In Japan’s flyover country, 72 hours of hidden gems

Okayama and Tottori prefectures are some of the least-visited regions in Japan among foreign tourists — which is why they offer such a welcome break from crowd-clogged cities like Tokyo and Kyoto. | CASSANDRA LORD photo

by CASSANDRA LORD
August 23, 2024

OKAYAMA – It’s raining lightly as I walk through Shurakuen Garden, but it doesn’t diminish the experience. As rain patters on my umbrella, the moss and leaves around me, I feel a sense of calm as a local guide explains the garden’s historical significance.

When Nobutomi Matsudaira and his clan came to power in 1698, succeeding the Mori family who built the grounds, the daimyo “would use this garden as a meeting place for receiving vassals from other clans. Later on, he would come here for falconry, archery and other activities.”

In Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, the rain somehow feels right in the gardens of Shurakuen, giving life to the grass, moss and a whimsical mushroom here and there. The garden is now just a third of its original 77,000-square-meter size, the daimyo are long gone and the modern citizenry of the west-central Chugoku region seems to be following suit. Okayama ranks a middling 20th among prefectures in terms of population; to the north, Tottori Prefecture ranks dead last.