Kibitsu-jinja

Western Honshū


This sprawling Shintō shrine is dedicated to an ancient warrior who subdued a local demon-bandit called Ura and brought the area under central control. Many people believe that these exploits were the ultimate source of the Momotarō (aka ‘peach boy’) legend – a mascot of Okayama.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Western Honshū attractions

1. Tsukuriyama-kofun

2.66 MILES

The 5th-century Tsukuriyama-kofun is the fourth-biggest kofun tomb (keyhole-shaped burial mound) in Japan. It's thought to mark the final resting place of…

2. Bitchū Kokobun-ji

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A highlight on the Kibiji bicycle route, this temple has a picturesque five-storey, 34m pagoda – famed for being the last pagoda to be built in Japan. The…

3. Okayama Prefectural Museum

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Tools, armoury and Bizen pottery are among the historic artefacts exhibited at this museum, located near the entrance to Kōraku-en.

4. Hayashibara Museum of Art

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This is a small museum with exhibits of scrolls, armour and paintings that were once the property of the Ikeda clan (who ruled Okayama for much of the Edo…

5. Yumeji Art Museum

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Prominent Taishō-era artist and poet Takehisa Yumeji (1884–1934) is particularly known for his bijin-ga (images of beautiful women), and various wistfully…

6. Kōraku-en

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Kōraku-en draws the crowds with its reputation as one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan. It has expansive lawns broken up by ponds, teahouses…

7. Okayama-jō

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Nicknamed U-jō (烏城; Crow Castle) because of its colour, the striking black Okayama Castle has an imposing exterior with gilded-fish gargoyles flipping…

8. Achi-jinja

6.7 MILES

Steep stone steps lead up to this shrine in Tsurugata-yama-kōen, a park that overlooks the old area of town. The shrine is home to a wisteria tree thought…