The Okayama city office is faced from the north

is the capital

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,826,059 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefecture ...

in the

Chūgoku region The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 7,328,339 ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. 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. , the city has an estimated population of 700,940 and a population density of 890 people per km². The total area is . 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 castle are fortresses constructed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries and came into their best-known form in the 16th century. Castles in Japan were built to guard important or strategic sites, such a ...

s. The city is famous as the setting of the Japanese

fable Fable is a literary genre defined as a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a parti ...

Momotarō is a Folk hero, popular hero of Japanese folklore. His name is often translated as ''Peach Boy'', but is directly translated as ''Peach + Tarō (given name), Tarō'', a common Japanese given name. ''Momotarō'' is also the title of various books, ...

''. Okayama joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2016.

History

Sengoku period to Bakumatsu period

Before the

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

, Okayama was one corner of a farm region and included a small castle built by the Kanemitsu. In the

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

, Ukita Naoie attacked Okayama and attacked the castle for the transportation resources and extensive farmland in the region. Naoie remodeled the castle, built the old Sanyo road to the central part of the castle town, and called in craftsmen both from inside and outside of Bizen Province. Okayama became the political and economical capital of Bizen Province. In 1600, Ukita Hideie, who was the son of Naoie and the lord of Okayama, lost at the

Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was an important battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, ...

. The next year, Kobayakawa Hideaki came to Okayama and became the feudal lord of Okayama Domain. Hideaki died in 1602, however, ending the Kobayakawa line. Ikeda Tadatugu, who was the feudal lord of Himeji Domain, became the next lord of Okayama. After this time, Okayama was ruled by the Ikedas until the latter part of the 19th century. Continuing its economic development, Okayama became one of the ten best large castle towns in Japan in the 18th century. The Korakuen Garden was developed by the fourth feudal lord, Ikeda Tsunamasa.

Meiji Restoration to World War II

On August 29, 1871, the new

Meiji government The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan. Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji ...

of the

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

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 The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

, a San'yo Main Line railroad and other local lines greatly enhanced the development of the city. The and were established in Okayama City. Okayama became a center in western Japan for transportation and education. When

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

began, Okayama city was a garrison city for the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

. On June 29, 1945, the city was attacked by the US Army Air Forces with incendiary bombs. Almost all the city was burned, and more than 1700 people were killed. Okayama suffered terrible damage in the war, losing more than 12,000 households.

Since World War II

During Japan's economic boom of the 1960s, Okayama developed rapidly as one of the most important cities in the Chūgoku and

Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...

regions. In 1972, the San'yō Shinkansen began service between and stations. Two years later, Shinkansen service was extended to . 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 urban planning, a historic core city or central city is the municipality with the largest 1940 population in the present metropolitan area (metropolitan statistical area). This term was retired by the US census bureau and replaced by the term ...

in 1996 and a designated city on April 1, 2009 with increased local autonomy. 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 , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the seventh-largest island in the world, and the second-most populous after the Indonesian ...

. 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

Okayama Prefecture * Akaiwa * Bizen * Hayashima * Kibichūō * Kumenan * Kurashiki * Misaki * Setouchi *

Sōja file:Bitchu Kokubunji, zenkei.jpg, 270px, Bitchū Kokubun-ji is a Cities of Japan, city located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 69,428 and a population density of 330 persons per km2. The total area of the ...

* Tamano

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. The climate is classified under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

as humid subtropical (''Cfa''). The local climate is warm enough throughout the year to support

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

trees. Okayama is often called "Land of Sunshine" because of its low number of rainy days per year.

Demographics

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

Government

Okayama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

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 A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the

Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

Local administration

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

Economy

Agriculture

The city is located in the Okayama Plain, where rice, eggplant, and white Chinese chives are notable products. 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, nearly 10% of the GDP of

. Greater Okayama, Okayama Metropolitan Employment Area, has a GDP of US$63.1 billion as of 2010. 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

. 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.

Education

Okayama University, founded as a medical school in 1870 and established in 1949 as a national university, is in the city. Today, Okayama University is Okayama's largest university, with 8 faculties and seven graduate schools. There are seven private universities, three

junior colleges A junior college is a type of post-secondary institution that offers vocational and academic training that is designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations or support roles in professions such as engineering, a ...

, 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 A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

(91 municipal, two private) in the city.

Universities

* Chugoku Gakuen University (private) * International Pacific University (private) * Notre Dame Seishin University (private) * Okayama Healthcare Professional University (private) * Okayama Shoka University (private) * Okayama University (national) * Okayama University of Science (private) * Sanyo Gakuen University (private) * Shujitsu University (private)

High schools

* Okayama Asahi Senior High School * Okayama Gakugeikan High School * Okayama Hosen Senior High School * Okayama Ichinomiya Senior High School * Okayama Joto Senior High School * Okayama Sozan Senior High School

Transportation

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 General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

airport since the opening of Okayama Airport in 1988.

Railway

JR West's Okayama Station is a major interchange, with trains from

, Sanin and San'yo connecting to the San'yō Shinkansen. Local rail lines serving Okayama Station include:

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...

– San'yō Shinkansen *

– San'yō Main Line * – – – – – – Okayama – –

– Akō Line * – – Higashi-Okayama

– Uno Line *Okayama – – – – – (Hayashima Town - Kurashiki City) – – –

– Seto-Ōhashi Line *

–

Tsuyama Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting and in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Stations All-stations and limited-stop services called operate over the line. In the "Rapid" column in the table below, "O ...

* Okayama – – – – – – – –

– Kibi Line *Okayama – – – – – –

Tramway

Okayama has kept an operational tram system since the

. It is managed by Okayama Electric Tramway and offers two lines: the Higashiyama Main Line and the Seikibashi Line.

Bus

Seven bus companies provide service within the city limits: , , , , , , and .

Sister cities

Okayama is twinned with: *

San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

, United States (established on May 26, 1957) *

San José, Costa Rica San José (; meaning "Saint Joseph") is the capital city, capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and the capital of San José Province. It is in the center of the country, in the mid-west of the Costa Rican Central Valley, Central Valley, wi ...

(established on January 27, 1969) *

Plovdiv Plovdiv (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, second-largest city in Bulgaria, 144 km (93 miles) southeast of the capital Sofia. It had a population of 490,983 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is a cultural hub ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

(established on April 28, 1972) *

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States (established on April 12, 1976) *

Luoyang Luoyang ( zh, s=洛阳, t=洛陽, p=Luòyáng) is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zheng ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

(established on April 6, 1981) *

Bucheon Bucheon (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Bucheon is located away from Seoul, of which it is a satellite city. It is located between Incheon and Seoul. Bucheon is the second most densely populated city in South Korea after Seo ...

Gyeonggi-do Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous administrative divisions of South Korea, province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a list of provinc ...

, South Korea (friendship city since 2002) * Hsinchu, Taiwan (friendship city since 2003)

Media

The '' Sanyo Shimbun'' is the local

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

serving the greater Okayama area. There are six television stations serving the Okayama area and part of

Kagawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kagawa Prefecture has a population of 949,358 (as of 2020) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, smallest prefecture by geographic area at . Kagawa Pr ...

. Three FM and three AM radio stations also serve the region. ;TV stations ;Radio stations

Sports

Okayama has many sports teams. In recent years,

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

team Okayama Seagulls and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club Fagiano Okayama have been established. In 2009, Fagiano Okayama gained promotion to the J.League, the highest football league in Japan.

Local attractions

* Handayama Botanical Garden * Hayashibara Museum of Art * Kibitsuhiko Shrine * Kibitsu Shrine * Kōraku-en, known as one of the three best traditional gardens in Japan, lies south of the castle grounds. Kōrakuen was constructed by Ikeda Tsunamasa over 14 years, and completed in 1700. * Okayama Castle, constructed in 1597. It was destroyed by bombing in 1945 during World War II but reconstructed in 1966. * Okayama Prefectural Museum * Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art * Okayama Orient Museum * Okayama Symphony Hall * Yumeji Art Museum

National Historic Sites

* Bitchū-Takamatsu Castle * Hata temple ruins Pagoda Site * Hikozaki Shell Mound * Jingūjiyama Kofun * Magane Ichirizuka * Mantomi Tōdai-ji Tile Kiln Site * Musa Ōtsuka Kofun * Ōdara Yosemiya ruins *Okayama Castle * Okayama Domain Ikeda clan cemetery *Former Okayama Domain Han School * Ōmeguri-Komeguri Mountain Castle ruins * Onoe Kurumayama Kofun * Shōda temple ruins * Sōzume Tō * Tsukuriyama Kofun * Tsushima Site * Urama Chausuyama Kofun

Festivals

Every August since 1994 Okayama has seen the Momotarō Matsuri (Festival), which is an amalgam of three different festivals, including the 'ogre' festival, which is a kind of '' Yosakoi'' dance.

Music

*Okayama Symphony Orchestra, performs at the Okayama Symphony Hall. * Inryō-ji, a Buddhist temple near the city centre, regularly hosts concerts.

Cuisine

Okayama has several traditional dishes. ''Barazushi'', a dish made with sushi rice, contains fresh fish from the Seto Inland Sea. Kibi dango (Okayama) () gel-like balls made from a powder of

millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae. Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...

and rice, are well known sweets from the area.

Notable people

Premodern

* Eisai (Buddhist priest, 1141–1215) * Kōan Ogata ( Rangaku practitioner, 1810–1863) * Hideie Ukita (Military commander, 1573–1655)

Arts

* Takashi Fukutani (manga artist, 1952–2000) *

Masashi Kishimoto is a Japanese manga artist. His manga series, ''Naruto'', which was in serialization from 1999 to 2014, has sold over 250 million copies worldwide in 46 countries as of May 2019. The series has been adapted into two anime and multiple films, vi ...

(manga artist, 1974– ) * Seishi Kishimoto (manga artist, 1974– ) * Shigeru Nanba (painter, 1944– )

Politics

* Ichirō Aisawa (Member of the House of Representatives, 1954– ) * Kenji Eda (Member of the House of Representatives, Secretary General of Your Party, 1956– ) * Satsuki Eda (Member of the

House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers. If the t ...

, 27th President of the House of Councillors, 1941– ) * Seiji Hagiwara (31st, 32nd Mayor of Okayama, member of the House of Representatives, fourth Mayor of Mimasaka, Okayama, 1956– ) * Tsuyoshi Inukai (Member of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

, 29th

Prime Minister of Japan The is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its ministers of state. The prime minister also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Force ...

, 1855–1932) * Masahiro Ishii (5th Governor of Okayama Prefecture, Member of the House of Councillors, 1945– ) * Yoshihiro Katayama (Governor of Tottori Prefecture,

Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

, 1951– ) * Akihiko Kumashiro (Member of the House of Representatives, 1940– ) * Shigeo Takaya (33rd, 34th Mayor of Okayama, 1937– ) * Keisuke Tsumura (Member of the House of Representatives, 1971– ) * Michiyoshi Yunoki (Member of the House of Representatives, 1972– )

Literature

* Suiin Emi (novelist, 1869–1934) * Yōko Ogawa (novelist, 1962– ) * Hyakken Uchida (novelist, 1889–1971) * Junnosuke Yoshiyuki (novelist, 1924–1994)

Entertainment

* Angela Aki (singer-songwriter, 1977– ) (attended middle school in Okayama) * Dorlis (musician, 1982– ) * Fujii Kaze (singer-songwriter, born June 14, 1997) * Hiroto Kōmoto (musician, 1963– ) * MISA (bassist for Band-Maid - October 15) * Shinji Morisue (former artistic gymnast and TV personality, 1957– ) * Riki Nishimura (member of the K-pop boy group Enhypen, born 2005 ) * Miku Nishizaki (member of Ocha Norma, born 2006) *

Matsunosuke Onoe , sometimes known as Medama no Matchan (''"Eyeballs" Matsu''), was a Japanese actor. His birth name is Tsuruzo Nakamura. He is sometimes credited as Yukio Koki, Tamijaku Onoe, or Tsunusaburo Onoe, and as a kabuki artist he went by the name Tsuru ...

(actor and film director, 1875–1926) * Etsuko Shihomi (actress, 1955– ) * Yukiko Takaguchi (voice actor, 1974– ) *

Tomu Uchida , born Tsunejirō Uchida, was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Uchida chose the stage name Tomu, a transliteration of the English Tom, written in Kanji characters meaning "to spit out dreams". Biography Early career After leaving junio ...

(film director, 1898–1970)

Sports

* Noboru Akiyama (baseball player and coach, 1934–2000) * Yuko Arimori (athlete, 1966– ) * Naoko Hashimoto (volleyball player, 1984– ) * Shigeaki Hattori (racing driver and team owner, 1963–2025) * Kinue Hitomi (athlete, 1907–1931) * Tsunenohana Kan'ichi (sumo ''Yokozuna'', b. 1896) * Masahiro Kawai (baseball player, 1964– ) * Issei Morita (baseball player, 1989– ) * Maurice Ndour (born 1992) (Senegalese basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

) * Hikaru Sato (wrestler and mixed martial artist, 1980– ) * Hinako Shibuno (golfer, 1998– ) * Kiyoshi Tamura (wrestler, 1969– ) * Hisashi Tsuchida (soccer player, 1967– )

Inventors

* Seiichi Miyake (inventor of tactile paving, 1926–1982)

References

External links

Okayama City official website

I Love Okayama - Okayama global brand
* {{Authority control Cities in Okayama Prefecture Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan