Visit Okayama, just west of Kobe, to experience the picturesque beauty of Japan’s vast countryside. Yes, not all of Japan is door-to-door concrete, train tracks and double-decker highways!
One of Japan’s most beautiful shrines is located in Kibitsu, Okayama Prefecture. Simply called, Kibitsu-Jinja (jinja means shrine), its main buildings are lined up with the sun’s movement during the summer solstice -- hey, that’s coming up in a few weeks!
The main shrine has just had its roof fully renovated; it took 4 years to complete, but this 600 year-old National Treasure is certainly worthy of it!
Leading up to the shrine is a 400-meter long corridor, which links the big shrine to a smaller one. As you can imagine, it makes for a memorable walk, as well as an excellent opportunity to take some photos.
There’s also a giant 11-meter stone lantern (toro) to check out, as well as many other points of interest. Budget a good couple of hours to see everything by foot, without being rushed.
You can get to Okayama by train, or hop on a bus in Kobe for a pleasant 2.5hr ride.
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