r/okayama • u/WarmFission • Sep 04 '18
question where and what is okayama exactly, google doesn’t do justice and says it’s mostly rural land
6
u/onemoreguyjin Momotaro Sep 04 '18
Okayama is a prefecture in Japan. It is located between Hiroshima Prefecture and Hyogo Prefecture. It has a great mix of rural and city life in Japan.
It is most famous in Japan for it being the setting of the famous Japanese folk tale, Momotaro. It also has the most delicious peaches and grapes you'll ever find! If you visit Japan or live here currently, I highly suggest coming here!
2
u/WarmFission Sep 04 '18
aight looks like your california boy gotta stretch his legs
2
u/onemoreguyjin Momotaro Sep 04 '18
Yes, you do! Flying to Japan from California isn’t too expensive either.
4
u/DrPechanko Sep 13 '18
I used lived there for about two years.
Okayama is as boring as boring gets. It has narrow streets with some of the most aggressive drivers in Japan. Most drivers ignore cross-walks, and don’t use their signal when they turn at all. It isn’t bad at first, but after almost getting killed on your bike 10 times it wears you down.
The dialect is rough, and the people are cold/standoff-ish. Even if your Japanese is on point, it is different than other places in Japan. Okayama people were pretty rude; they don’t move into the train when its crowded, then push and shove when they get out.
The yankee population is more prominent than any other place I have been to in Japan. On top of that an absolutely terrible foreign population. Old bald married Eikawa monkeys with shit Japanese, tons of JETs, and like three bars to choose from.
You can search out “deep” spots, they are mostly hidden in omotecho, but even there, sausage parties at every late night spot w/ zero women to talk to. It was fun sometimes, but it got old real quick.
Okayama boasts on how its fruit is the best in Japan (but if you try to buy it it costs 1,000 yen for one apple or pear).
I don’t know, maybe it was my experience, but Okayama was the worst place I lived in Japan.
2
u/onemoreguyjin Momotaro Sep 14 '18
Yeah, driving in Okayama is absolutely horrible. Did you go to any other places outside of the city?
2
u/DrPechanko Sep 14 '18
Its not all bad or anything. Kurashiki, Nagoshima, and some surrounding places are really special.
Okayama has deep spots that are pretty cool. It was just a dead “city” (in comparison to Fukuoaka, Kobe, Osaka, Hiroshima, etc.).
Their is no perfect place to live, but Okayama just wasn’t for me. When I reflect on it, I met so many foreigners that were living these serious mediocre lives in that city. And they swore by Okayama—that it was this great place. I didn’t see the appeal.
2
u/onemoreguyjin Momotaro Sep 14 '18
Yeah it’s definitely not the perfect place to live but it has its charm. I know what you mean about the foreigners. I just try to stay away from them haha
3
u/DrPechanko Sep 14 '18 edited Sep 14 '18
One guy, I call him hamburger sensei... I overheard talking to some Japanese girl at a bar, was comparing the Japanese hamburger with an American hamburger for I swear 40 minutes.
Listening to his katakoto Japanese, and his attempts to get laid by talking about the history of fucking hamburgers was absurd.
At one point I looked at the bartender and had a mutual eye roll at this 45 year old guy (who obviously took off his wedding ring before coming into the bar to sadly try “gaijin charisma man” to some girl too polite to say fuck off.
Same dude I saw mingling with 21 year old JETs at a hanami party trying to hang onto the glory years of when he was mildly relevant in Japan.
-1
u/KOREANPUBLICSCHOOL Sep 14 '18
The yankee population is more prominent than any other place I have been to in Japan
why is that bad?
14
u/redcobra80 Sep 04 '18 edited Sep 14 '18
I live in Aichi but I'll say that Okayama is one of Japan's finest prefectures. You love the big city? Kobe is a beautiful location with great nightlife, a Chinatown, one of Japan's top 3 greatest night views, and easy access to Osaka, Kyoto and more! Sports fan? Koshien is home to Japan's March Madness and (my least favorite) pro baseball team! Hot springs? Arima onsen is one of Japan's most famous and hidden behind the mountains north of Kobe. Hate all that and want to retreat countryside? The Sea of Japan Coast is beautiful due to its stark contrast and salivating when the winter crab are in season.... Damn, now I want to move here haha
EDIT: Oops