This post was written in 2006. Some information may be out of date.
Over the weekend I went to Okayama, about three hours by car from my place. Okayama started out as a fairly small town, but it became well known as a transport hub linking Kyushu, Chugoku and Shikoku with Tokyo and Osaka. The city as a whole feels very quiet and tidy. It isn’t a big city, but there are a few decent spots for sightseeing and hot-spring baths.
Okayama is home to Korakuen, one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens. Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, which I visited before, is another of the three. They’re both on the same list, but the feel is quite different. Kenrokuen has the better facilities, but here there was hardly anyone around, which actually made it nicer for taking in the garden. It doesn’t have the cute, intricate charm you’d expect from a Japanese garden, but it was still worth the visit.
The weather was beautifully clear that day.
Honestly, I thought I was going to die from the heat… I think I need to come back in autumn.
Pine tree
Flowers
Everything around was green, and only these flowers were orange…
Pond
Moss
A building that feels like a traditional arts hall
A bridge over the stream
The stream
The whole view
Fish
Bonus shot: a cat I met at Okayama Castle.
Its eyes are really mysterious…
I did take photos of Okayama Castle, but it seems I deleted them by mistake. Because the building is black, Okayama Castle is also known as the “Crow Castle” (Ujo). Apart from that there’s nothing especially remarkable about it ^_^ It’s right next to Korakuen.