A journey through the history and culture of the post town of Okayama, Yakage Town with the mascot character "Yakappi (Yakage Mascot)"

• Table of Contents
• What kind of town is Yakage Town?
• What kind of character is Yakage Town's mascot, "Yakappi (Yakage Mascot)"?
• Tourist Spot 1: Let's start here! "Sanyodo Yakagejuku Roadside Station"
• Tourist Spot 2: Travel back in time to the Edo period! "The Streets of Yakage-juku Historic Post Town"
• Tourist Spot 3: Feel the weight of history at the Former Yakage Honjin Ishii Residence
• Tourist Spot 4: Nine buildings are Important Cultural Properties! "Former Yakage Wakihonjin Takakusa Residence"
• Tourist Spot 5: Yakage Machiya Exchange Center - A great place to find souvenirs!
• Tourist Spot ⑥: 360-degree panoramic view! "Yakage Local Art Museum"
• Tourist Spot 7: A must-see for castle lovers! Medieval mountain castle "Chausuyama Castle Ruins"
• Tourist Spot 8: Sarugake Castle Ruins Castle - A dream destination for castle enthusiasts!
• Tourist Spot 9: Visit the Fukutake Residence, the former residence of a village headman from the Edo period
• Access and Parking Information
• Conclusion: Be sure to visit Yakage-juku Historic Post Town, where you can enjoy history and food.

What kind of town is Yakage Town?

Yakage-juku Historic Post Town townscape

Yakage Town , located in the southwestern part of Okayama Prefecture, is a historic town that flourished as a post town on the Sanyo Road, a major highway that was built during the Edo period (1603-1868).

Walking along the alley

The Oda River flows from west to east through the center of town, where lush rural scenery coexists with historic streets that retain traces of the past. Although it is a small town with a population of about 13,000, it has been attracting attention in recent years as a tourist destination that makes use of its history and culture while remaining based on agriculture.

Yakage Yakage Town Festival and Daimyo Procession

Many tourists visit on weekends and holidays, and the stylish cafes and restaurants that have been converted from old houses are also popular. Cafes that serve gorgeous-looking cream sodas are especially popular with the younger generation, and are becoming a hot topic as an "Instagrammable" spot.

Speaking of Yakage, it's cream soda

What kind of character is Yakage Town's mascot, "Yakappi (Yakage Mascot)"?

Provided by Yakage Town Industry and Tourism Division

Yakappy is the official mascot character of Yakage Town on the Sanyo Expressway, and is set as the "Shuku Bird." It was created to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the merger of Yakage Town(2014). The design motif is the Japanese Yakage Town bird of Yakage (a small bird that represents spring in Japan and is known for its beautiful song, "hohokekyo"). It is characterized by its adorable appearance, wearing an eboshi (traditional Japanese hat) on its head inspired by the fireflies that fly around the town, and a cherry blossom, the town flower, on its belly.

Provided by Yakage Town Industry and Tourism Division

Profile Birthday: April 2, 2014 / Gender: Boy / Position: Yakage Tourism Ambassador / Personality: Hardworking (a bit clumsy) / Fashion point: Firefly hat / Dream: To sing "hohokekyo" in a beautiful voice

This time, two members of the Okayama Sengoku Busho-tai, a tourism promotion group themed on Okayama 's Sengoku period (the era when warlords fought for supremacy in the 15th and 16th centuries), Ofuku (En'yuin), wife of warlord Ukita Naoie, and Katsuhime, wife of feudal lord Ikeda Mitsumasa, will be accompanying Yakappi to show us the highlights of Yakage Town.

Yakappi (Yakage Mascot)| Yuruchara Grand Prix Official Website

Tourist Spot 1: Let's start here! "Sanyodo Yakagejuku Roadside Station"

Sanyo Road Yakagejuku Roadside Station

The starting point for sightseeing in Yakage is Roadside Station Sanyo Road Yakage-juku. This new facility opened in March 2021 and can be considered the gateway to Yakage-juku Historic Post Town. Unlike typical roadside stations (Japanese public rest facilities that you can stop at during a drive), there are no restaurants on-site. This is because it is only a 2-3 minute walk to Honjin Street dori, a shopping street reminiscent of the Edo period. The idea is for visitors to enjoy the entire town as part of the roadside station.

1F Tourism and Products Corner

The building is equipped with a tourist and local product information corner, a kids' room, an observation deck, a rest area, a transportation information corner, and more, so it is recommended to start your stroll here by gathering information.

[Michi-no-Eki Sanyo Road Yakage-juku]

Address: 1988-10 Yakage , Yakage Town, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 0866-63-4300

Business hours: 9:00-17:00 (services available within the facility) / Toilets and rest areas are available 24 hours a day

Parking: Available (for standard cars, large vehicles, and EV charging)

Roadside Station Sanyo Road Yakage-juku

714-1201 1988-10 Yakage, Yakage-cho, Oda-gun, Okayama Prefecture

This roadside station is located along National Route 486 in Yakage-cho, a post town on the former Sanyo Expressway. The design of the station building was supervised by Eiji Mitooka, an industrial designer from Okayama who designed the Ibara Railway's Yume Yasuragi, the Kyushu Shinkansen Tsubame, and the luxury sleeper train Seven Stars in Kyushu. The adjacent shopping street is positioned as a product sales and food and beverage corner, and this is an unusual style in which there are no food and beverage or product sales stores within the facility. On the first floor there is a corner introducing sightseeing and local products in Yakage town, on the second floor there is a kids' room with a ball pool and picture books, a corner introducing Mr. Mitooka's works, and a spacious deck that goes around the building.

Tourist Spot 2: Travel back in time to the Edo period! "The Streets of Yakage-juku Historic Post Town"

Yakage-juku Historic Post Town townscape

The townscape of Yakage-juku Historic Post Town is a nationally valuable area where buildings from the Edo period remain in succession along the highway, and has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Traditional Buildings by the national government.

Of particular note is the fact that the "honjin" and "wakihonjin" lodgings used for sankin-kotai (alternate attendance system during the Edo period, in which feudal lords from various regions traveled regularly between Edo, where the shogun was located, and their own territories) are both designated as Important Cultural Properties and still exist today. Yakage-juku Historic Post Town in Japan where both remain. Along the street, there are many old houses that have been renovated into cafes, souvenir shops, and lodging, and the area has a charming, warm atmosphere where you can feel the breath of local life without being overly touristy.

Tourist Spot 3: Feel the weight of history at the Former Yakage Honjin Ishii Residence

Yakage Entrance

The Former Yakage Honjin Ishii Residence is a historic building that represents Yakage-juku Historic Post Town and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Honjin is a prestigious lodging designated for daimyo and shogunate officials to stay and rest during their alternate attendance trips to Edo.

Upper room

The magnificent Onarimon Gate, the prestigious "Jodan no Ma" (the highest-ranking room used by people of high status), and the historic storehouse have all been well-preserved, and you can tour the interior. The Ishii family has also handed down many ancient documents, including one that records that Princess Atsuhime of the Satsuma Domain (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture) stayed here at the end of the Edo period (late 19th century) on her way to marry the Tokugawa Shogun.

[Yakage Honjin (Former Yakage Honjin Ishii Residence)]

Address: 3079 Yakage, Yakage-cho, Yakage Yakage Town, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (March-October), 9:00-16:00 (November-February) *Last admission 30 minutes before closing

Closed: Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a public holiday), New Year's holidays

Admission fee: Adults (high school students and above) 500 yen, Children (elementary and junior high school students) 300 yen

Parking: Available

Former Yakage Honjin Ishii Family Residence

3079 Yakage, Yakage-cho, Oda-gun, Okayama Prefecture 714-1201

The existing main buildings of the main building, excluding the back gate, west storehouse, and sake brewery, were built in the middle of the Edo period, and the main buildings of the main building, including the main gate, entrance, and parlor, were built in the late Edo period (Tenpo to Ansei years). It was rebuilt over the years. The main building site has a frontage of 20 ken (approximately 36 m), a depth of 50 ken (approximately 90 m), and an area of ​​1,000 tsubo (approx. As the headquarters of Yakage, the 18th post town on the Sanyo Expressway, it has been designated as a national important cultural property.

Tourist Spot 4: Nine buildings are Important Cultural Properties! "Former Yakage Wakihonjin Takakusa Residence"

Former Yakage Wakihonjin Takakusa Residence

The Former Yakage Wakihonjin Takakusa Residence, was a facility that served as an assistant to the main inn. The Takakusa family, who were the last to serve as the Wakihonjin, made their fortune in the financial industry and were also responsible for managing the region's finances and acting as oshoya (chief administrative officer overseeing multiple villages). Located approximately 400 meters east of the main inn, the nine buildings, including the main house, storehouse, inner storehouse, large storehouse, middle storehouse, and gate storehouse, have been designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan. The interior is only open to the public on weekends. The front gate was relocated from the former Yakage gate and is a highlight of its historical value.

[Former Yakage Wakihonjin Takakusa Residence]

Address: 1981 Yakage, Yakage-cho, Yakage Yakage Town, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

Opening hours: Saturday and Sunday 10:00-15:00

Admission fee: Adults (high school students and above) 300 yen, Children (elementary and junior high school students) 150 yen

Parking: None (please use the nearby tourist parking lot)

Former Yakage Waki ​​Honjin Takagusa Family Residence

1981 Yakage, Yakage-cho, Oda-gun, Okayama Prefecture 714-1201

This building was used as a reserve for the main camp. The Takagusa family, who at the time was a money changer at the post and also served as the headman, was chosen. It is particularly characterized by its beautiful white walls and solid architectural style of tiled tiles. It is located 400m from the main shrine, and along with the main shrine, it has been designated as an important cultural property of the country.

Tourist Spot 5: Yakage Machiya Exchange Center - A great place to find souvenirs!

The Yakage Machiya Exchange Center, a tourist exchange facility housed in an over 80-year-old traditional Japanese house, offers tourist information, sells Yakage Town's specialty products and souvenirs, and provides event information. Various events are also held every Sunday afternoon. The restaurant and cafe within the facility, Yakage Chaya, serves popular lunches made with locally grown vegetables, as well as coffee and desserts (as of February 2026, only drinks and light meals are available due to kitchen renovations. Lunch is scheduled to resume around mid-February). There is also a wide selection of cute souvenirs, including Yakappi (Yakage Mascot), making it a recommended shopping spot.

[Yakage Machiya Exchange Center]

Address: 2639 Yakage, Yakage-cho, Yakage Yakage Town, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 0866-63-4446

Opening hours: 10:00-18:00 / Closed: Open all year round (except for New Year's holidays)

Parking: Available

Yakage machiya koryukan

2639, Yakage, Yakage-cho, Oda-gun, Okayama, 714-1201

At the information section, the information about the events held at Yakage machiya koryukan is made available and specialty products from that area are sold. The Japanese style room and rental rooms on the 2nd floor can be used for meetings and various kinds of gatherings. The Japanese-style room is also available as a gallery for exhibits. “Taniyama Salon” is a multipurpose hall with a Japanese traditional folk house atmosphere which has a capacity to hold a hundred people, and can be used for various events such as concerts, lectures, public readings and rakugo performances. When not being used for events, it is open to the public as a cozy space. At “Yakage Chaya”, light meals utilizing Yakage’s specialty items and beverages such as coffee are available.

Tourist Spot ⑥: 360-degree panoramic view! "Yakage Local Art Museum"

Located about a five-minute walk north from Yakage Honjin, the Yakage Local Art Museum is marked by its towering Mizumi-yagura (water watchtower). The building is constructed using traditional methods, with impressive thick beams made from locally grown Yakage pine, creating a spacious space that exudes the warmth of wood. In the exhibition room, you can view works by artists with ties to Yakage, such as calligrapher Tanaka Kaido and Western-style painter Sato Kazuaki. One thing you shouldn't miss here is the observation deck in the Mizumi-yagura. Climbing the spiral staircase will take you to a spectacular 360-degree view of the historic townscape of Yakage-juku Historic Post Town.

[Yakage Local Art Museum]

Address: 3118-1 Yakage , Yakage Town, Okayama Prefecture Oda County

TEL: 0866-82-2110

Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (last entry at 16:30)

Closed: Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a public holiday), New Year's holidays, and during exhibition changeovers

Admission fee: 200 yen for adults, free for high school students and younger (special exhibitions have separate admission fees) Parking: available

Yakage Museum of Art

714-1201 3118-1 Yakage, Yakage-cho, Oda-gun, Okayama Prefecture

It is a townhouse-style art museum that takes advantage of the atmosphere of Honjin and Wakihonjin. We are exhibiting the works of Tanaka Kando (a calligrapher) and Kazusho Sato (Western painter), both of whom are from Yakage Town, as well as local materials. The 16m high Mizumi Yagura is a symbol of the town. Opened in 1990.

Tourist Spot 7: A must-see for castle lovers! Medieval mountain castle "Chausuyama Castle Ruins"

Looking up to the east from Yakage-juku Historic Post Town, you'll see Mount Chausu(approximately 115 meters above sea level), a small mountain with a radio tower. This was once the site of a medieval mountain castle, the second largest in the Bitchu region (present-day western Okayama Prefecture). The ridge stretching south from the summit still retains the remains of a wide bailey (castle area), and a 600-meter-long moat (part of which still remains) surrounded the southern foot of the mountain, making it a large castle for its time. From the parking lot inside the castle or the observation deck in the Ninomaru bailey, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding Hirano, the Oda River, the Sanyo Road, and Yakage-juku Historic Post Town. This is a particularly recommended spot for history and castle buffs.

In 1583, Mori Motokiyo, the lord of Sarugake Castle, moved his residence to this castle, and it is said that Toyotomi Hideyoshi later stopped here on his way to Kyushu in 1587. The castle was abandoned after the Mori clan was defeated in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.

[Chausuyama Castle Ruins]

Location: Okayama Prefecture, Oda County, Yakage, Okayama Prefecture

Tourist Spot 8: Sarugake Castle Ruins Castle - A dream destination for castle enthusiasts!

If you drive along National Route 486 along the Oda River from Yakage towards Soja, you'll find Sarugake Castle Ruins on the south side of the narrowest point between the mountains. Near the summit of the ridge, the remains of the original structures (earthworks, moats, wells, etc.) remain in good condition, making it a well-known historical site among history buffs and castle enthusiasts, offering a vivid experience of the Sengoku period. The most impressive feature is the "Great Horikiri" behind the main enclosure (honmaru), which boasts a 15-meter drop from a 3-meter-high earthwork, and you can even climb down using a rope. It takes about an hour to climb the mountain path from the castle entrance, so please wear comfortable clothing and shoes.

The popular castle seal (a commemorative stamp for visiting the castle) is sold at the Yakage Visitor Center Wholesaler in Yakage-juku Historic Post Town .

Sarugake Castle Ruins is said to have been built during the Kamakura period (12th to 14th centuries), and during the Sengoku period, Motonari Mori's fourth son, Motokiyo Hoida, resided here. During the siege of Takamatsu Castle in Bitchu in 1582 (a strategy in which Toyotomi Hideyoshi surrounded the castle with water), Sarugake Castle was the first headquarters for the Mori side, serving as an important base.

[Sarugake Castle Ruins]

Location: Okayama Prefecture, Oda County, Yakage Town

Tourist Spot 9: Visit the Fukutake Residence, the former residence of a village headman from the Edo period

The Fukutake Residence is a late Edo period residence of a village headman (the administrative chief of several villages) that spans a vast area of ​​approximately 4,500 square meters. The main house and Nagayamon gate are designated as Important Cultural Properties by Okayama Prefecture, and together with several other buildings, including the bathhouse, they provide a good example of the layout of a wealthy farmer's residence from the Edo period. This venerable family, descended from a vassal of the Mori clan, has records of becoming the village headman of the Niwase domain in 1836 (Tenpo 7). The surrounding earthen walls feature "gun loops" (long, narrow holes for defense), demonstrating the defensive character of the residence. While the interior is currently not open to the public, its imposing appearance can be appreciated from the exterior. Nearby, remains of a "takasatsuba," a notice board used to post laws and regulations during the Edo period, still remain.

[Fukutake Residence]

Location: Okayama Prefecture, Oda County, Yakage Town

Yakage Town Board of Education | Official website

Access and Parking Information

[If you are using the train]

①About 1 hour from JR Okayama Station

JR Okayama Station → JR Kiyone Station (Sanyo Main Line/Hakubi Line, approximately 30 minutes)

→ Ibara Railway Yakage Station (approx. 20 minutes). From Yakage Station, it's a 5-10 minute walk to Yakage-juku Historic Post Town.

②About 50 minutes from JR Shin Kurashiki Station

Shin Kurashiki Station → Kurashiki Station (approx. 10 minutes) → Kiyone Station (approx. 15 minutes) → Yakage Station (approx. 20 minutes).

[If you are coming by car]

It's about 30 minutes from Tamashima IC on the Sanyo Expressway. We recommend entering "Sanyodo Yakagejuku Roadside Station" into your car navigation system.

Plenty of free parking!

There are five free parking lots around Yakage-juku Historic Post Town(Roadside Station Sanyo Road Yakage-juku, Hospitality Parking Lots 1 and 2, Tourist Parking Lot, and Behind the Yakage Machiya Exchange Center). All are conveniently located just a 2-3 minute walk from the main street. A large temporary free parking lot is also set up during the annual Yakage Town Festival and Daimyo Procession.

Conclusion: Be sure to visit Yakage-juku Historic Post Town, where you can enjoy history and food.

I toured Yakage-juku Historic Post Town-juku and its surrounding area with Yakage-juku, and found it to be a truly charming town where you can leisurely stroll around and soak up the historical atmosphere. While I omitted introducing the food this time, Yakage also hosts popular photogenic events such as "Cream Soda in Yakage" and "Sweet Potato Festival Potato Travel." Along the streets of the post town, as well as down the alleys, you'll find many lovely old-style cafes and local gourmet restaurants, so be sure to take a stroll and find them. This is a place that history buffs, as well as those who love cafe hopping and photography, will surely enjoy. Yakage is looking forward to seeing you there!

Yakage Town Tourism Official Website