In Okayama, the most celebrated site for visitors is the Korakuen, which is one of Japan's three most beautiful landscape gardens. Sit around the pools, and in the teahouses; walk along the pavilions and the verdant woods and hike up the artificial hill. A trip to this park is a lifetime experience. Lying next to the garden is the impressive Okayama Castle, built in 1597. Also known as the "crow castle" because of its black exterior, it was destroyed during World War II and reconstructed in the 1960s. The Oriental Museum is also worth a stop.

The Sogenji Temple is a renowned place for western zen students. Interestingly, all the resident monks are from outside Japan. The temple is at the base of a hill called Misaoyama,a nd the area around it affords a pleasant setting for hiking. Sega Joypolis is a fun place to stop at. On the top floor you can try all the the slot machines, while in the bottom floor, you’ll find the latest arcade games including Taiko: Drum Master game and the latest iteration of House of the Dead.

The city has a great selection of Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Italian restaurants. The most popular treats are the tasty trouts or horse mackerel and matsuri-zushi. You can't miss Okayama’s succulent peaches. There are numerous bars, restaurants, gambling machines, and karaokes along the Nishigawa Street and around Momotaro Dori where you can drink, dance and unwind for the night. If you're looking for gifts and keepsakes, you'll definitely want to go on a bender at the Okayama Shopping Street. This glitzy street has everything from Arcades and Retro Game stores, to Kimono stores and antique shops.