Okayama

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Okayama
Page Template:Nobold/styles.css has no content.岡山市
Prefecture capital and Designated city
Okayama City
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(From top, left to right : Okayama Castle • Okayama Kōraku-en Garden • Kibitsu Jinja • Kibidango • Omote-chō shopping arcade • Nishigawa Green Park)
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Flag
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Seal
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Location of Okayama in Okayama Prefecture
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CountryJapan
RegionChūgoku (San'yō)
PrefectureOkayama
Government
 • MayorMasao Omori
Area
 • Total
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Population
 (February 1, 2023)
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Population
 (February 1, 2023)
 • Total
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Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
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City hall address1-1-1 Daitomo, Kita-ku, Okayama-shi, Okayama-ken 700-8544
WebsiteOfficial website
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SymbolsTemplate:If last display both
BirdRed-crowned crane
FlowerChrysanthemum
TreeIlex rotunda; Lagerstroemia indica
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Script error: No such module "Nihongo". is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The Okayama metropolitan area, centered around the city, has the largest urban employment zone in the Chugoku region of western Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889.[1] As of February 2023, the city has an estimated population of 700,940 and a population density of 890 people per km2.[2] The total area is 789.95 square kilometres (305.00 square miles).

The city is the site of Kōraku-en, known as one of the top three traditional gardens in Japan, and Okayama Castle, which is ranked among the best 100 Japanese castles.[3] The city is famous as the setting of the Japanese fable Momotarō.[4] Okayama joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2016.

History

Sengoku to Edo period

File:Okayama Castle, IMG 5839-5841 AutoAdaptive.jpg
Okayama Castle

In the late 16th century, during the Sengoku period (also called the Warring states period), Ukita Naoie consolidated a stronghold at Ishiyama beside the Asahi River. His successor, Ukita Hideie, shifted the main enclosure to the hill called "Okayama" and completed Okayama Castle, traditionally dated to 1597; hydrological works redirected river channels to serve as moats, and a castle town was laid out on a north–south axis.[5] After the Battle of Sekigahara, Kobayakawa Hideaki became the lord of the Okayama Domain and reconfigured the outer defenses, including the Hatsuka-bori (an outer moat reputedly finished in twenty days) and gates that defined the city's perimeter.[6] Ikeda Tadatugu, who was the feudal lord of Himeji Domain, became the next lord of Okayama. The Ikeda clan subsequently ruled Okayama and expanded the castle town.[5]

Meiji period to World War II

File:Bell Tower in Rain, Okayama, 1947.jpg
Kawase Hasui, Bell Tower in Rain, Okayama, 1947

On August 29, 1871, the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan replaced the traditional feudal domain system with centralized government authority. Okayama became the capital of Okayama Prefecture. In 1889, Okayama City was founded with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. In the Meiji period, a San'yo Main Line railroad and other local lines greatly enhanced the development of the city. The Script error: No such module "Nihongo". and Script error: No such module "Nihongo". were established in Okayama City.

With modern state formation, the city developed as a regional hub for transport and education in western Japan.[7]

File:Okayama after the 1945 air raid.jpg
Okayama after World War II

When World War II began, Okayama city was a garrison city for the Imperial Japanese Army.[citation needed] During the war, the city was bombed by the American forces. On 29 June 1945, air raids burned much of the urban core; the castle keep was lost.[5][6] More than 1700 people were killed.[citation needed]

After the war

File:Okayama Station west side - panoramio.jpg
View near Okayama Station

Postwar rebuilding reestablished the central districts on the former castle-town grid. Landmarks of the modern center include the Yanagawa rotary (1959) and large-scale redevelopment in Nakasange continuing into the 21st century.[6] Okayama Castle's keep was reconstructed in 1966, restoring the “Ujō” (“Crow Castle”) silhouette above the Asahi River.[5]

During Japan's economic boom of the 1960s, Okayama developed rapidly as one of the most important cities in the Chūgoku and Shikoku regions. In 1972, the San'yō Shinkansen began service between Shin-Ōsaka and Okayama stations. Two years later, Shinkansen service was extended to Hakata. In 1988, the Seto-Ōhashi Bridge was opened, and connected Okayama with Shikoku directly by rail and road.

The city became a core city in 1996 and a designated city on April 1, 2009, with increased local autonomy.[8]

On March 22, 2005, the town of Mitsu (from Mitsu District), and the town of Nadasaki (from Kojima District) were merged into Okayama. This was followed on January 22, 2007, when the town of Takebe (from Mitsu District), and the town of Seto (from Akaiwa District) were merged into Okayama. Kojima, Mitsu, and Akaiwa Districts have all since been dissolved as a result of these mergers.

Geography

The city of Okayama is located in the southern part of Okayama Prefecture, which is located in western part of the island of Honshū. The northern part of the city forms a corner of Kibi Plateau, which is a series of gentle hills, and includes the Asahikawa Dam, Okayama Airport, and a suburban residential area. The central urban area is located on the Okayama Plain in the south, which was formed by the transportation and sedimentation of two first-class rivers, the Asahi River and Yoshii River, which flow into the Seto Inland Sea. To the south of the main urban area is Kojima Bay, which forms the scenic Kojima Peninsula overlooking the Seto Inland Sea.

Neighboring municipalities

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Okayama Prefecture

Climate

Okayama has a mild climate in comparison to most of Japan. It has the most rain-free days (less than 1mm of precipitation) of any city in Japan. It is ranked as the second driest and the fourth sunniest city in the Chūgoku region.[9] The climate is classified under the Köppen climate classification as humid subtropical (Cfa).[10]

The local climate is warm enough throughout the year to support olive trees. Okayama is often called "Land of Sunshine" because of its low number of rainy days per year.[11]

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Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[13] the population of Okayama is as follows:

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1960 432,177—    
1970 500,599+1.48%
1980 590,424+1.66%
1990 640,406+0.82%
2000 674,375+0.52%
2010 709,622+0.51%
2020 724,691+0.21%

Government

Okayama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 46 members. The city contributes 19 members to the Okayama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between of the Okayama 1st District, Okayama 2nd District and Okayama 3rd District of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Local administration

Since Okayama became a designated city in 2009, the city has been divided into four wards (ku).

Ward Population Area (km2) Density
(per km2) 		Map
Kita-ku

(northern ward)

302,685 451.03 671 File:Okayama wards.png
Naka-ku

(central ward)

142,237 51.24 2,776
Higashi-ku

(eastern ward)

96,948 160.28 605
Minami-ku

(southern ward)

167,714 127.36 1,317
Population as of October 1, 2010

Economy

File:Omote-chou shopping street.JPG
Omotechō Shopping Street
File:Okayama Metropolitan Employment Area.svg
A map showing Okayama Metropolitan Employment Area.

Agriculture

The city is located in the Okayama Plain, where rice, eggplant, and white Chinese chives are notable products.[14] White peaches and grapes are cultivated in the mountainous, northern part of the city.

Industry

In 2005, the city's gross domestic product was 800 billion yen,[15] nearly 10% of the GDP of Okayama Prefecture.

Greater Okayama, Okayama Metropolitan Employment Area, has a GDP of US$63.1 billion as of 2010.[16][17] The main industries are machine tools, chemicals, foodstuffs and printing. Kōnan, a district in the southern part of the city, is the most developed industrial zone.

Commerce

Okayama is the core of the Okayama metropolitan area, which includes the cities of Kurashiki and Sōja. The main commercial district is Omotechō, near Okayama Castle and Kōraku-en, and the area surrounding Okayama Station. Omotechō has many covered shopping arcades.

The headquarters of Aeon Corporation, a private English language school with more than 3,000 employees, is located in Okayama.[18]

Education

File:岡山大学附属図書館中央館.jpg
Okayama University

Okayama University, founded as a medical school in 1870 and established in 1949 as a national university,[19] is in the city. Today, Okayama University is Okayama's largest university, with 8 faculties and seven graduate schools.[20]

There are seven private universities, three junior colleges, 24 high schools (16 public, eight private), seven combined junior high/high schools (two public, five private), 38 junior high schools (37 municipal, one national) and 93 elementary schools (91 municipal, two private) in the city.[citation needed]

Universities

Transportation

File:Okayama Station 2017-12-06 (39422677582).jpg
JR West Okayama Station

Airports

  • Okayama Airport, located in the northern part of the city, provides both domestic and limited international services
  • Kōnan Airport, located to the south, has been a general aviation airport since the opening of Okayama Airport in 1988.

Railway

JR West's Okayama Station is a major interchange, with trains from Shikoku, Sanin and San'yo connecting to the San'yō Shinkansen. Local rail lines serving Okayama Station include:

File:JR logo (west).svg JR West – San'yō Shinkansen

File:JR logo (west).svg JR West – San'yō Main Line

File:JR logo (west).svg JR West – Akō Line

File:JR logo (west).svg JR West – Uno Line

File:JR logo (west).svg JR West – Seto-Ōhashi Line

File:JR logo (west).svg JR West – Tsuyama Line

File:JR logo (west).svg JR West – Kibi Line

Tramway

Okayama has kept an operational tram system since the Meiji period. It is managed by Okayama Electric Tramway and offers two lines: the Higashiyama Main Line and the Seikibashi Line.

Bus

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Sister cities

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Media

File:The Sanyo Shimbun headoffice.jpg
Headquarters of the Sanyo Shimbun and TV Setouchi

The Sanyo Shimbun is the local newspaper serving the greater Okayama area. There are six television stations serving the Okayama area and part of Kagawa Prefecture. Three FM and three AM radio stations also serve the region.

TV stations
Channel ID Name Network Established year Call sign
1 NHK General TV Okayama NHK General TV 1957 JOKK-DTV
2 NHK Educational TV Okayama NHK Educational TV 1963 JOKB-DTV
4 Nishinippon Broadcasting Co., Ltd.(RNC) NNN 1958 JOKF-DTV
5 Setonaikai Broadcasting Co., Ltd.(KSB) ANN 1969 JOVH-DTV
6 Sanyo Broadcasting Co., Ltd.(RSK) JNN 1958 JOYR-DTV
7 TV Setouchi Broadcasting Co., Ltd.(TSC) TXN 1985 JOPH-DTV
8 Okayama Broadcasting Co., Ltd.(OHK) FNN 1969 JOOH-DTV
Radio stations
Channel Name Network Established year Call sign
AM 603 kHz NHK Radio Daiichi Okayama NHK Radio Daiichi 1931 JOKK
AM 1386 kHz NHK Radio Daini Okayama NHK Radio Daini 1946 JOKB
AM 1494 kHz Sanyo Broadcasting Co, Ltd.Radio (RSK) JRN, NRN 1958 JOYR
FM 88.7 MHz NHK FM Okayama NHK FM 1964 JOKK-FM
FM 76.8 MHz FM Okayama JFN 1999 JOVV-FM
FM 79.0 MHz Radio MOMO (Okayama City FM) J-WAVE 1997 JOZZ8AD-FM

Sports

Okayama has many sports teams. In recent years, volleyball team Okayama Seagulls and football club Fagiano Okayama have been established. In 2009, Fagiano Okayama gained promotion to the J.League, the highest football league in Japan. Script error: No such module "Nihongo"., or Script error: No such module "Nihongo"., is an indoor sporting arena located in Okayama. The capacity of the arena is 8,000 people and was opened in 1982. It hosted some of the group games for the 2003 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup.

Club Sport League Venue Established
Fagiano Okayama Football J1 League City Light Stadium (Okayama Prefectural Multipurpose Athletic Stadium) 2004
Okayama Seagulls Volleyball V.League Momotaro Arena (Okayama Prefectural Multipurpose Grounds Gym) 1999
Okayama Standing Bears American football X-League Kanko Stadium (Okayama Prefectural Multipurpose Athletic Stadium) ?
Citylight Okayama Baseball Team Baseball Semi-professional baseball 2008

Local attractions

File:250505 Kibitsu-jinja Okayama Japan03s3.jpg
Kibitsu Shrine
File:250505 Korakuen Okayama Japan06s3.jpg
Kōraku-en

National Historic Sites

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Festivals

Every August since 1994, Okayama has seen the Momotarō Matsuri (Festival), which is an amalgam of three different festivals, including the Script error: No such module "lang". 'ogre' festival, which is a kind of Yosakoi dance.

Music

File:Okayama symphony hall01s3s3300.jpg
Okayama Symphony Hall

Cuisine

Okayama has several traditional dishes. Barazushi, a dish made with sushi rice, contains fresh fish from the Seto Inland Sea. Kibi dango (Okayama) (Script error: No such module "Lang".) gel-like balls made from a powder of millet and rice, are well known sweets from the area.

Notable people

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Premodern

Arts

Politics

Literature

Entertainment

Sports

Inventors

References

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Overview of Okayama City/Okayama city (Okayama-shi) is the capital of Okayama Prefecture". City.okayama.jp. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Official website of Okayama city" (in 日本語). Japan: Okayama City. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Castles / List of Japanese Castles". Japan-Guide.com. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.""Momotaro", a folk tale and Kibiji District". City.okayama.jp. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Learn the history of Okayama Castle". Okayama Castle. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."History of Nakasange (English)". History of Nakasange. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Okayama (Japan) — eHRAF World Cultures". Yale eHRAF World Cultures. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
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  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Outline of Okayama". Pref.okayama.jp. Archived from the original on 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."World Maps of Köppen-Geiger climate classification". Koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.大好き「晴れの国おかやま」 １ 岡山県のアウトライン（県の概況、シンボルなど） - 岡山県ホームページ. Pref.okayama.jp. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  13. ^ Okayama population statistics
  14. ^ [2] Script error: No such module "webarchive".
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."??" (PDF) (in 日本語). City.okayama.jp. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Yoshitsugu Kanemoto. "Metropolitan Employment Area (MEA) Data". Center for Spatial Information Science, The University of Tokyo. Archived from the original on 2018-06-15. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
  17. ^ Conversion rates - Exchange rates - OECD Data
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  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."History - Okayama University".
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Organization Chart - Okayama University".
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The History of Okayama". city.okayama.jp. Okayama. Archived from the original on 2020-02-23. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Northern and Central California Sister Cities in Japan". Archived from the original on October 26, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Okayama.Template:Preview warning

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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for [[Wikivoyage:Okayama#Template:Wikidata|Okayama]].

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