Basing ourselves from nearby Kurashiki, we hopped on the local JR and spent a pleasant afternoon at the regional capital of Okayama, strolling its centuries-old garden and sampling traditional sweets dating from its feudal past. We also enjoyed some excellent Tonkatsu pork chops and skewered fish cakes, but I'll leave that at the end.
With its nostalgic streetcars, underground shopping arcades and an Osaka-born Takashimaya department store, Okayama flaunts its unambiguous Kansai vibe almost as an extension of Kobe, merely 30 minutes away on the Shinkansen. And with a majestic castle sitting on a river cutting through the heart of the city, this could well pass for a mini Osaka.
But the city is also fiercely loyal to its own Tenmaya department store, and prides itself on being the vital transportation hub between Kansai, Hiroshima, Shikoku and Sanin. It also boasts a major tourist attraction that none of the big cities possess -- one of Japan's Three Great Gardens.
Out of the three we had only previously visited Kanazawa's Kenroku-en, eight years ago amidst the fresh greenery and timid blossoms of early summer. This time we planned our 16-day trip to coincide with the autumn foliage season, starting the season with a taste of red at Okayama and reaching Hiroshima / Miyajima hopefully at the height of Koyo colours.
Any visitor to Koraku-en must pass under the shadow of Okayama's formidable fortress, dark, menacing and affectionately known as U-jo or Crow Castle, in stark contrast to the sparkling white castle of Himeji, a national treasure and UNESCO World Heritage Site at neighboring Hyogo Prefecture.
Whereas Himeji's castle miraculously survived the Meiji Restoration and WWII unscathed, Okayama-jo met its destruction by WWII air raids and was reincarnated in concrete in the postwar era, no longer revered as a national treasure. As we would visit two (Bitchu Matsuyama and Matsue) of Japan's twelve surviving castles on this trip, we skipped this ferroconcrete museum and headed straight for the garden.
Completely overshadowing the castle as Okayama's top tourist attraction nowadays, the 300-year-old Koraku-en began humbly as the castle's natural extension, a backyard retreat for the Daimyo's family and distinguished guests. To this date it still features the Daimyo's own tea plantation, which continues to produce its strong-flavored tea every May.
A favorite entertaining space of the Daimyo was the pictured Yatsuhashi bridge and its neighboring pavilion, an idyllic wooden structure with a small stream zigzagging through the middle while seated guests could admire the aesthetically arranged rocks in the stream. We took off our shoes alongside the locals and enjoyed a long break in the pavilion, watching the children dipping their feet in the cold stream.
Among Koraku-en's centuries-old traditions is the rearing of the now endangered Tancho cranes, an graceful and strikingly large (shoulder height!) bird well-loved by the Japanese as a symbol of longevity and nobility. While the eight cranes were caged here inside their aviary as usual, every New Year's Day they would be shown off for short walks on the garden lawn, though only for a few hours.
One of the few structures to survive WWII bombings, the Renchi-ken pavilion once served as the Daimyo's favorite spot for vistas of his garden's sinuous streams and green ponds beyond the angled stone bridge. Now the pleasure is extended to all visitors who can enjoy the same view with Matcha and sweets from the adjacent teahouse.
The garden's main building and guesthouse, Eiyo-tei, was not fortunate enough to survive WWII intact, though it has since been rebuilt based on the original specifications, complete with a Noh stage overlooking a lotus pond. On this November day it also served as the site of the annual chrysanthemum exhibit.
We did get our wish for some dazzling foliage at the Chishio-no-Mori maple grove, with the stalwart castle providing a contrasting backdrop to the delicate Momiji. Within a few short weeks all these leaves will fall as a reception for winter, and come springtime all attention will shift to the adjacent groves of plums and cherry blossoms.
Before leaving we climbed the manmade mount of Yuishinzan for a panoramic view of the entire garden, from Eiyo-tei to the lakeside shrines along Sawa-no-Ike to its collection of tiny artificial islands, when the cranes decided to entertain everyone with a boisterous symphony of fluting calls. For myself that was THE lasting impression of an afternoon spent at Koraku-en.
After visiting Okayama's 300-year-old star attraction, our next destination was an 85-year-old legendary eatery that invented the city's best known contribution to the Japanese culinary scene.
Food Review: AJITSUKASA NOMURA (Okayama)
Address: Heiwa-cho 1-10, Kita-Ku, Okayama-shi, Okayama Prefecture
Hours: 11:00-21:00 Daily
Map: from Google Maps
Directions: From Okayama Station, walk east for about 400m past the canal. Turn right into an alley one block after the canal, and the restaurant is on the right side.
Inconspicuously stashed inside an anonymous alley, Ajitsukasa Nomura is a true Okayama institution dating from the early days of Emperor Showa, before WWII, when its original owner first combined deep-fried pork cutlets with demi-glace, a Japanese-Western fusion that has since been embraced by Okayamans as Domi-Katsu and spread throughout the region.
Now operated by the chef's third generation descendent, Nomura still hasn't diverted from perfecting its two main offerings: Domi-Katsudon topped with the original sauce, and Tamago-toji Katsudon topped with soft scrambled eggs and onions. The only options are the different sizes, from 550 yen for small to 1100 yen for extra large, all sold at a ticket vending machine in self-serve Ramen-ya fashion.
At 550 yen (CAD$6.5) this complete meal with soup and Tsukemono had to be one of the best deals of our 16-day trip, a serious, high quality Katsudon at near-Yoshinoya prices. Nomura's demi-glace of chicken-and-vegetable-stock added that extra level of richness to the tenderly fried Tonkatsu, akin to Central Japan's Miso-Katsu but not quite as thick and sweet.
To this day my wife is still raving about this bowl of conventional, lighter-flavored Tamago-toji Katsudon, also priced at an amazing 550 yen. Given this unbeatable price-to-quality ratio, it's not difficult to appreciate Nomura's slogan of Otousan mo Tabeta, Okaasan mo Tabeta -- Dad ate here, Mom also ate here. If this is kept up for the next 85 years, the great-grandchildren will eat here as well.
Bill for Two Persons
| Mago Katsudon | 550 yen |
| Mago Tamagotoji Katsudon | 550 yen |
| TOTAL | 1100 yen (CAD$13) |
The best thing about a light dinner was having the stomach room to sample authentic local snacks such as this intriguing Takonegi Bouten, or Fish-Stick Tempura with Octopus and Green Onions. This representative delicacy from the Seto Inland Sea cost just 280 yen (CAD$3.3) at Okayama Station's Amo Chinmi, a 70-year-old fishcake specialist based at the seaside town of Tomo-no-Ura.
But our favorite snack from Okayama was the immensely famous Kibi Dango from the 160-year-old Koeido Honten, a traditional confectionery revered for having served Emperor Meiji back in the day. With numerous branches in Okayama and Kurashiki and outlets as far as Hiroshima Airport, it's just impossible to miss.
The texture was so incredibly soft and chewy that we actually bought these Kibi Dango twice -- a first box in Black Sugar flavor at Kurashiki and a second box in White Peach flavor at Hiroshima Airport. Ironically White Peach was the sweeter of the two, but I'd have Kibi Dango in any flavor, any day. With an expiry date of about one week, this is one of those local delicacies that I won't likely taste again unless I travel back to West Japan.
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