Okayama & Karakuen

Okayama

Shinkansen - Tickets booked 10:05 am to 16:48 - 44 minute trip. East exit, tram and walk. if it is nice day, just walk it about 20 minutes.

Got to the castle park and got an immediate attack of gastro and a very quick lesson in using a squat toilet. it was not a clean one … feel sick thinking about it.


Wandered around to castle, a concrete reconstruction, got another castle stamp Okyama Castle stamp #70. Happy about that, being a modern reconstruction it had regular stairs and a lift. The 800yen entry was not worth it for the minimal displays, though some of the dioramas of edo life had some nice period furniture. I like the stair case + drawer units. Super clean loos here with toilet paper, but was squat toilet only

Left the castle and wandering around to the Korakuen. One of the top 3 gardens. Got the combined ticket for the cultural museum which is across from the exit.
580yen


The first thing in the garden was a cage of Red Crested Herron Cranes, they are huge!. A elegant as swan, but as tall as an average Japanese woman.


Then we strolled the rest of the garden slowly taking the time to enjoy each vista as the planting give way to views of a small lake with the castle on the hill in the background. The park is unusual in Japan for its use of open grassed areas (do not walk on the grass) as integral to the design.


Unfortunately the park and grass was very dry and dusty. so the the fabled green was not there. It will rain this week, so I may return there on my own at some point.

I felt the garden is not as good as Kanazawa (will be there next week), but certainly has some very interesting touches.

the small bridges over carp ponds, the black soil/mud in one pond with a zig-zag bridge so you watch your footing and look down at the delicate worm track patterns in the black mud.


The rest house with water flowing through the middle where we sat and ate our lunch was shady peaceful and a beautiful place to just sit and be. The tea field is not something I seen before and was interesting to see how it was worked into the garden design


Cherry Blossom were also out, and they white flowers were glowing in the spring sunshine, the light really makes a difference.. the angle of late afternoon sun often brings out some of the best photos for blossom

Then with my stomach rumbling again we went out to the cultural museum. not a lot of english on the displays, but we were given a guidebook in English. So of the ancient pottery exhibits were interesting shapes. The shard sizes would make Time Team jealous.

A special exhibit of swords was also on. the complete blades where so intricate and beautiful in their scabbards, but the 10 or other ones with just the blade were pretty meaningless to us without enlist. I assume they were showing how the shape/size/techniques changed over time.

Back to Okayama Eki (Station), long walk along river and back through town, via Bic Camera store to pickup as gorrilla tripod and look at the amazing fridges and 350degree ovens for making good pizza at home.

Still had two hours to kill but I was not feeling well, a cold starting on top of everything else. Toilets at Shinkansen station include western style with loo paper and are very clean. thankfully.

After being unable to decide on food from the various restaurants, we settled on Eki-ben from the vendor near where were sitting. I had #22 and Gill had #2.
I recommend #22.

Got cold so we moved to the warmed waiting area in the station.. train home felt a lot quicker because we were eating our meals.