Day 13 – Takamatsu (Takamatsu Station) to Okayama (Okayama Korakuen)
38km – Leaving the island of Shikoku behind, we’ll cross the Seto Ohashi Bridge back to Honshu and ride through Japan’s Venice, the city of Kurashiki. After this, we’ll push into Okayama, our last city in the Chugoku region. Our day will be book-ended by visits to two famous gardens: Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu, and Korakuen Garden in Okayama
After starting the day with a leisurely walk in Ritsurin Garden, touted as one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan, we’ll need to drive across the Seto Inland Sea via the Seto Ohashi Bridge. The bridge is not crossable on bike, and Japan has strict regulations regarding taking bikes on trains. As such, it’ll be easier for us to use our van to cross the sea. This may allow us to spend a little more time sightseeing around Takamatsu before leaving Shikoku.
To make up for this being a semi-rest day, we’ll start our ride at Kojima Statin and then make a diversion to Kurashiki, the Venice of Japan and home of the famous Bukkake Udon. If time permits, we’ll ride on a canal boat and get to experience the Japanese version of a gondola.
We’ll then ride into Okayama, our next to last major city, and the final city before crossing the mountains into the Kansai region. Our day will end the same way it started, this time in Korakuen, known as one of the three best landscape gardens of Japan.
Highlights
- Ritsurin Garden
- Seto Ohashi Bridge
- Kurashiki – The Venice of Japan
- Korakuen Garden
Food & Accommodation
Breakfast will be taken at a local coffee shop, but the highlight of the day will be the specialty of Kurashiki, Bukkake Udon. Literally translating as “everything in,” this is a dish where the Udon noodle soup is hidden under layers of toppings. A bowl full of flavour, certain to keep us energized for the ride into Okayama. This evening will see us stay in a hotel in the heart of Okayama, and eat dinner at Coco Ichibanya, without doubt the BEST Japanese chain restaurant. With 20 levels of spice available, how high will our riders dare to go?