Okayama

I've been living here in Okayama City now for about 5 months, and yet I still haven't written a blog about the city itself. That might lead you to believe that there's nothing worth seeing here. Not so. Although it's a pretty quiet city and not much happens here, there are some really nice places to see.
There are 2 main reasons why tourists come to the city. The first is Okayama-jo, the castle at the top. It's a very beautiful black castle, about a 15 minute walk from the centre of town. Although I've been to the castle several times, I've never actually stepped foot inside the building because I've been too cheap. I think it's about 800 yen (8 bucks).
The second is Korakuen (below), a garden right across the river from the castle. Korakuen is considered one of the top 3 gardens in Japan, which is quite an accomplishment, considering how seriously the Japanese take their public gardens. It is a nice place for a stroll, or to just go and relax. And it's cheap. I think it's only 350 yen for admission.