Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter (Kurashiki City)

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A district famed for the beauty of its traditional Japanese buildings with their distinctive white and monochrome, lattice-patterned walls (namakokabe). Here you will find many cultural museums including the Ohara Museum of Art and its collection of international masterpieces as well as the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft, the Kurashiki Archeological Museum, and the Japanese Folk Toy Museum.

Kojima Jeans Street (Kurashiki City)

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The birthplace of jeans in Japan, Kojima, is considered an almost sacred spot for Japan Denim that is the envy of the world and renowned for its quality workmanship. Just 400 m from the old Nozaki Residence, this street is home to Kojima-made jeans, as well as a variety of cafés and shops.

Mt. Washuzan Observatory (Kurashiki City)

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This breathtaking scenic spot in Setonaikai National Park was given its name as it is said to resemble an eagle unfurling its wings. This is a perfect place to see the whole Seto Ohashi Bridge spanning the various small islands that dot the serene Seto Inland Sea.

Kojima Takoshio Yakisoba (Kurashiki City)

A perfect combination of octopus, from the scenic fishing port of Shimotsui, and Kojima’s own special salt! This plate of salt-fried noodles represents the concentrated essence of the Seto Inland Sea. Sample the flavors of octopus, salt, and noodles in perfect harmony!

Ojigadake Hill (Kurashiki City, Tamano City)

Ojigadake Hill is home to a rich variety of strangely shaped and precariously positioned granite rocks that are strewn across the hill’s surface. The view from the Ojigadake Park Center at the hill’s summit is truly picture perfect as you gaze out across the Bisan-Seto area of the Seto Inland Sea with the Chugoku mountain range forming a picturesque backdrop.

Shibukawa Coast (Tamano City)

Cyclists will love this spot where they can ride down the coastal road taking in the beautiful scenery of the Seto Inland Sea and a myriad of small islands. The azure skies of Okayama, the Land of Sunshine, and the calm waters of the Seto Inland Sea are a perfect match.

Tamano Ontamameshi (Tamano City)

This local specialty features juicy conger eel, famous in Tamano City, mixed with rice and combined with a rich, sweet, and salty kabayaki (grilled eel) sauce. Topped with an onsen tamago soft-boiled egg, this dish is the pinnacle of deliciousness. Simply unforgettable!

Chinu – The Black Sea Bream of Uno (Tamano City)

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The port of Uno and its surroundings are home to various art installations including Chinu, The Black Sea Bream of Uno, which was created entirely from marine debris as well as pieces based on the motif of a ship’s anchor and propeller. Just nearby is the Omachido café, where you can sit back and enjoy a sweet and refreshing kakigori shaved ice dessert.

Roadside Station Miyama Park (Tamano City)

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This park has a great deal to offer, with a “strolling zone” featuring more than 100 varieties of flowers and trees, a “play zone” with mini golf and a children’s playground as well as an “English garden.” A flea market is also held on the second and fourth Sundays of each month.

Yuga Shrine and Yuga-san Rendai-ji Temple (Kurashiki City)

Mt. Yuga is widely known as the main place for providing amulets to ward off evil, and during the Edo period (17th-19th centuries) a popular pilgrimage was to visit both Mt. Yuga and also Konpira Shrine in Shikoku. The approach to the temple is via flights of stone stairs that were intended to ward off evil. Yuga-san Rendai-ji Temple is where the Yuga Daigongen is enshrined, one of Japan’s three great gongen, or manifestations of the Buddha.