Last Updated: Mar 19, 2024

Hop off at Okayama

Planning a Visit En Route to Hiroshima

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium

Allow me to begin this one by describing an all too common scenario. Imagine the following. You’re speeding along on the bullet train from Tokyo or Kyoto as you make your way to Hiroshima. As the stations roll by, your excitement continues to build. You approach Himeji and you mull over hopping off for a quick side adventure to the area’s imposing castle. After all, you have a JR rail pass and are free to get on and off all but the fastest trains at will. Alas, the Peace Dome and Miyajima are waiting so you decide to remain seated. Some time later, as the train pulls out of Okayama Station, you rejoice. Only one more stop to go you think, completely ignorant of the fact that you just missed some of Japan’s best hidden gems. Fret not though; you’re not alone in making this mistake but hopefully I can help to remedy the situation.

In the following article, I will lay out a plan of how to make a quick pit stop in Okayama before continuing on to Hiroshima. While the prefecture is vast and has abundant content to keep you mesmerized for days, many of its prime attractions are conveniently located near major transportation hubs. This makes for the perfect addition to all travelers’ itineraries and especially so for first time visitors to Japan. For starters…