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Things to do in Yakage

2017-11-19

Tucked away in southern Okayama prefecture is Yakage, a town of about 15,000 people. It may be a rural area, but Yakage and its people are charming and guarantee a fun time to visitors.
On a recent weekend tour, I was fortunate enough to enjoy a packed schedule of activities, which I have detailed down below.
To start off the tour we mingled with locals to make our own sugitama, or cedar ball decorations. The sugitama was traditionally hung outside sake shops in hopes of a good year of business, but they are now seen outside of homes as well.
Our group then made mochi (with hammer and all) in the courtyard of the Yakageya Inn. We sandwiched our mochi cakes with fresh anko and kinako powder to make sweet and chewy sandwiches.
Several members of our group tried out wearing kimono for the first time. Locals helped assemble the kimono and the results were stunning. Kimono members walked around town for the next several hours and were helped out of their outfits back at the Yakageya Inn.
After a packed day of activities we relaxed in high comfort at the Yakageya Inn, a recently renovated hotel located in the middle of the town’s main street. The rooms, food, and staff are all memorable and charming. The inner courtyard is particularly stunning at night.
On the second day of the tour, we visited the Daitsuji Temple, where we practiced za-zen, a form of meditation. After about 20 minutes of meditating, the priests gave us a tour of the temple, explaining its history and current use by locals. The zen garden alone is well worth visiting for its beauty. To cap off our visit, we also visited Fruitopia, where some of the finest grapes and pears in Okayama are grown. Though the grape season was almost over, our tour group got to enjoy a healthy bunch of ripe fruit.. Though Yakage’s tourism board is still deciding on a set price and tour package, they are considering an amazing deal of 20,000 yen (roughly $180 USD) per person. This would potentially include all of the lodging and activities that I described in this article. Once that information is officially available, we will provide the website link and precise information. Until then, please visit Yakage on your own time and discover some of its hidden gems!
Yakage is about an hour away by train from Okayama station.
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