一個人十五天的日本之旅 – 岡山城與岡山後樂園
A 15-day solo journey through the Seto Inland Sea from Takamatsu, Shikoku, via Sanyo. Chapter 2: Okayama Korakuen. There’s a Shikoku Smile Station with a big smiley face on the window at Takamatsu Station. The weather is nice today . The sun was out this morning. It’s a little cloudy now , but still quite comfortable. Takamatsu feels very open, a bit like last year’s trip to Nagasaki. Maybe it’s the sea breeze, but not as old and busy . We’re on the JR now , and we have to go to Okayama Station to catch the Yosan Line, which crosses the ocean . The Seto Ohashi Line is jointly operated by JR West and JR Shikoku, running between Okayama and Takamatsu via the Seto Bridge . The Yosan Line is one of the four lines that make up the Seto Ohashi Line. Looking at the ocean on the left gives me a real sense of travel . After arriving, let’s have a bite to eat. Now walk out of Okayama Station towards the hotel where we will be staying today. This road is a straight line. I think Okayama Station is very lively. It is a bit like Kyoto Station . There is a large electronics store outside and the layout is quite similar. I live in the shopping street in front of Okayama Station. Walk straight down and you will arrive at this counter on the sixth floor. It feels quite grand. Compared to the hotel I stayed in Takamatsu, there is a bar here. Guests can order a free drink every day. There are both alcohol and simple orange juice, but each person can only have one drink a day. It’s a pity that there is no window facing the outside, so it is a bit closed. Although it is like this, the room is quite large on average , which means I have spent three days there. There’s my own bed and plenty of space for luggage. The only downside is that it has no windows, so I can’t see the light or darkness of the sky. The only connection to the passage is the gap above the sliding door, which can’t be locked, so it’s a relatively large capsule room. This is the bathroom. This one looks like my dachshund. I think his waist is about to break from walking around. So I found a quiet place to eat. I ordered ramen and a draft beer with a meal coupon in the building where I live. I walked around a nearby bookstore tonight and went to bed early. People say that Okayama is the land of sunshine. I woke up this morning and it was raining. Well, now we’re going to have breakfast and then leave. Today’s itinerary will probably be to Okayama Castle or Okayama Korakuen. I really like the quietness of the morning. This is Nishikawa Greenway Park. The English word for this park is not “Park” but “Walk, ” which I think is quite vivid. It seems that this is a person with visual impairment who can cross the road by himself like this. It’s amazing! There are not many people on the road in Okayama this morning. It stretches straight to the horizon . It’s a very comfortable walk. I just passed through an unknown gate and then climbed some stone steps. The castle tower is not far away. It’s a pity that Okayama, known as the country of sunshine, is now drizzling. Look at this. The building looks quite new. I just bought a ticket and entered. What I see here are some stories and history about Okayama Castle on the wall. It’s not very impressive. It’s very heavy . If I don’t have anything to do, I probably won’t bother to bring the signboard titled “Mōri Blocker”. It tells the story of the people and background who stopped the attack of the Mōri army during the Battle of Sekigahara. The original castle tower was burned down in the air raid in 1945. The existing one is a simulated wooden building rebuilt in 1966. From the observation floor, you can see the entire Okayama city, Asahikawa River and Korakuen Garden on the opposite bank. There are six floors inside . There are many stories and historical displays , as well as some interactive experience devices and multimedia. The only problem is that the passages are quite narrow and it feels crowded. A lot! The Land of Sunshine ! The Land of Sunshine is a bolt from the blue. But I actually quite like the rain. I walked from one side of Okayama Castle to the other because it was raining so hard. I had originally planned to take shelter somewhere closer to the city, but ended up walking along the riverbank . I’ll cross the bridge ahead and head towards Okayama Korakuen to see if there’s any lunch available . I saw a restaurant right away. It had miso soup made with dashi broth, mixed grain rice, and pickled seasonal vegetables as a side dish. It was a mild, one-soup, three-dish set meal, and I was stunned by the view outside. Okayama Korakuen’s renovated 18th-century gardens were once used by Edo-era rulers, with ponds, temples, and resident cranes. So, those are Tancho. I’ve never seen a crane before, at least it wasn’t raining. These are maple leaves. The scenery should be very different depending on the season. I heard this is made of 36 cut and reassembled rocks. Okayama Korakuen Garden is a historic Japanese garden located in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. It is ranked alongside Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa and Kairakuen Garden in Mito as one of Japan’s three most famous gardens. During the Edo period, it was primarily used as a welcoming and resting place for the feudal lord. Later, it was opened to the public during the Meiji period. Its characteristic design is a circular garden, meaning visitors can walk along the paths and admire the garden’s scenery from different perspectives. It was built between 1687 and 1700 by order of Ikeda Tsunamasa, lord of the Okayama domain, and by retainers. Tsuda Nagatada planned and designed it himself. Although the weather is bad today , I feel that the entire landscape, every blade of grass and every tree, seems to have been carefully calculated. You can see a sense of design from every angle, and it doesn’t feel empty or monotonous . It’s really beautiful. I originally thought this might be another overrated tourist attraction. It ‘s not at all. Oh my god, it’s so beautiful. I heard that the stone was cut and then assembled, which shows the advanced technology at the time. Seeing this location , the road going down is also in the direction of Okayama Castle. I guess this must have been specially planned. It’s still raining, but I’ve finished it now. It’s only a little after two o’clock. It seems that it rains like this in Nagasaki.
一個人展開 15 天的四國旅程，從高松出發，經由瀨戶內海與瀨戶大橋線抵達岡山，展開城市漫步、在地旅宿體驗、品嘗當地料理，並探訪兩大文化景點──岡山城與岡山後樂園。
本集紀錄了這趟旅程的第二章，走入這座號稱「晴天之國」的歷史城市，感受雨中的城堡與庭園的另一種寧靜、欣賞丹頂鶴與迴游式造景的和風庭園。這一站，是沉澱也是欣賞。
00:00 開始旅程：從高松出發前往岡山
00:20 瀨戶大橋線與JR介紹
01:00 海上列車風景與抵達岡山
01:45 入住岡山車站附近的旅館
04:10 晨雨與西川綠道公園
06:00 岡山城參觀與歷史介紹
09:20 午餐與岡山後樂園入口
11:00 岡山後樂園歷史與特色介紹