Okayama Diaries: A Day of Trains, Temples, and Unexpected Turns
it's 6am and i'm still half asleep, clutching a lukewarm can of coffee from the vending machine. the train station in okayama is buzzing with early commuters, and i'm just trying to figure out if i'm on the right platform. spoiler: i wasn't. but that's okay, because sometimes the wrong train leads to the right story.
i just checked and it's 0.47°c there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. the air feels like it's been dipped in ice water, and my fingers are already numb. but the sky is this weird, pale blue that makes everything look like a vintage postcard. perfect for wandering.
"you gotta see korakuen garden,"
someone told me at the hostel last night. "it's like stepping into a painting." and they weren't wrong. the garden is massive, with ponds that reflect the sky like mirrors and bridges that look like they belong in a fairy tale. i spent an hour just sitting on a bench, watching the koi fish swim in lazy circles. it was the kind of peace you don't realize you need until you're in the middle of it.
but okayama isn't just about gardens. the *okayama castle is right next door, and it's this striking black structure that looks like it's been plucked from a samurai movie. i overheard a group of tourists saying it's one of the few original castles left in japan, which makes it even cooler. the inside is a museum, and i got lost in the history for a while, reading about the momotaro legend (yeah, the peach boy story is from here).
if you get bored, hiroshima and kagawa are just a short drive away. i heard from a local that hiroshima is worth the trip for the okonomiyaki alone, and kagawa has these hidden udon shops that are supposedly life-changing. but for now, i'm sticking to okayama. there's something about this city that feels like it's holding its breath, waiting for you to notice it.
i grabbed lunch at a tiny ramen shop near the station. the owner, an elderly man with a smile that could melt glaciers, recommended the tantanmen. it was spicy, creamy, and exactly what i needed to warm up. i sat there for an hour, watching the steam rise from my bowl and listening to the chatter of the locals. it's moments like these that make solo travel worth it.
okayama's weather is a mood. one minute it's sunny, the next it's drizzling like the sky forgot to make up its mind. but that's part of the charm. i spent the afternoon wandering through the kibitsu shrine, a unesco site that's famous for its unique architecture. the walk there was through a quiet neighborhood, with houses that looked like they'd been there for centuries. it felt like stepping into a different era.
i heard that the bizen pottery here is a must-buy, but i'm not much of a shopper. instead, i ended up at a local izakaya for dinner, where i accidentally ordered sake* instead of beer. it was a happy accident, though. the bartender, a woman with a laugh that could light up a room, taught me how to drink it properly. "sip, don't shoot," she said, and i've been sipping ever since.
okayama is one of those places that doesn't scream for attention. it's quiet, unassuming, and full of surprises. it's the kind of city that makes you slow down, look around, and appreciate the little things. like the way the light hits the rooftops at sunset, or the sound of a train passing in the distance. it's not flashy, but it's real. and sometimes, that's exactly what you need.
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