Okayama

  • The Okayama metropolitan area centered on Okayama and Kurashiki cities has a population of about 1.5 million, the second largest scale in Chugoku-Shikoku after the Hiroshima metropolitan area.
  • The prefectural capital Okayama City became the 18th city nationwide to transition to designated city status (2009).
  • The prefecture's nickname 'Land of Sunshine' derives from weather statistics showing the highest number of clear days nationwide (established 1989).
  • Production volumes of white peaches, muscat grapes, and pione grapes are number one in Japan, highly rated domestically and internationally as premium gift fruits.
  • Hiruzen Jersey milk has high fat content and is popular as raw material for cheese and yogurt.
  • Tsukuriyama Kofun is approximately 350m long, one of the largest burial mounds accessible to the public.
  • Bizen-yaki is unglazed yakishime pottery, one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns, also treasured by Sen no Rikyu.
  • The Seto Ohashi Bridge is the world's largest combined road-rail bridge complex.
  • Kojima district in Kurashiki City is the birthplace of domestic jeans, with sewing factories concentrated in former salt field sites.
  • The prefecture's official mascot 'Momocchi' was born for the national sports festival (2005), modeled after Momotaro.
  • Saidaiji Eyo (Naked Festival) is a vigorous winter naked festival where participants compete for 4cm-diameter treasure sticks.
  • Hiruzen Yakisoba is a highland gourmet dish using miso sauce and parent chicken meat, with B-1 Grand Prix award experience.
  • Niimi City's Senya district in northern prefecture is the birthplace of wagyu beef 'Chiya Beef.'
  • The lecture hall of Former Shizutani School, Japan's oldest commoner school, is designated as a national treasure.
  • Large-scale land reclamation in areas like Kojima Bay formed plains, where advanced agriculture is still practiced today.