Okayama Prefecture · Japan
Where to stay in Okayama
Okayama is a city in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, home to about 720,000 people. This guide covers 3 hotels in Okayama.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 3
- Nearest airport
- OKJ13 km · Okayama Momotaro Airport
- Currency
- JPYyen
- Time zone
- Asia/Tokyo
- Language
- Japanese
About
About Okayama
Okayama is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The Okayama metropolitan area, centered around the city, has the largest urban employment zone in the Chugoku region of western Japan.
Among the attractions of Okayama, only Kōrakuen is widely known. Many travelers only pass through on the Shinkansen as they travel between Kansai and Hiroshima without giving Okayama any thought. But one key unlocks the city's unique charm: Momotarō, the Peach Boy. According to the Japanese fairytale, an old, childless couple found a peach floating down the river, and inside they found a baby boy. They duly adopted him and named him Momotarō (桃太郎), or (quite literally) "Peach Boy".
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Okayama
See
Statues of Momotaro are a popular Okayama photo-op. Arriving by train, you'll see your first at the east exit of JR Okayama Station, but there are Momotaro motifs all over the city - there is a Momotaro mailbox at the east exit of the station, and even manholes often feature the Peach Boy. You will also find individual statues of his travel companions the dog, monkey, and pheasant aligning both sides of Momotaro-odori. At the end of the island where Korakuen is located, look for the Riverside Peachbaby, a statue of Momotaro holding a peach to the heavens.
- Kōrakuen Garden
- Okayama Castle
- Okayama Orient Museum
- Okayama Prefectural Museum
- Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art
- Hayashibara Museum of Art
- Yumeji Art Museum
- Okaden Museum & Mitooka Eiji Design
- Kibitsuhiko Shrine
- Kibitsu Shrine
- Ancient Kibi Cultural Properties Center
- Koikui Shrine
Do
- Cycle the Kibi Plain
- Kyobashi Market
- Kubo Farm
- Kirin Beer Factory tours
- Okayama Symphony Hall
- Okayama Prefectural Multipurpose Grounds
- Okayama Dome
- Momotaro Onsen
- Inariyama Kenko Center
- Yuba Onsen
- Naked Man Festival
- Cherry Blossom Festival
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in Okayama
3 places to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
Where to stay
Which part of Okayama to stay in
Additional budget options are available in Kurashiki, which is a 15 minute train ride west of Okayama. The two Internet cafes close to Tenmaya Bus Station, Megalo and Popeye, are open 24 hours and allow customers to stay overnight for around ¥2000. Showers and light snacks are available, though there isn't much space for luggage.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
More hotels in Okayama
11 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| ANA Crowne Plaza Okayama | 1.3 km | |
| Hotel Granvia Okayama | 1.0 km | |
| 岡山国際ホテル | 2.7 km | |
| Daiwa Roynet Hotel Okayama Ekimae | 1.2 km | |
| Hotel Abest Grande Okayama | 1.2 km | |
| Hotel Excel Okayama | 1.6 km | |
| Mitsui Garden Hotel Okayama | 1.0 km | |
| Okayama International Hotel | 2.7 km | |
| Okayama Koraku Hotel | 1.1 km | |
| Okayama View Hotel | 1.2 km | |
| The OneFive Okayama | 1.5 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Okayama
Okayama has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; July is the wettest, with about 223 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Okayama: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Okayama Momotaro Airport (OKJ), about 13 km from the city centre in a straight line; Takamatsu Airport (TAK, 50 km) and Tokushima Awaodori Airport / JMSDF Tokushima Air Base (TKS, 86 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
Fares for public transport can either be paid in cash or by using an IC card. All major Japanese IC cards including Pasmo, Suica and Icoca are accepted. There is also a local Hareca Card that gives a generous 2% bonus when topped up, but it cannot be used anywhere outside Okayama and is thus not a great option for visitors. If paying cash, board trams and buses at the rear, take a boarding ticket, and pay your fare at the front when you disembark. The driver will not give change, but there is a machine on the tram that will change coins. Prepaid bus cards can also be used on the trams.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
OKJ · Okayama Momotaro Airport
TAK · Takamatsu Airport
TKS · Tokushima Awaodori Airport / JMSDF Tokushima Air Base
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Okayama
Eat
Kibi dango (吉備団子) are sweet millet-flour dumplings. According to the legend, Momotaro gave his companions kibi dango, and they helped him defeat the demons. Whether or not you'll like kibi dango enough to run off and fight demons will vary by personal taste, but they certainly are a tasty treat. The name is a bit of a pun too, as kibi means both "millet" and the ancient kingdom of Kibi, which covered a large area of present-day Okayama prefecture. Not surprisingly, going along with the "peach boy" theme, one of the famous fruits grown in and around Okayama is the white peach (白桃 hakutō).
Drink
There are hundreds of bars and izakaya in the central area. The biggest concentration is likely 50-100 m east from the station, starting from one street to the right (south) of Momotaro Dori (the main street where the Street Car runs). Along the nearby Nishigawa Canal, there is a nice vibe at night. There are a few microbreweries in Okayama (e.g. Doteshita, Doppo) and also some local sakes.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Okayama: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Okayama?
Okayama has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; July is the wettest, with about 223 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Okayama?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Okayama Momotaro Airport (OKJ), about 13 km from the city centre in a straight line; Takamatsu Airport (TAK, 50 km) and Tokushima Awaodori Airport / JMSDF Tokushima Air Base (TKS, 86 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Okayama?
yen (JPY).
Nearby
Destinations near Okayama
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.