Job Discussion Forums

[a_godden]

Hi there, I'm wondering does anyone live in Okayama? Or have you heard of OGO studies? The school sounds okay and the program looks interesting but does anyone know about the school itself?

Also wondering about life in Okayama, costs, etc. Does anyone have any pictures?

Thanks for input.
Amy

[abufletcher]

I don't live in Okayama -- I'm on the other end of the Seito Ohashi Bridge in Kagawa -- but Okayama could generally be characterized as "neither here nor there." It's just an average sized city like a thousand others about an hour/hour and a half away from Kobe. Every city can claim its "famous attractions" and Okayama is not different but I think that for the most part people just pass through Okayama on the way to somewhere else.

Haven't heard of the school.

[PAULH]

[Speed]

Okayama is first and foremost famous for 'momotaro' (peach boy). This is where he was found floating in a peach on the river and popped out and was raised by the granpa and grandma who found him.

Also Okayama is a main stop for all the train lines that run through there, including the shinkansen (bullet train).

Nearby Okayama is the Kibi Plain. It's a large flat plain filled with temples, ancient buriel mounds, pagodas, shrines etc. You can rent a bicycle at any of the train stations that encircle the Kibi Plain and ride across and explore. You can leave the bicycles at any of the stations.

Okayamas main drinking/entertainment area is just south of Okayama Station. It's between the station and Korakuen Park.

"Kibi dango" (dumplings on a stick) is Okayama's famous food specialty.

You're very lucky to be going there.

[seanmcginty]

I like Okayama. I used to live in Himeji, which is the next major city east of Okayama and my wife is from Takamatsu so we used to always switch trains there on the way to visit her folks, and sometimes we'd spend the day. I also did my AEON training there about 5 years ago.

Korakuen is well worth the visit, its one of the best gardens in Japan. The castle sucks, but it forms a nice piece of borrowed scenery for the garden.

Its a nice prefecture too. The international villas PaulH mentioned kick ass, I've been to 4 of them with my wife and each time we had a great time. Kurashiki is cool too, if a little over rated.

[Gordon]

[seanmcginty]

My favorite was the one on Shiraishi Island. Its a really nice little island with nice hiking trails and a good beach a couple minutes walk from the villa. The villa itself was extremely comfortable, with a great veranda that had a wonderful view of the sea. Perfect place to rest with a book.

I've also been to Hattoji, Takebe and Ushimado. Hattoji is really cool, its one of the old farmhouses. Its nestled in the mountainside and there is nothing else around but a temple and a few other traditional farmhouses. Its a really beautiful and quiet setting, just make sure you bring all your food in because there aren't any shops up there.

Takebe is cool too, its got a nice hot spring you can relax in and the are around there is really good for bicycling around.

Ushimado I didn't like that much. The villa is nice and the town is nice, but the only way you can get around is by bicycle (if you are like me without a car) and the villa is at the top of a very high, very steep hill which made it a real pain in the ass to come back to.

Travelling from Hyogo by public transport those are the most convenient ones, we would have gone to the other two but they would have been a real pain in the butt to get to. Maybe someday.

[Gordon]

Thanks Sean, they all sound great. What do you think would be the best one for someone with a car (or perhaps train if easier) and young kids? We'd be coming over the Seto-Ohashi from Shikoku.

If anyone isn't following this, these are the places we are referring to:
http://www.harenet.ne.jp/villa/

[seanmcginty]

A car would be absolutely useless on Shiraishi island, you can walk across it lengthwise pretty easily. It still might be the best place to go with kids though, its got the nice beach and places to run around to. Takebe would also be good. The two that I didn't get to might be worth the trip if you have a car though, I thought they looked the most interesting in the brochure!!

[Gordon]

Thanks again Sean. I will have to go when the weather starts to warm up.