Shopping

You can choose from a sampling of products and crafts made in Okayama Prefecture at the Okayama Prefectural Local Products Center (Harenokuni Okayamakan), 1-1-22 Omotecho (tel. 086/234-2270; Wed-Mon 10am-7pm), conveniently located beside (south of) the Shiroshita streetcar stop. Bizen pottery (unglazed pottery with a history stretching back 1,000 years), igusa (rush-grass mats), wooden trays, bambooware, papier-mâché toys, sake, and more are all for sale here.

For general shopping, there's a large underground shopping arcade called Ichibangai at Okayama Station, with boutiques selling clothing, shoes, and accessories. Across from the station and connected to Ichibangai is Takashimaya department store. In the heart of the city, just south of Shiroshita streetcar stop, is the 1km (half-mile) Omotecho covered shopping arcade, where you'll find Tenmaya, Okayama's largest department store.