Okayama, Capital city in western Honshu, Japan.
Okayama is the capital of the prefecture with the same name in the south, extending across a wide plain between gentle hills to the north and the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. Two rivers run through the urban area and flow into the shallow Kojima Bay, which shapes the southern cityscape.
During the Edo Period, the settlement grew around a small castle complex and gradually evolved into a trading center. After the Meiji Restoration, it expanded into an important transport node in western Honshu.
The name derives from a gentle hill where the castle once stood, rising above the flat plain. Visitors today notice the wide avenues in the city center, designed with an openness less common in Japanese cities and well suited for strolling.
The Shinkansen station sits in the center and connects with trains heading east and west along the Sanyo Line. The bridge to Shikoku lies south of the city and can be reached by regional trains in about 30 minutes.
Thanks to the rare climate with many sunny days, white peaches grow here and are highly prized in Japan. The region also attracts grape growers who raise Muscat varieties in large greenhouses along the flat plain.
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