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35-672: Okayama is the capital and largest city of Okayama Prefecture, with other major cities including Kurashiki , Tsuyama , and Sōja . Okayama Prefecture's south is located on the Seto Inland Sea coast across from Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku , which are connected by the Great Seto Bridge , while the north is characterized by the Chūgoku Mountains . Prior to the Meiji Restoration of 1868,

70-606: A mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 46 members. The city contributes 19 members to the Okayama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between of the Okayama 1st District, Okayama 2nd District and Okayama 3rd District of the lower house of the Diet of Japan . Since Okayama became a designated city in 2009,

105-686: A powder of millet and rice, are well known sweets from the area. Ukita Naoie Ukita Naoie ( 宇喜多 直家 , 1529 – February 1, 1582) was a Japanese daimyō of the Sengoku period . He was born in Bizen Province , to Ukita Okiie , a local samurai leader and head of the Ukita clan . He has historical reputation as one of Japan's Three Great Villains ( 日本三大梟雄 ) , a nickname which he shared with Matsunaga Hisahide and Saitō Dōsan , due to their ambitious and treasonous personality, along with

140-535: A rebellion against Munekage. Naoie attacked Tenjinyama castle successfully, effectively ending Uragami Munekage's rule. In 1579, the Ukita clan resisted an advance by Hashiba Hideyoshi , who led a westward march upon orders of Oda Nobunaga. Sensing Oda Nobunaga 's victory over the Mori clan, Naoie sent a force to help the Mori, but not present citing personal illness as an excuse. Later in 1581, Naoie cut ties with

175-410: Is Okayama's largest university, with 8 faculties and seven graduate schools. There are seven private universities, three junior colleges , 24 high schools (16 public, eight private), seven combined junior high/high schools (two public, five private), 38 junior high schools (37 municipal, one national) and 93 elementary schools (91 municipal, two private) in the city. JR West's Okayama Station

210-424: Is Omotechō, near Okayama Castle and Kōraku-en , and the area surrounding Okayama Station . Omotechō has many covered shopping arcades. The headquarters of Aeon Corporation , a private English language school with more than 3,000 employees, is located in Okayama. Okayama University , founded as a medical school in 1870 and established in 1949 as a national university, is in the city. Today, Okayama University

245-638: Is a major interchange, with trains from Shikoku , Sanin and San'yo connecting to the San'yō Shinkansen . Local rail lines serving Okayama Station include: [REDACTED] JR West – San'yō Shinkansen [REDACTED] JR West – San'yō Main Line [REDACTED] JR West – Akō Line [REDACTED] JR West – Uno Line [REDACTED] JR West – Seto-Ōhashi Line [REDACTED] JR West – Tsuyama Line [REDACTED] JR West – Kibi Line Okayama has kept an operational tram system since

280-750: Is closely associated with the folklore hero, Momotarō . This tale is said to have roots in the legendary story of Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto and Ura which explains that the Prince Ura of Kudara used to live in Kinojo (castle of the devil) and was a cause of trouble for the people living in the village. The emperor's government sent Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto (Momotarō) to defeat Ura. The city of Okayama holds an annual Momotarō-matsuri , or Momotarō Festival. The sports teams listed below are based in Okayama. Some tourist attractions are: Okayama Okayama ( 岡山市 , Okayama-shi , Japanese: [okaꜜjama] )

315-572: Is located in the southern part of Okayama Prefecture, which is located in western part of the island of Honshū . The northern part of the city forms a corner of Kibi Plateau, which is a series of gentle hills, and includes the Asahikawa Dam, Okayama Airport, and a suburban residential area. The central urban area is located on the Okayama Plain in the south, which was formed by the transportation and sedimentation of two first-class rivers,

350-562: Is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan . The Okayama metropolitan area, centered around the city, has the largest urban employment zone in the Chugoku region of western Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. As of February 2023 , the city has an estimated population of 700,940 and a population density of 890 people per km . The total area is 789.95 square kilometres (305.00 square miles). The city

385-406: Is the local newspaper serving the greater Okayama area. There are six television stations serving the Okayama area and part of Kagawa Prefecture . Three FM and three AM radio stations also serve the region. Okayama has many sports teams. In recent years, volleyball team Okayama Seagulls and football club Fagiano Okayama have been established. In 2009, Fagiano Okayama FC gained promotion to

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420-654: Is the site of Kōraku-en , known as one of the top three traditional gardens in Japan, and Okayama Castle , which is ranked among the best 100 Japanese castles . The city is famous as the setting of the Japanese fable Momotarō . Okayama joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2016. Before the Muromachi period , Okayama was one corner of a farm region and included a small castle built by

455-530: The Asahi River and Yoshii River , which flow into the Seto Inland Sea . To the south of the main urban area is Kojima Bay, which forms the scenic Kojima Peninsula overlooking the Seto Inland Sea. Okayama Prefecture Okayama has a mild climate in comparison to most of Japan. It has the most rain-free days (less than 1mm of precipitation) of any city in Japan. It is ranked as the second driest and

490-557: The J. League , the highest football league in Japan. Every August since 1994 Okayama has seen the Momotarō Matsuri (Festival), which is an amalgam of three different festivals, including the Uraja 'ogre' festival, which is a kind of Yosakoi dance. Okayama has several traditional dishes. Barazushi , a dish made with sushi rice, contains fresh fish from the Seto Inland Sea. Kibi dango (Okayama) ( 吉備団子 ) gel-like balls made from

525-604: The Meiji period . It is managed by Okayama Electric Tramway and offers two lines: the Higashiyama Main Line and the Seikibashi Line. Seven bus companies provide service within the city limits: Bihoku Bus ( 備北バス ) , Chūtetsu Bus ( 中鉄バス ) , Okaden Bus ( 岡電バス ) , Ryōbi Bus ( 両備バス ) , Shimoden Bus ( 下電バス ) , Tōbi Bus ( 東備バス ) , and Uno Bus ( 宇野バス ) . Okayama is twinned with: The Sanyo Shimbun

560-406: The Seto Inland Sea and includes 90 islands in the sea. Okayama Prefecture is home to the historic town of Kurashiki . Most of the population is concentrated around Kurashiki and Okayama . The small villages in the northern mountain region are aging and declining in population - more than half of the prefecture's municipalities are officially designated as depopulated. As of 1 April 2014, 11% of

595-503: The 19th century. Continuing its economic development, Okayama became one of the ten best large castle towns in Japan in the 18th century. The Korakuen Garden was developed by the fourth feudal lord, Ikeda Tsunamasa . On August 29, 1871, the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan replaced the traditional feudal domain system with centralized government authority. Okayama became the capital of Okayama Prefecture. In 1889, Okayama City

630-539: The Chūgoku and Shikoku regions. In 1972, the San'yō Shinkansen began service between Shin-Ōsaka and Okayama stations. Two years later, Shinkansen service was extended to Hakata . In 1988, the Seto-Ōhashi Bridge was opened, and connected Okayama with Shikoku directly by rail and road. The city became a core city in 1996 and a designated city on April 1, 2009 with increased local autonomy. On March 22, 2005

665-486: The GDP of Okayama Prefecture . Greater Okayama, Okayama Metropolitan Employment Area , has a GDP of US$ 63.1 billion as of 2010. The main industries are machine tools, chemicals, foodstuffs and printing. Kōnan, a district in the southern part of the city, is the most developed industrial zone. Okayama is the core of the Okayama metropolitan area, which includes the cities of Kurashiki and Sōja . The main commercial district

700-491: The Kanemitsu. In the Sengoku period , Ukita Naoie attacked Okayama and attacked the castle for the transportation resources and extensive farmland in the region. Naoie remodeled the castle, built the old Sanyo road to the central part of the castle town, and called in craftsmen both from inside and outside of Bizen Province . Okayama became the political and economical capital of Bizen Province. In 1600, Ukita Hideie , who

735-558: The Uragami clan tried to subjugate the Nakayama clan. It is said that the reason for this was that the Nakayama clan had neglected Uragami Munekage. The Uragami clan decided to subjugate the Nakayama clan because they suspected that Nakayama Bitchu no Kami and Morizane Shimamura (Nanami) were plotting a rebellion. At this time, Ukita Naoie took out a letter that served as evidence of Shimamura Bungo-no-kami's plot, and said that Bungo-no-kami

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770-499: The area of present-day Okayama Prefecture was divided between Bitchū , Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces. Okayama Prefecture was formed and named in 1871 as part of the large-scale administrative reforms of the early Meiji period (1868–1912), and the borders of the prefecture were set in 1876. Okayama Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture , Tottori Prefecture , and Hiroshima Prefecture . It faces Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku across

805-565: The castle and moved Ukita clan 's main bastion from Numa castle in 1573. In 1574, on March, Naoie broke off the relations with Munekage. The battle went against Munekage, and in October of the following year, Munekage's castle, Tenjinyama Castle, fell. In 1574, since the influence of Naoie was increasing, Uragami Munekage attempted to oust Naoie. Naoie was dissatisfied with the Munekage decision, he allied with Mōri clan and launched

840-403: The city has been divided into four wards ( ku ). (northern ward) (central ward) (eastern ward) (southern ward) The city is located in the Okayama Plain, where rice, eggplant, and white Chinese chives are notable products. White peaches and grapes are cultivated in the mountainous, northern part of the city. In 2005, the city's gross domestic product was 800 billion yen, nearly 10% of

875-460: The fourth sunniest city in the Chūgoku region. The climate is classified under the Köppen climate classification as humid subtropical ( Cfa ). The local climate is warm enough throughout the year to support olive trees. Okayama is often called "Land of Sunshine" because of its low number of rainy days per year. Per Japanese census data, the population of Okayama is as follows: Okayama has

910-472: The habit to resort into underhanded tactics and assassinations to eliminate the oppositions. Naoie's grandfather Yoshiie was killed by Shimamura clan in 1534, Naoie narrowly escaped from Toishi castle along with his father Ukita Okiie . Two years later after his father died, he become head of Ukita clan in the age of seven years old. In 1543, he became a vassal of Uragami Munekage and made remarkable progress in his war service. In 1544, Naoie

945-683: The total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks , namely the Daisen-Oki and Setonaikai National Parks; the Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park ; and seven Prefectural Natural Parks. Fifteen cities are located in Okayama Prefecture: These are the towns and villages in each district : Per Japanese census data, and, Okayama prefecture has had continual negative population growth since 2005 Okayama Prefecture

980-406: The town of Mitsu (from Mitsu District ), and the town of Nadasaki (from Kojima District ) were merged into Okayama. This was followed on January 22, 2007 when the town of Takebe (from Mitsu District), and the town of Seto (from Akaiwa District ) were merged into Okayama. Kojima, Mitsu, and Akaiwa Districts have all since been dissolved as a result of these mergers. The city of Okayama

1015-426: The western portion of Bizen. In 1569, Naoie joined with Oda Nobunaga and Akamatsu Masahide of western Harima Province to rebel against his lord, Uragami Munekage. However, Munekage attacking Masahide at Tatsuno Castle and force Masahide to surrender. Munekage, whereupon give Naoie a special exception to return to serve him. In 1570, Naoie killed Okayama castle lord Kanemitsu Munetaka and started remodeling

1050-551: Was a garrison city for the Imperial Japanese Army . On June 29, 1945, the city was attacked by the US Army Air Forces with incendiary bombs . Almost all the city was burned, and more than 1700 people were killed. Okayama suffered terrible damage in the war, losing more than 12,000 households. During Japan's economic boom of the 1960s, Okayama developed rapidly as one of the most important cities in

1085-486: Was appointed as the lord of small castle called Otogo Castle . A year later, he was given command of 30 ashigaru to defend the fort and was rewarded for fighting treacherous Munekage's enemies. In 1551, under the orders of Urakami Munekage, Naoie married the daughter of Katsumasa, the governor of Nakayama-Bichu. The Nakayama clan was a local feudal lord based in Numa Castle (Higashi Ward, Okayama City).However,

Okayama Prefecture - Misplaced Pages Continue

1120-537: Was founded with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. In the Meiji period , a San'yo Main Line railroad and other local lines greatly enhanced the development of the city. The Sixth Higher Middle School ( 第六高等学校 , Dairoku Kōtōgakkō ) and Okayama Medical College ( 岡山医科大学 , Okayama Ika-daigaku ) were established in Okayama City. Okayama became a center in western Japan for transportation and education. When World War II began, Okayama city

1155-540: Was killed by the Ukita clan forces in battle on the castle gate. After that, Naoie was given Numa Castle and most of the territories of the Nakayama and Shimamura clans. Following this, many of Munekage's vassals deserted and joined the Ukita clan. In 1559, he killed his father-in-law Nakayama Nobumasa by order of Uragami Munekage and restored their old territory. In 1567, at the Battle of Myōzenji , Naoie succeeded in expelling almost all forces from Bitchū who had entered

1190-413: Was the enemy of his grandfather (Ukita Yoshiie), and that he would kill him immediately if ordered to do so. It is also said that Nakayama Bitchu-no-kami was his (Naoie's) father-in-law, but that he would kill him for the sake of his lord (Uragami Munekage). Naoie built a teahouse next to Numa Castle, invited Nakayama Bitchu-no-kami there, and killed him. Meanwhile, Shimamura rushed to attack Numa Castle, but

1225-519: Was the son of Naoie and the lord of Okayama, lost at the Battle of Sekigahara . The next year, Kobayakawa Hideaki came to Okayama and became the feudal lord of Okayama Domain . Hideaki died in 1602, however, ending the Kobayakawa line. Ikeda Tadatugu, who was the feudal lord of Himeji Domain , became the next lord of Okayama. After this time, Okayama was ruled by the Ikedas until the latter part of

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