, one hour and 45 minutes) and Tokyo (¥30,200, one hour and 10 minutes), as well as Beijing, Guam, Seoul and Shanghai. Buses (¥680, 30 minutes) run to the airport from Okayama Station.
Ferries to Shōdo-shima leave hourly from the port (; ¥1000, 70 minutes), which is about 40 minutes by bus from the city centre. Buses leave from bus stop 8 in front of the station (¥480, two to four per hour).
With regular departures on the San-yō shinkansen line, Okayama is connected to Hiroshima (¥5350, 35 minutes) and Hakata (Fukuoka; ¥11,550, two hours) to the west; and to Osaka (¥5350, 45 minutes), Kyoto (¥6820, one hour) and Tokyo (¥15,850, 3½ hours). The JR Hakubi line runs between Okayama and Yonago (¥4620, two hours), in Tottori-ken. There are regular trains to Takamatsu in Shikoku; the most convenient is the kaisoku (rapid train; ¥1470, one hour), which runs two to three times per hour.
Getting Around
The Higashi-yama tram route will take you to all the main attractions. You’ll pay ¥100 to travel by tram anywhere in the central area.
JR Eki-Rinkun Rent-a-cycle (223-7081;