The city thrived as a castle town during the Edo Period (1603-1867). Okayama Castle, the Koraku-en Garden, one of the three major gardens in Japan, and a number of art museums are found here.
Bizen pottery village in southeastern Okayama has a history of more than 1,000 years. Bizen-yaki is one of the six types of ancient Japanese pottery styles, and uses neither glazing nor painting.
Easy access: only one hour by Shinkansen, bullet train from Osaka or Hiroshima, and one hour by regular train from Shikoku Island.
Uno Port is an important arrival and departure point on such routes as to Naoshima Island with its Chichu Art Museum, Teshima and the Teshima Art Museum, and to many other small islands.

Uchiko, a little town within one hour’s drive from Matsuyama flourished from 1720s to 1930s as a production center for traditional wax made from a kind of nut. The town is designated as one of Japan’s Preservation Districts.
You can stroll the 600 meter long street with fine white and yellowish walled merchants’ homes and warehouses for a feeling back to its good old days.