Okayama

For other uses, see Okayama (disambiguation).

Okayama 岡山
—  Designated city  —
岡山市 · Okayama City
From top left: Momotarō Main Street, Omote-chō Shopping Street, Okayama Kōraku-en Garden, The Main Hall of Kibitsu jinja, Statue of Momotarō
Flag
Location of Okayama in Okayama Prefecture
Okayama
Coordinates: 34°39′N 133°55′E / 34.65°N 133.917°E / 34.65; 133.917Coordinates: 34°39′N 133°55′E / 34.65°N 133.917°E / 34.65; 133.917
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku
Prefecture	Okayama Prefecture
Government
– Mayor	Shigeo Takaya
Area
– Total	789.88 km2 (305 sq mi)
Population (August 2010)
– Total	705,224
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
Phone number	086-803-1000
Address	1-1-1 Daiku, Kita-ku, Okayama-shi, Okayama-ken 700-8544
Website	Okayama City

Okayama (岡山市, Okayama-shi^?) is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan.

The city was founded on June 1, 1889. As of August 2010, the city has an estimated population of 705,224 and a population density of 893 persons per km². The total area is 789.88 km².

The city is the site of Kōraku-en and the black Okayama Castle, which is ranked among the best 100 Japanese castles. The city is famous as the setting of the Japanese fable "Momotarō".

History

Sengoku period to Tensho era

Okayama Castle

Before the Muromachi period, Okayama was one corner of a farm region and included a small castle built by the Kanemitsu. In the Sengoku period, 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 tradesmen both from inside and outside of Bizen province. Okayama became the political and economical capital of Bizen province.

Edo period

In 1600, Ukita Hideie, who was the son of Naoie and the lord of Okayama, lost at the Battle of Sekigahara. 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

Okayama after the 1945 air raid

On August 29, 1871, the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan replaced the traditional feudal domain system with centralized government authority (Prefectures of Japan). Okayama became the capital of Okayama Prefecture. In 1889, Okayama city was founded. In the Meiji period, a railroad was built in Okayama city that greatly enhanced the development of the city. For example, the Sixth Higher Middle School (第六高等学校, Dairoku Kōtōgakkō^?) and Okayama Medical College (岡山医科大学, Okayama Ika-daigaku^?) were established in Okayama city. Okayama became one of the most important places in western Japan for transportation and education. When World War II began, Okayama city had a Japanese Army base camp. On June 29, 1945, the city was attacked by the US Army with incendiary bombs. Almost all the city was burned, and many people died.^[quantify] Okayama suffered terrible damage in the war.

Since World War II

During Japan's economic miracle of the 1960s, Okayama developed rapidly as one of the most important cities in the Chūgoku and Shikoku regions. In 1972, the Sanyō Shinkansen began service between Shin-Ōsaka and Okayama stations. Two years later, Shinkansen service was extended to Hakata.

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 1996 and a designated city on April 1, 2009.^[1]

Geography

Okayama City Hall

Appearance in Okayama Station

The city of Okayama is located in the southern part of Okayama Prefecture, which in turn is located in western part of the island of Honshū. The city is bounded on the south by the Inland Sea.

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

Ward	Population	Area (km²)	Density (per km²)	Map
Kita-ku (administrative center)	295,312	451.03	655
Naka-ku	138,949	51.24	2,711
Higashi-ku	96,718	160.28	603
Minami-ku	165,193	127.36	1,297
Population as of October 1, 2005

Mergers

• On March 22, 2005, the town of Mitsu, from Mitsu District, and the town of Nadasaki, from Kojima District, merged into the city of Okayama.
• On January 22, 2007, the town of Takebe, from Mitsu District, and the town of Seto, from Akaiwa District, merged into the city of Okayama.

Kojima, Mitsu, and Akaiwa districts have all since been dissolved.

Climate

Okayama has a mild climate in comparison to most of Japan. The city is ranked as the second driest and the fourth sunniest city in the Chūgoku region.^[2] The climate is classified under the Köppen climate classification as Humid Subtropical Cfa.^[3][4]

The local climate is warm enough throughout the year to support olive trees. Okayama is often called "The Sunny Country" because of its low rainfall.^[5]

Economy

Omotechō Shopping Street

Agriculture

The city is located in the Okayama Plain, where rice, eggplant, and white Chinese chives are notable products.^[6] 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,^[7] nearly 10% of the GDP of Okayama Prefecture. 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 Sōja. The main commercial district is Omotechō, near Okayama Castle and Kōrakuen, 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.^[8]

Culture

Kōraku-en

Okayama Castle and Kōraku-en are Okayama's most notable attractions.

Okayama Castle (nicknamed Ujō (烏城), meaning "crow castle") was constructed in 1597 by Ukita Naoie, a Japanese feudal lord. It was destroyed by bombing in 1945 during World War II but reconstructed in 1966.

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.

Sōgen-ji, a large Buddhist monastery belonging to the Rinzai sect, is located near the center of the city. Several of the abbots of major monasteries in Kyoto are from Sōgen-ji.^{[citation needed]}

Music and the arts

Okayama Symphony Hall

Okayama has a professional symphony orchestra, the Okayama Symphony Orchestra, which performs at the Okayama Symphony Hall.

There are many museums in the city, including the Okayama Prefectural Museum, the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art, the Hayashibara Museum of Art, the Yumeji Art Museum, and the Okayama Digital Museum.

Cuisine

Okayama has several traditional dishes. Barazushi (ばらずし^?), a dish made with sushi rice, contains fresh fish from the Seto Inland Sea. Kibidango (吉備団子^?), a cake made from a powder of millet and rice, is also famous.

Media

Headquarters of the Sanyo Shimbun and TV Setouchi

The Sanyo Shimbun and the Okayama Nichinichi Shimbun are the local newspapers serving the greater Okayama area. The former publishes both morning and evening editions while the latter publishes an evening edition only. There are six television stations serving the Okayama area and part of Kagawa Prefecture. Three FM and three AM radio stations also serve the region.

TV Stations

Channel ID	Name	Network	Established year	Call sign
1	NHK General TV Okayama	NHK General TV	1957	JOKK-(D)TV
2	NHK Educational TV Okayama	NHK Educational TV	1963	JOKB-(D)TV
4	Nishinippon Broadcasting Co.,Ltd.(RNC)	NNN	1958	JOKF-(D)TV
5	Setonaikai Broadcasting Co.,Ltd.(KSB)	ANN	1969	JOVH-(D)TV
6	Sanyo Broadcasting Co.,Ltd.(RSK)	JNN	1958	JOYR-(D)TV
7	TV Setouchi Broadcasting Co.,Ltd.(TSC)	TXN	1985	JOPH-(D)TV
8	Okayama Broadcasting Co.,Ltd.(OHK)	FNN	1969	JOOH-(D)TV

Radio Stations

Channel	Name	Network	Established year	Call sign
AM 603 kHz	NHK Radio Daiichi Okayama	NHK Radio Daiichi	1931	JOKK
AM 1386 kHz	NHK Radio Daini Okayama	NHK Radio Daini	1946	JOKB
AM 1494 kHz	Sanyo Broadcasting Co,Ltd.Radio (RSK)	JRN, NRN	1958	JOYR
FM 88.7 MHz	NHK FM Okayama	NHK FM	1964	JOKK-FM
FM 76.8 MHz	FM Okayama	JFN	1999	JOVV-FM
FM 79.0 MHz	Radio MOMO (Okayama City FM)	J-WAVE	1997	JOZZ8AD-FM

Sports

Okayama has many sports teams. In recent years, volleyball team Okayama Seagulls and football club Fagiano Okayama have been established. In 2009, Fagiano Okayama FC gained promotion to the J. League, the highest football league in Japan.

Club	Sport	League	Venue	Established
Fagiano Okayama FC	Football	J. League Division 2	Momotaro Stadium (Okayama Prefectural Multipurpose Athletic Stadium)	2004
Okayama Seagulls	Volleyball	V.League	Momotaro Arena (Okayama Prefectural Multipurpose Grounds Gym)	1999
Serio Standing Bears	American football	X-League	Momotaro Stadium (Okayama Prefectural Multipurpose Athletic Stadium)	?
Citylight Okayama Baseball Team	Baseball	Semi-professional baseball		2008

Education

Okayama University

Okayama University, founded as a medical school in 1870 and established in 1949 as a national university, is located in the city. Today, Okayama University is one of Okayama's largest universities, with 11 faculties and 6 graduate schools.

There are seven private universities, three junior colleges, 24 high schools (16 public, 8 private), seven combined junior high/high schools (2 public, 5 private), 37 junior high schools (36 municipal, 1 national) and 93 elementary schools (91 municipal, 2 private) located in the city.

Universities

• Okayama University (National)
• Notre Dame Seishin University (Private)
• Okayama University of Science (Private)
• Okayama Shoka University (Private)
• Sanyo Gakuen University (Private)
• Shujitsu University (Private)
• Chugoku Gakuen University (Private)
• International Pacific University (Private)

Transportation

JR West Okayama Station

Intercity rail

JR West's Okayama Station is a major interchange, with trains from Shikoku, San'in and San'yo connecting to the Sanyō Shinkansen. Local rail lines serving Okayama Station include:

• Sanyō Main Line
• Hakubi Line
• Akō Line
• Uno Line
• Seto-Ōhashi Line
• Tsuyama Line
• Kibi Line

Tramway

Okayama is one of few Japanese cities to have kept an operational tram system since the Meiji period. 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:

• Bihoku Bus (備北バス^?)
• Chūtetsu Bus (中鉄バス^?)
• Okaden Bus (岡電バス^?)
• Ryōbi Bus (両備バス^?)
• Shimoden Bus (下電バス^?)
• Tōbi Bus (東備バス^?)
• Uno Bus (宇野バス^?)

Air

Okayama Airport, located in the northern part of the city, provides domestic service to Tokyo-Haneda, Sapporo-Chitose, Okinawa-Naha, and Kagoshima. International air service is provided to Seoul-Incheon, Guam, Beijing, Shanghai-Pudong, and Dalian.

Notable people

• Shin Koyamada (Hollywood/Japanese actor, Entrepreneur) - Born and raised in Okayama co-starred in the Warner Bros' epic feature film The Last Samurai as Nobutada and starring in Disney Channel Original Movie Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior as Shen.
• Akihiko Kumashiro - three-time member of the House of Representatives of Japan
• Masashi Kishimoto - manga artist and creator of Naruto.
• Masaki Kajishima - creator of Tenchi Muyo!
• Taiyo Sugiura - Japanese actor

Sister cities

Okayama has 6 sister cities around the world.

• San Jose, California, United States (1957)
• San José, Costa Rica (1969)
• Plovdiv, Bulgaria (1972)
• Luoyang, China (1981)
• Bucheon, South Korea (2002)
• Hsinchu City, Taiwan (2003)
• Kanpur, India (2005)

Points of interest

• Korakuen Garden
• Tokoen Garden
• Omizuen Garden
• Handayama Botanical Garden
• RSK Rose Garden
• Okayama Castle
• Okayama Prefectural Museum
• Okayama Orient Museum
• Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art
• Hayashibara Museum of Art
• Yumeji Art Museum
• Ikeda Zoo
• Kibiji District Cycling Road
• Ashimori Clan Samurai Residence
• Saijo Inari
• Kibitsu Shrine
• Kibitsuhiko Shrine
• Tsukuriyama Kofun
• Saidaiji Temple (Okayama)
• Sogenji Temple
• Okayama Symphony Hall
• Okayama University

References

1. ^ http://www.kokudo.or.jp/marge/c_okayama.html (Japanese)
2. ^ http://www.pref.okayama.jp/kikaku/kokusai/momo/e/gaiyou/gaiyou.html
3. ^ http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/
4. ^ http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/JAXX0065?from=36hr_bottomnav_business
5. ^ http://www.pref.okayama.jp/soshiki/detail.html?lif_id=2143
6. ^ http://www.city.okayama.jp/kankou/aji/index.html
7. ^ http://www.city.okayama.jp/soumu/toukei/kougyou/17kougyou/gaiyou.pdf
8. ^ Aeon Corporate Structure

External links

• Okayama City official website (Japanese)
• Okayama City official website
• Wikitravel: Okayama