is the capital

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

of 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. In 2010, it had a population of 7,563,428. History ''C ...

of Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. , the city has an estimated population of 720,841 and a population density of 910 persons per km². The total area is . The city is the site of

Kōraku-en is a Japanese garden located in Okayama, Okayama Prefecture. It is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, along with Kenroku-en and Kairaku-en. Korakuen was built in 1700 by Ikeda Tsunamasa, lord of Okayama. The garden reached its modern ...

, 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 ...

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

fable Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse (poetry), verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphized, and that illustrat ...

Momotarō is a popular hero of Japanese folklore. His name is often translated as ''Peach Boy'', but is directly translated as ''Peach + Tarō'', a common Japanese given name. ''Momotarō'' is also the title of various books, films and other works that p ...

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

History

Sengoku period to Teisho period

Okayama Castle, IMG 5839-5841 AutoAdaptive

Before the

Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...

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

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

Ukita Naoie was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period. He was born in Bizen Province, to Ukita Okiie, a local samurai leader and head of the Ukita clan. Biography Naoie's grandfather Yoshiie was killed by Shimamura clan in 1534, Naoie narrowly esc ...

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.

Edo period

In 1600,

Ukita Hideie was the ''daimyō'' of Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces (modern Okayama Prefecture), and one of the council of Five Elders appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Son of Ukita Naoie, he married Gōhime, a daughter of Maeda Toshiie. Having fought ag ...

, 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 was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period. He was the head of the Okayama Domain.Edmond_Papinot.html" ;"title="DF_18_of_80/nowiki>_retrieved_2013-4-25. # .html"_;"title="DF_18_of_8 ....Edmond Papinot">Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ...

Meiji Restoration to World War II

On August 29, 1871, the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan replaced the traditional feudal domain system with centralized

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

authority (Prefectures of Japan). Okayama became the capital of Okayama Prefecture. In 1889, Okayama City was founded. In the

Meiji period The is 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 colonization ...

, a railroad was built in Okayama city that greatly enhanced the development of the city. For example, the and 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 Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

with

incendiary bombs Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using fire (and sometimes used as anti-personnel weaponry), that use materials such as napalm, th ...

. 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 regions. In 1972, the

San'yō Shinkansen The is a line of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Osaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan. Operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West), it is a westward cont ...

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 core city, principal city metropolitan core, or central city, is the largest or most important city or cities of a metropolitan area. A core city is surrounded by smaller satellite cities, towns, and suburbs. A central city ...

in 1996 and a

designated city A , also known as a or , is a Japanese city that has a population greater than 500,000 and has been designated as such by order of the Cabinet of Japan under Article 252, Section 19, of the Local Autonomy Law. Designated cities are delegat ...

on April 1, 2009.

Geography

The Okayama city office is faced from the north

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.

Asahi River The Asahi River is a river in Okayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 km2 (2,746 sq mi). Oka ...

crosses Okayama. Since Okayama became a

in 2009, the city has been divided into four wards (''ku'').

Mergers

* On March 22, 2005 - the town of

Mitsu Mitsu may refer to: * Mitsubishi Motors, a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer Places * Mitsu, Hyōgo, former town in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan * Mitsu, Okayama, former town in Okayama Prefecture, Japan People * Okita Mitsu (1833 � ...

(from Mitsu District), and the town of Nadasaki (from Kojima District) were merged into Okayama. * On January 22, 2007 - the town of Takebe (from Mitsu District), and the town of

Seto Seto may refer to: Places * Seto, Aichi, production place of Japanese pottery and venue of Expo 2005 * Seto, Ehime, facing the Seto Inland Sea *Seto, Okayama, adjacent to Okayama, in Okayama Prefecture *Seto Inland Sea of Japan * Setomaa (''Seto ...

(from Akaiwa District) were merged into Okayama. Kojima, Mitsu, and Akaiwa Districts have all since been dissolved as a result of these mergers.

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 is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(''Cfa''). The local climate is warm enough throughout the year to support olive trees. Okayama is often called "Land of Sunshine" because of its low number of rainy days per year.

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 Okayama Prefecture. Greater Okayama, Okayama

Metropolitan Employment Area is a definition of metropolitan areas used in Japan, defined by the Center for Spatial Information Service of the University of Tokyo. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry defined 233 areas for the UEAs of Japan. It is different from ...

, 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 is a historic city located in western Okayama Prefecture, Japan, sitting on the Takahashi River, on the coast of the Inland Sea. As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 483,576 and a population density of 1,400 persons per ...

and

Sōja is a city located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. As of 2020, the city has an estimated population of 69,343 and a population density of 322 persons per km2. The total area is 211.90 km2. History In the 7th century, Ki Castle was built a ...

. The main commercial district is Omotechō, near Okayama Castle and

, and the area surrounding

Okayama Station is a railway station in Kita-ku, Okayama, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. The station is operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Lines Okayama Station is one of the major intersections of railways in the Chūgoku region. All trains conn ...

. 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.

Culture

Okayama Castle and

are Okayama's most notable attractions. Okayama Castle (nicknamed ( 'crow castle') was constructed in 1597 by

, a Japanese feudal lord. It was destroyed by bombing in 1945 during World War II but reconstructed in 1966.

, known as one of the three best traditional gardens in Japan, lies south of the castle grounds. Kōrakuen was constructed by

over 14 years, and completed in 1700. Sōgen-ji, a large

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

belonging to the Rinzai sect, is located near the center of the city. Several of the abbots of major monasteries in

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...

are from Sōgen-ji.

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 Yosakoi () is a unique style of dance that originated in Japan and that is performed at festivals and events all over the country. The first Yosakoi festival was held in 1954 in Kōchi, Japan, on the island of Shikoku. Yosakoi-style dancing has ...

dance.

Music and the arts

Okayama has a professional symphony

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

, 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 Okayama Orient Museum, the Yumeji Art Museum, and the Okayama Digital Museum.

Cuisine

Okayama has several traditional dishes. Barazushi, a dish made with sushi rice, contains fresh fish from the Seto Inland Sea.

Kibi dango (Okayama) A , is a type of wagashi sweet or snack with an eponymous reference to Kibi-no-kuni, an old province roughly coincident with today's Okayama Prefecture. It is made by forming gyūhi, a sort of soft mochi, into flat round cakes.Shinmura (1991), ...

() gel-like balls made from a powder of millet and rice, are well known sweets from the area.

Media

The ''

Sanyo Shimbun The is a Japanese language daily newspaper published by . The company was founded in 1879. The newspaper is based in Okayama City, Japan. The newspaper covers national and international news stories and also news from Okayama and neighboring pr ...

'' 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 p ...

serving the greater Okayama area. 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 ;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 Sum ...

team Okayama Seagulls and football club

Fagiano Okayama is a Japanese football club based in Okayama, the capital of Okayama Prefecture. They play in the J2 League, the second tier of the country's football league system. Their home stadium is City Light Stadium, in Okayama City, though some home ...

have been established. In 2009, Fagiano Okayama FC gained promotion to the

J. League The , officially is Japan's professional football league including the first division J1 League, second division J2 League and third division J3 League of the Japanese association football league system. J1 League is one of the most successf ...

, the highest football league in Japan. Okayama was the birthplace of the 31st

Yokozuna , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the on ...

Tsunenohana Kan'ichi was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Okayama. He was the sport's 31st ''yokozuna''. Career He was born . He made his professional debut in January 1910 and reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in May 1917. He won his first top divis ...

, in 1896. He won 10 championships, 8 during his time as a Yokozuna.

Education

Okayama University is a national university in Japan. The main campus is located in Tsushima-Naka, Okayama, Okayama Prefecture. The school was founded in 1870 and it was established as a university in 1949. History Okayama University was originally founded as t ...

, founded as a medical school in 1870 and established in 1949 as a national university, is in the city. Today, Okayama University is one of Okayama's largest universities, with 11 faculties and six graduate schools. There are seven private universities, three

junior colleges A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...

, 24 high schools (16 public, eight private), seven combined junior high/high schools (two public, five private), 37

junior high schools A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school ...

(36 municipal, one national) and 93

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

(91 municipal, two private) in the city.

Universities

(national) *

Notre Dame Seishin University is a private women's college in Okayama, Okayama, Japan, run by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (Congregationis Sororum a Domina Nostra Namurcensi) are a Catholic institute of religious sisters, founded ...

(private) *

Okayama University of Science is a private university in Okayama, Okayama, Japan, established in 1964. It is predominantly a school of science and engineering. Notable events From 2015–2018, Okayama University of Science's operator, the group Kake Gakuen, applied for ...

(private) * Okayama Shoka University (private) *

Sanyo Gakuen University is a private university in Okayama, Okayama, Japan. The predecessor of the school, Sanyo Eiwa Women's School, was founded in 1886, and was chartered as a junior college, Sanyo Gakuen College is a private junior college in Naka-ku, Okayam ...

(private) * Shujitsu University (private) * Chugoku Gakuen University (private) * International Pacific University (private)

High schools

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

Transportation

Intercity rail

JR West's

is a major interchange, with trains from

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

, Sanin and

Sanyo , stylized as SANYO, is a Japanese electronics company and formerly a member of the ''Fortune'' Global 500 whose headquarters was located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo had over 230 subsidiaries and affiliates, and was founded by ...

connecting to the

Sanyo Shinkansen , stylized as SANYO, is a Japanese electronics company and formerly a member of the ''Fortune'' Global 500 whose headquarters was located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo had over 230 subsidiaries and affiliates, and was founded by ...

. Local rail lines serving Okayama Station include:

Sanyo Main Line , stylized as SANYO, is a Japanese electronics company and formerly a member of the ''Fortune'' Global 500 whose headquarters was located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo had over 230 subsidiaries and affiliates, and was founded by ...

Hakubi Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in the mountainous area of the Chūgoku region of Japan. It begins at the south end of Okayama Prefecture at Kurashiki Station in Kurashiki, passing through Niimi Station o ...

Akō Line is a railway line owned by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between Aioi, Hyōgo to Okayama, Okayama in Japan. A loop line off the Sanyō Main Line, the Akō Line commences at Aioi, is situated south of the main line approximately parallel ...

Uno Line The is a Japanese railway line which connects Okayama Station in Okayama to Uno Station in Tamano, both in Okayama Prefecture. It is owned and run by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It is also referred to as the . Part of the line, ...

Seto-Ōhashi Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku) in Japan which links Okayama Station in Okayama Prefecture with Takamatsu Station in Kagawa Prefectu ...

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" ...

, and

Kibi Line is a railway line in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It is also referred to as the . Stations All stations are in Okayama Prefecture. Rolling stock * KiHa 40 series diesel multiple units Fi ...

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, an ...

– San'yo Shinkansen * JR logo (west)

– San'yo Main Line * – – – – – – Okayama – – JR logo (west)

– Ako Line * – – Higashi-Okayama JR logo (west)

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

– Seto-Ohashi Line * JR logo (west)

– Tsuyama Line * Okayama – – – – – – – – JR logo (west)

– Kibi Line *Okayama – – – – – –

Tramway

Okayama has kept an operational

tram system A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

since the

. It is managed by

Okayama Electric Tramway The is a transportation company in Okayama City, Japan. The private company operates tram lines and bus lines. The company was founded in 1910, while their first tram line was opened in 1912. This is one of the few Japanese railway operators ...

and offers two lines: the Higashiyama Main Line and the Seikibashi Line.

Bus

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

Air

Okayama Airport is an airport in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. It is also known as Okayama Momotaro Airport. It is located northwest of central Okayama City and northwest or 30 minutes by bus from Okayama Station. It is about 10 minutes from the Okayama inter ...

, located in the northern part of the city, provides domestic service to Tokyo-Haneda, Sapporo-Chitose, Okinawa-Naha, and Kagoshima. Kōnan Airport, located to the south, has been a general aviation airport since the opening of Okayama Airport in 1988.

Notable people

Before the fall of Edo

Eisai was a Japanese Buddhist priest, credited with founding the Rinzai school, the Japanese line of the Linji school of Zen Buddhism. In 1191, he introduced this Zen approach to Japan, following his trip to China from 1187 to 1191, during which he w ...

(Buddhist priest, 1141–1215) *

Hideie Ukita was the ''daimyō'' of Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces (modern Okayama Prefecture), and one of the council of Five Elders appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Son of Ukita Naoie, he married Gōhime, a daughter of Maeda Toshiie. Having fought aga ...

(Military commander, 1573–1655) * Kōan Ogata (

Rangaku ''Rangaku'' (Kyūjitai: /Shinjitai: , literally "Dutch learning", and by extension "Western learning") is a body of knowledge developed by Japan through its contacts with the Dutch enclave of Dejima, which allowed Japan to keep abreast of West ...

practitioner, 1810–1863)

Arts

* Shigeru Nanba (painter, 1944– ) *

Takashi Fukutani Takashi Fukutani (; February 4, 1952 – September 9, 2000) was a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his manga series '' Dokudami Tenement''. Early life and career Fukutani was born in the Saidaiji area of Okayama and was rai ...

(manga artist, 1952–2000) * Masashi Kishimoto (manga artist, 1974– ) *

Seishi Kishimoto is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for '' 666 Satan'', which was serialized in ''Monthly Shōnen Gangan'' from 2001 to 2007 and licensed by Viz Media in North America as ''O-Parts Hunter''. He has since completed four more manga ser ...

(manga artist, 1974– )

Politics

Ichirō Aisawa is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Mitsu District, Okayama and graduate of Keio University, he was elected to the House of Represen ...

(Member of the House of Representatives, 1954– ) *

Kenji Eda is a Japanese politician and member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Okayama Prefecture and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1979, at ...

(Member of the House of Representatives, Secretary General of

Your Party is a Japanese parliamentary caucus consisting of Yoshimi Watanabe and Takashi Tachibana, later Satoshi Hamada after Tachibana forfeited his seat, in the House of Councillors. It was also a political party led by Watanabe from 2009 until its ...

, 1956– ) *

Satsuki Eda was a Japanese politician who was the first opposition member to serve as the President of the House of Councillors in Japan. Eda had served for three terms in the House of Councillors before his election as President on 7 August 2007, after the ...

(Member of the

House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers. If the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, or ...

, 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– ) *

Shigeo Takaya is the mayor of Okayama, Okayama in Japan. A graduate of Okayama Prefectural University-Junior College, he was first elected in October 2005. References See also * Japanese Wikipedia entry on Okayama, Okayama is the prefectural capital, ca ...

(33rd, 34th Mayor of Okayama, 1937– ) *

Tsuyoshi Inukai Inukai Tsuyoshi ( ja, 犬養毅, 4 June 1855 – 15 May 1932) was a Japanese politician, cabinet minister, and Prime Minister of Japan from 1931 to his assassination in 1932. Inukai was Japan's second oldest prime minister while serving, as he ...

(Member of the

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

, 29th

Prime Minister of Japan The prime minister of Japan (Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') 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 Sta ...

, 1855–1932) *

Masahiro Ishii was the governor of Okayama Prefecture in Japan from November 1996 until November 2012. A native of Okayama, Okayama and graduate of the University of Tokyo, he had worked at the Ministry of Construction since 1969 before being elected governor. ...

(5th Governor of Okayama Prefecture, Member of the House of Councillors, 1945– ) *

Yoshihiro Katayama was the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan from September 2010 through September 2011. He was the governor of Tottori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture ...

(Governor of Tottori Prefecture,

Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications The is a cabinet-level ministry in the Government of Japan. Its English name was Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications (MPHPT) prior to 2004. It is housed in the 2nd Building of the Central Common Government Of ...

, 1951– ) *

Akihiko Kumashiro is a Japanese evangelical politician in Yeshua Ha-Mashiach (Jesus Christ) and former member of the Liberal Democratic Party who served four terms in the House of Representatives of Japan. He held the District 2 seat of Okayama Prefecture. He wa ...

(Member of the House of Representatives, 1940– ) * 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 is a Japanese writer. Her work has won every major Japanese literary award, including the Akutagawa Prize and the Yomiuri Prize. Internationally, she has been the recipient of the Shirley Jackson Award and the American Book Award. '' The Memory ...

(novelist, 1962– ) *

Hyakken Uchida was a Japanese author and academic. Biography Uchida was born in Okayama to a family of sake brewers whose business later went bankrupt. His real name is Eizo Uchida (内田榮造 ''Uchida Eizō''). He became a pupil of Natsume Sōseki in ...

(novelist, 1889–1971) *

Junnosuke Yoshiyuki was a Japanese novelist and short-story writer, and a member of the so-called " Third Generation of Postwar Writers" (第3の新人). Life Yoshiyuki was born in Okayama, the oldest child of author Yoshiyuki Eisuke, but his family moved to T ...

(novelist, 1924–1994)

Entertainment

* Angela Aki (singer-songwriter, 1977– ) (attended middle school in Okayama) * Yōko Aramaki (impressionist and singer, 1981– ) *

Dorlis Dorlis (born February 23, 1982) is the stage name for a Japanese musician from Okayama, Okayama Prefecture. She started out in classical guitar, but at about age 17 became a street musician and dropped out of high school. In time, she became a jazz ...

(musician, 1982– ) * Satoshi Inoue (member of Jichō Kachō, 1976– ) * Yumbo Dump (comedy geniuses) *

Hiroto Kōmoto is a Japanese rock singer who has fronted bands such as The Blue Hearts, The High-Lows and The Cro-Magnons. Early life Kōmoto was born in 1963 in Okayama, Okayama Prefecture and graduated from the junior high school attached to the School of E ...

(musician, 1963– ) *

Shin Koyamada is a Japanese-American actor, producer, entrepreneur, martial artist, and philanthropist. He is best known for his starring roles in ''The Last Samurai'' and the Disney's movie '' Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior'' on Disney+. He has produced numero ...

(actor, 1982– ) *

Shinji Morisue is a Japanese gymnast and Olympic champion. He hails from Okayama City and attended the Nippon College of Physical Education (now called Nippon Sport Science University). Morisue is now a show business personality in Japan and is frequently seen ...

(former artistic gymnast and TV personality, 1957– ) *

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) * Kōji Satō (actor, 1963– ) *

Etsuko Shihomi Etsuko (written: 悦子, 英津子, えつ子, えつこ in hiragana or エツコ in katakana) is a feminine Japanese given name. The most common meaning is joy child. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese football player *, Japanese c ...

(actress, 1955– ) *

Yukiko Takaguchi is a Japanese voice actress. Her biggest role was in the anime '' The Wallflower'' where she voiced Sunako Nakahara. Other major roles include Soreto in ''Fantastic Children'', Setsuko Ohara in '' Super Robot Wars Z'', Vante in '' Queen's Blade ...

(voice actor, 1974– ) *

Tomu Uchida , born Tsunejirō Uchida on 26 April 1898, was a Japanese film director. The stage name "Tomu" translates to “spit out dreams”. Early career Uchida started out at the Taikatsu studio in the early 1920s, but came to prominence at Nikkatsu, ad ...

(film director, 1898–1970) * Riki Nishimura, (member of the K-pop boy group

Enhypen Enhypen (; ja, エンハイプン; ''Enhaipun''; stylized as ENHYPEN) is a South Korean boy band formed by Belift Lab, a joint venture between CJ ENM and Hybe Corporation, through the 2020 survival competition show '' I-Land''. The group is c ...

, born 2005 ) * Misa (Bassist for

Band-Maid Band-Maid (stylized as BAND-MAID® until 2016) is a Japanese rock band formed in 2013, consisting of singer Saiki Atsumi, guitarist/singer Miku Kobato, lead guitarist Kanami Tōno, bassist Misa, and drummer Akane Hirose. The band combines a rock ...

- October 15) * Miku Nishizaki (member of

Ocha Norma is a Japanese idol girl group that formed in 2021. They released their debut single, "Koi no Crouching Start / Omatsuri Debut da ze!", on July 13, 2022. History On March 7, 2021, it was announced by Mizuki Fukumura is a Japanese singer, ...

- born 2006)

Sports

* Noboru Akiyama (professional baseball player and coach, 1934–2000) * Yuko Arimori (athlete, 1966– ) *

Naoko Hashimoto Naoko Hashimoto (橋本直子 ''Hashimoto Naoko'', born July 11, 1984) is a Japanese volleyball player who plays for Il Bisonte Firenze. Career Hashimoto debuted with the senior national team in 2013. Clubs * Hisamitsu Springs (2003-2009) * ...

(volleyball player, 1984– ) *

Shigeaki Hattori Shigeaki "Shige" Hattori (服部茂章, November 3, 1963) is a Japanese professional race car driver and team owner based in the United States. As a driver, he competed in the CART and IndyCar Series, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (now th ...

(racing driver and team owner, 1963– ) *

Kinue Hitomi was a Japanese track and field athlete. She was the world record holder in several events in the 1920s – 1930s and was the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic medal. She was also the first woman to represent Japan at the Olympics. Biograp ...

(athlete, 1907–1931) *

Masahiro Kawai was an infielder for 23 years in Nippon Professional Baseball, primarily with the Yomiuri Giants. Known for his defense and bunting, he won several Gold Gloves, made two All-Star teams and set several sacrifice hit records. Kawai was a pitche ...

(professional baseball player, 1964– ) * Issei Morita (professional baseball player, 1989– ) *

Hikaru Sato is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, better known by the ring name . Sato started his MMA career in February 2000, fighting for Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling. During the next eight years, Sato fought, on average, five time ...

(professional wrestler and

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

, 1980– ) *

Hinako Shibuno is a Japanese professional golfer who won the 2019 Women's British Open. Early years Shibuno was born in Okayama, Japan on 15 November 1998. Her father was a discus thrower and her mother was a javelin thrower. She is the middle child of ...

(professional golfer, 1998- ) *

Kiyoshi Tamura is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Once a student of legendary professional wrestlers Billy Robinson, Lou Thesz and Akira Maeda, Tamura was known for his skills in catch wrestling and is considered to be one of ...

(professional wrestler, 1969– ) *

Hisashi Tsuchida is a former Japanese football player. Club career Tsuchida was born in Okayama on February 1, 1967. After graduating from Osaka University of Economics, he joined Japan Soccer League club Mitsubishi Motors (later ''Urawa Reds'') in 1989. He play ...

(soccer player, 1967– )

Inventions

* Seiichi Miyake (inventor of

tactile paving Tactile paving (also called tenji blocks, truncated domes, detectable warnings, tactile tiles, tactile ground surface indicators, tactile walking surface indicators, or detectable warning surfaces) is a system of textured ground surface indicat ...

, 1926–1982)

Twin towns – sister cities

Okayama is twinned with: *

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang ...

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

, China (1981) * Plovdiv, Bulgaria (1972) * San José, Costa Rica (1969) *

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, United States (1976) * San Jose,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, United States (1957) * Ninh Binh, Ninh Bình Province, Vietnam (2018)

Friendships

* Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (2002) *

Hsinchu Hsinchu (, Chinese: 新竹, Pinyin: ''Xīnzhú'', Wade–Giles: ''Hsin¹-chu²'') is a city located in northwestern Taiwan. It is the most populous city in Taiwan Province not among the special municipalities, with estimated 450,655 inhabi ...

, Taiwan (2003) *

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

, Maharashtra, India (2014)

Points of interest

Korakuen Garden In Japanese, the term kōraku in Kōrakuen (後楽園, "Kōraku Park") refers to later pleasures. It comes from a yojijukugo which means "hardship now, pleasure lat" It is derived from a poem by Fan Zhongyan. Places named Korakuen include: * Kōra ...

* Handayama Botanical Garden * Okayama Castle * Okayama Prefectural Museum * Okayama Orient Museum * Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art * Hayashibara Museum of Art * Yumeji Art Museum *

Kibitsu Shrine is a Shinto shrine in the Kibitsu neighborhood of Kita-ku, Okayama in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. It is the ''ichinomiya'' of former Bitchū Province. The main festivals of the shrine is held annually on the second Sunday of May and on October 1 ...

* Kibitsuhiko Shrine * Okayama Symphony Hall *

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