[2025 Edition] From Osaka! A Classic 3-Day, 2-Night Tour of Okayama and Hiroshima

Shin-Osaka Station is a major station known as the gateway to the Kansai region. It is connected by the Shinkansen and conventional train lines, making it convenient for travel to various parts of Japan, including Osaka, Kyoto, and Hiroshima. There are a wide variety of restaurants and souvenir shops within the station, making it the perfect starting point for your trip to Japan.

JR Okayama Station is the central station of Okayama, the "Land of Sunshine." It is served by the Shinkansen and local train lines, and is convenient for transfers to Shikoku and Sanin. It also has good access to popular tourist destinations in the prefecture, such as Kurashiki and Seto Inland Sea(Kagawa Prefecture), the site of the Setouchi Triennale. There are also plenty of commercial facilities directly connected to the station, and restaurants where you can enjoy local cuisine.

A castle built by Hideie Ukita, a vassal of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and one of the Five Elders of Toyotomi. The three-story, six-story castle tower, which has a rare scalene pentagonal shape, has a dignified appearance, and is also called ``Ujo'' because of its black clapboard exterior. From the top floor, you can see Asahikawa below, and enjoy a 360-degree view of Okayama Korauen Garden and the city. The original castle tower was burnt down in an air raid in 1945 (Showa 20), but it has now been rebuilt, with parts such as the castle lord's room restored. There is a Bizen ware workshop on the first floor, where you can try your hand at making clay. In addition, the ``Ujo Togenkyo'' event, in which Okayama Castle's castle tower and its surroundings are lit up in spring, summer, and autumn, is gaining popularity.

A large garden built by Tsunamasa Ikeda, the second lord of the Okayama domain, as a place for relaxation. The spacious garden, decorated with seasonal flowers, is a different world just like the Edo period. In 1952, it was designated as a “Special Place of Scenic Beauty” as a historical and cultural heritage site, and received a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide Japan. Various events are held throughout the four seasons, such as tea gathering and moon viewing, and for a limited time, you can enjoy the ``Fantasy Garden,'' which is specially opened at night and lights up the garden in a different way than during the day. Volunteer guides (free of charge) are also popular with tourists.

AEON MALL Okayama is a large commercial facility within walking distance of JR Okayama Station. It is packed with fashion, gourmet food, and entertainment, making it the perfect spot for shopping and relaxation during your sightseeing.

We have set up tourist pamphlets and provide tourist information. We also sell tourist products.

Kurashiki City's tourist attraction is the "Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter." If you're going to visit, we recommend wearing traditional Japanese clothing to enhance your mood! You can rent Denim kimonos and remade kimonos. You can also rent long-sleeved kimonos, and a professional photographer can accompany you. Take a commemorative photo in a kimono to remember your trip.

As the Kojima area of ​​Kurashiki is the birthplace of domestically produced jeans, we carry denim products made in Kojima, as well as denim accessories and accessories. At the take-out corner, we sell light snacks finished in a blue color inspired by denim, such as ramune-flavored ``Denim Soft'' and ``Denim Man.''

The Kurashiki River was once bustling with riverboats loaded with supplies. There are sightseeing riverboats in operation that allow you to enjoy the atmosphere. The view of the white-walled townscape as you sit on the boat as it moves slowly gives you a unique look that can only be achieved by sailing on a riverboat.

Japan's first private Western art museum was established in 1930 (Showa 5) by Magosaburo Ohara, a businessman who contributed to the cultural development of Kurashiki. The main building displays many famous Western masterpieces, including El Greco's ``The Annunciation,'' Claude Monet's ``Water Lilies,'' Renoir, and Gauguin. The museum also houses approximately 3,000 works of art, including ancient Egyptian art, modern Western art, and modern and contemporary Japanese art.

[About the Ohara Museum of Art building]
The designer, Kazue Yakushiji, joined the Kurashiki Silk Textile Co., Ltd., whose founder, Magosaburo Ohara, was the president, and as Ohara's right-hand man, he worked on many buildings related to the company and the Ohara family.
The huge pillars at the entrance look like marble at first glance, but they are actually made of reinforced concrete, and are made by mixing stone powder with mortar and using plastering techniques.
No photography allowed inside the building

Ohara Museum of Art, the house where Magosaburo Ohara, the founder of Kurashiki Silk Textile (currently Kuraray Co., Ltd.), and generations of the Ohara family lived. National important cultural property.
The view inside the mansion is unimaginable from the outside. You can enjoy ``Kurashiki within Kurashiki'' in a calm atmosphere with a group of warehouses lined with stone pavements and a tranquil Japanese garden. The exhibition contents are also extensive. In addition to the Ohara family's collection and works of art, we will introduce the history of eight generations of the Ohara family through creative exhibits such as ``Furisogusu Kotoba'' and ``Cube Tree.'' There is also a book cafe surrounded by the Ohara family's collection of books.

This is a complex that stocks daily necessities from Kurashiki, such as Kurashiki canvas, masking tape, and tailored suits made from denim fabric. There is also a cafe and a memorial room for the Hayashi family, who made great efforts in the development of Kurashiki, and the balcony on the third floor offers a panoramic view of the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter.

You can enjoy parfaits, crepes, gelato, juices, etc. made with plenty of seasonal fruits.

The premises, which are eye-catching with red bricks covered with ivy, are home to the Kurabo Memorial Hall, a workshop where you can experience pottery, and a hotel.

[About the Kurashiki Ivy Square building]
The main factory of Kurashiki Spinning Works (currently Kurabo Industries) was renovated into a complex facility including a hotel, and can be said to be a pioneer in the conversion of factory buildings.
Ivy, planted during the factory era to control temperature, has become a symbol of Ivy Square.
The site is lined with brick buildings and other facilities that make use of textile mill buildings, and the modernization heritage of the Meiji era has been preserved and used, allowing you to feel the passage of time.
Architect/Year of completion: Shintaro Urabe/1974
Regarding tours and photography: Tours of the facility are possible.

Onomichi Station, the main entrance to Onomichi City, is close to both Shin-Onomichi Station on the Sanyo Shinkansen line and the sea, so you can enjoy the beautiful view of the Seto Inland Sea even while staying close to the station. There is also a hotel on the second floor of the station building.

The Mount Senkoji Ropeway allows you to enjoy beautiful scenery as you travel from Onomichi city in Hiroshima to the summit of Mount Senkoji. The ride takes about three minutes from the base of the mountain to Senkoji Park at the top, from which you can get a panoramic view of the Seto Inland Sea and the town of Onomichi. At the top of the mountain, you'll find Senkoji Park, famous for its cherry blossoms, as well as the museum and Literary Path in the surrounding area, allowing you to enjoy a stroll through the scenery of the four seasons and a sense of history.

From the 63-meter-long observation deck, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Onomichi Strait and the cityscape of Japan Heritage. There is also an elevator connected to the ropeway's summit station, so it is safe for strollers and wheelchairs. The long and narrow observation deck is a famous spot where you can enjoy the magnificent view of the Seto Inland Sea islands from any point.

Head left towards Ushitora Shrine, the oldest shrine in Onomichi, and you'll come to a narrow alleyway that continues on both sides for about 200 meters. Along this road, you'll find cafes and bars that have been renovated from old houses, accessory shops, art museums, gardens, and more, with unique "lucky cat stones" hidden here and there. Cats can be seen peeking out from the bushes and over the walls, making for a magical stroll that feels as if you've wandered into a cat world.

This popular Onomichi ramen shop is a 10-minute walk from JR Onomichi Station towards the shopping district. They use homemade flat, curly noodles that are left to sit for several days, so they stay chewy until the very end. The soup is made with fresh small fish from the Seto Inland Sea, including anchovies, and pork and chicken bones, and is combined with the richness of back fat to create a mellow, nostalgic flavor.

This stylish complex is centered around HOTEL CYCLE, a hotel exclusively for cyclists. It is the first in Japan to have a front desk where you can check in while still on your bike, and you can bring your bike into all rooms. The public space has a repair space where you can have your bike maintained, and other services for cyclists are abundant. It is a new style of complex that has never been seen before, with restaurants, cafes, lifestyle shops, cycle shops, and more.

Hiroshima Station

This is "Micchan Souhonten Ekie Branch", a Hiroshima okonomiyaki restaurant founded in 1950.
Directly connected to the Shinkansen exit of Hiroshima Station, you can enjoy a leisurely meal before or after your trip.
In addition to Hiroshima okonomiyaki, we also offer dishes and drinks unique to Hiroshima, such as beef koune, senjigara, and kapuramune.

Located in the center of Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is a symbolic place created to remember the devastation caused by the atomic bomb dropped on August 6, 1945, and to pray for world peace. The park is dotted with monuments that embody the desire for peace, including the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Flame of Peace, the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb, and the Children's Peace Monument.

Ferry terminal in Miyajima

A solemn shrine built in the 16th century. At high tide, the famous vermillion torii gates that symbolize the shrine appear to float above the surface of the sea.

The Miyajima Ropeway operates in a unique way in Japan, connecting and operating two types of ropeways: a circulation type and a crossing type.

national natural monument

It has a unique vegetation where coniferous trees and primitive plants remain in their natural state.
Various types of vegetation can be seen on Mt. Misen, including temperate zone plants, northern temperate zone plants such as conifers, and primitive plants.
The area designated as a World Heritage Site is 431.2 hectares, including the building of Itsukushima Shrine, the sea in front, and the Misen primeval forest in the background.

Registered as a World Heritage Site is the cultural heritage of Itsukushima Shrine, the sea in front, and the natural heritage of Misen Primeval Forest.

It is an attractive spot with a wide variety of shops lined up along the 350m long cobblestone street. There are local gourmet foods, souvenirs, and crafts available, and even just walking around has a fun atmosphere.

This is the ferry terminal on the Miyajima side. The ferry is operated by two companies, JR West Miyajima Ferry and Miyajima Matsudai Ferry, and the fare for both is 200 yen one way.

Ferry terminal for Miyajima

Hiroshima Station