Okayama Prefecture on Honshu 3 - 4 days driving recommendation December
 

Hello FT

our last trip to Shikoku was to Takamatsu and Kochi. We are now returning to Takamatsu and taking the train over Seto bridge to spend time in Okayama and the surrounding area. I see plenty of guides for 3 days in Okayama. What I don't see is suggestions for visiting other sites (we'll rent a car) outside of Okayama city.

So would love to hear from FT on other sites to visit in Western Honshu in the Okayama prefecture and we do plan on renting a car for 3 - 4 days.

Thanks!

The Okayama International Villa in Hatoji is in some pretty stunning surroundings. Also, warming sake in the irori is fun.
Hatoji Villa

Not sure if you are a car guy, but if you are in the area a visit to Old Boy is worth it. It specializes in older classic sports cars. Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, etc. They do a lot of restoration. You can walk around the showroom with no questions asked. I always drool over the Porsche 959 they have had there for awhile. Attached to it is also a cafe and a couple of restaurants. The restaurant serving pork kabayaki is delicious.
Old Boy

This is also a wonderful little town a little off the beaten track.
Fukiya Furusato Village

Nariwa is also another town in Okayama that has an interesting museum.

I've been to most of these by train but they should all be possible and the remote ones definitely easier by car. There's a lot in the area but most of these are smaller places where you'd probably only spend a few hours (each).

Bit chu Matsuyama castle is an original castle and Takahashi is a nice small town to walk around in (edit: b i t c h u or Google 備中松山城)

Maki-do and Ikura-do caves in Niimi are rather impressive (unless you are claustrophobic!). They are quite remote and the area is beautiful.

Tsuyama has a small but good railroad museum and a large castle park as well.

The Bizen pottery museum and Osafune Sword museum are interesting museums in Bizen, to the east of Okayama.

There's a unique horseshoe crab museum in Kasaoka at the far west of the prefecture.

Just across the border in Hiroshima prefecture, Fukuyama and Onomichi are both nice cities; Fukuyama has a few good museums and a castle (all close together), and Onomichi has temples and sites in the hills right above the city as well as good views of the inland sea.

And closer in to Okayama there's Kurashiki with museums and old-style town (it can be very crowded though and taking the train is probably easier), as well as many small shrines and temples in the Kibi plain.

I've traveled around Okayama prefecture quite a bit and if you're interested I can give more details or upload some pictures (or feel free to PM me).