Kōrakuen Garden
Designed for Lord Ikeda in 1700; one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan alongside Kanazawa's Kenrokuen and Mito's Kairakuen.
Open in Maps ↗Prefecture profile · 都道府県
Okayama 岡山県
The 'Land of Sunshine' (one of Japan's lowest rainfall counts), home of the Momotarō legend, Kōrakuen — one of Japan's three great gardens — and the unlikely epicenter of Japanese selvedge denim production in the town of Kojima.
Capital
Okayama City
Population
1.87 million
Area
7,114 km²
Region
Chūgoku
History
The Momotarō (Peach Boy) folk tale is traditionally tied to Okayama, where Kibitsu-jinja enshrines Kibitsuhiko-no-Mikoto, the prince said to have inspired the story. The peach-and-millet-dumpling motif still anchors the prefecture's branding.
Bizen ware (Bizen-yaki), made from a distinctive iron-rich clay around Imbe, is one of Japan's Six Ancient Kilns with continuous production since the Heian period (12th century). It uses no glaze — its color comes entirely from the wood-firing process.
In 1965, a small Kojima workshop began producing the first Japanese-made jeans using selvedge denim. Kojima today is the global center of premium selvedge denim — Momotaro Jeans, Japan Blue, Pure Blue Japan, Studio D'Artisan, and Iron Heart are all based in or supplied from this single town.
Economy & business
Okayama's prefectural GDP is around ¥7.7 trillion (US$53 billion). Heavy industry around Mizushima (one of Japan's largest petrochemical and steel complexes — JFE Steel, Mitsubishi Motors), shipbuilding in Tamano (Mitsui E&S), specialty agriculture (white peaches, Pione and Muscat of Alexandria grapes), and the Kojima denim cluster.
Key industries
Heavy industry (Mizushima)
JFE Steel, Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima plant, ENEOS refinery, and Mitsubishi Chemical share one of Japan's largest integrated coastal industrial zones.
Denim & textiles (Kojima)
Birthplace of Japanese jeans (1965). Kojima's selvedge mills supply roughly 80% of Japan's premium-denim output and most of the country's school uniforms.
Specialty agriculture
Hakuto white peach, Shine Muscat and Pione grapes — all premium-grade exports. Okayama gets fewer rainy days than almost anywhere in Japan, which the fruit growers credit for sugar content.
Shipbuilding & precision
Mitsui E&S (Tamano), Kawasaki Shipbuilding affiliates, Tsuyama auto-parts cluster.
Crafts
Bizen-yaki pottery (one of the Six Ancient Kilns), Bicchū washi paper, Wake bamboo.
Notable companies
JFE Steel (Mizushima)Mitsubishi Motors (Mizushima)Mitsui E&SBenesse HoldingsHayashibara (trehalose)Kuraray (founded here)Tsuyama Auto PartsMomotaro JeansJapan Blue
Trade partners
ChinaUnited StatesSouth KoreaTaiwanThailand
Tourism highlights
Okayama Castle ('Crow Castle')
Jet-black wooden castle (rebuilt 1966) facing Kōrakuen across the Asahi River.
Open in Maps ↗Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter
Edo-period warehouse district with whitewashed walls, willow-lined canals, and the Ohara Museum (Japan's first museum of Western art).
Open in Maps ↗Bizen pottery villages (Imbe)
Working noborigama climbing kilns and shops along the JR line — buy directly from the potters.
Open in Maps ↗Naoshima art island (via Uno port)
Tadao Andō museums, Kusama pumpkin, Benesse Art Site — Okayama is the gateway by ferry.
Open in Maps ↗Kibitsu-jinja
Long, dramatic wooden roofline; the Momotarō legend's spiritual home.
Open in Maps ↗Did you know
Okayama is nicknamed 'Hare-no-Kuni' (Land of Sunshine) — meteorologically it gets among the lowest annual rainy days of any prefecture, a quirk of the Inland Sea rain-shadow.
Every pair of premium Japanese selvedge jeans you've heard of is woven within a few kilometers of Kojima Station, including the Momotaro, Japan Blue, Pure Blue Japan, Studio D'Artisan and Iron Heart lines.
The Shine Muscat grape — now Japan's most exported fruit and a luxury gift in East Asia — was registered as a cultivar in 2006 and is overwhelmingly grown in Okayama and Yamanashi.
About Okayama — Frequently asked
What is the capital of Okayama?
The capital of Okayama is Okayama City.
What region of Japan is Okayama in?
Okayama is part of the Chūgoku region of Japan.
What are Okayama's main industries?
Okayama's key industries include Heavy industry (Mizushima), Denim & textiles (Kojima), Specialty agriculture, Shipbuilding & precision.
What are the top tourist attractions in Okayama?
Top attractions in Okayama include Kōrakuen Garden, Okayama Castle ('Crow Castle'), Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter, Bizen pottery villages (Imbe).
What major companies are based in Okayama?
Notable companies headquartered in Okayama include JFE Steel (Mizushima), Mitsubishi Motors (Mizushima), Mitsui E&S, Benesse Holdings, Hayashibara (trehalose).
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