I stopped off in Okayama to see Korakuen which is considered one of the three great gardens of Japan. The garden was completed in 1700 and has retained its original appearance to the present day. Originally private it was opened to the public in 1884. The garden suffered greatly due to floods in the 1930’s and was heavily bombed in the Second World War however restoration was made possible due to meticulous record keeping in the form of paintings and diagrams.

I’m not a huge fan of such precise gardening but I was interested to see parts of this very formal garden still used to grow and harvest rice.

Okayama Castle sits in the background as borrowed scenery.

How to visit

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Directions: Korakuen is about a 30 minute walk from Okayama Station. Alternatively trams or buses are available. Directions to the garden can be found at nearly every road junction.