Ringing in the New Year in Okayama and Naoshima Island

Since we booked our holiday in Japan over the New Year, WJ and I decided to celebrate it like locals do – by savouring a steaming bowl of soba the night before on New Year’s Eve and visiting a shrine at midnight to seek blessings for the year ahead! 

Where we went

Naoshima Island

Naoshima Island is truly a paradise for art lovers. As a huge fan of Yayoi Kusama, I couldn’t contain my excitement to visit her famous pumpkin sculptures and “Narcissus Garden”. I even had my degree collection based on her and a few other artists back when I was studying design! These iconic pieces were even more captivating in person, and it felt like stepping into a dreamland of polka dots and whimsical colors. The Valley Gallery housed Kusama’s mesmerizing “Narcissus Garden,” while WJ and I had fun searching for the two vibrant “Pumpkin” sculptures.

Aside from Kusama’s art, we also planned to visit a few other museums on the island, but didn’t have enough time. I would recommend staying overnight if you want to really explore! And it’s also a good idea to bring some snacks along as there aren’t many restaurants or convenience stores on the island.

We visited the Benesse House Museum, and took the adorable minibus covered in polka dots directly from the station at the ferry terminal. It was a perfect way to spend an overcast afternoon.

Okayama

Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter

Visiting the Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter was like stepping into a beautifully preserved time capsule. The moment we arrived, we were instantly transported back to the Edo period with its charming streets, traditional buildings, and picturesque Kurashiki Canal.  And we could only imagine how beautiful it would be in the warmer months when the trees aren’t bald!

The narrow lanes were lined with white-walled storehouses, now transformed into shops, cafes, and museums, each exuding its own unique charm. It was so delightful wandering through the streets, admiring the traditional architecture and soaking in the nostalgic atmosphere. We couldn’t resist stepping into the various shops and boutiques that offered an array of traditional crafts, including pottery, textiles, and lacquerware. And if you’re a huge fan of denim, then you have to visit the Denim Street for the famous “Made in Okayama” denim!

Saijo Inari-san Myoukyoji

We first saw photos of the giant red gate when planning where to celebrate New Year’s Eve and knew we had to see Saijo Inari Torii for ourselves. So we decided to head there on New Year’s Eve as we thought the shrine, Saijo Inari-san Myoukyoji, was just through the torii. It would be a good way to ring in the new year and see how the locals celebrate.

Imagine our surprise when we walked up to the torii from the nearest train station just before midnight and saw a snaking long queue of cars… But no shrine in sight! After a quick check on Google Maps (which we really should have done earlier), we realised that the shrine was a 40-minute walk away. So of course we didn’t manage to reach the shrine to hear the bells chime to signal the new year, although we did hear it from a distance away!

Before we arrived at the shrine, there was also a row of stalls and a whole area of night market booths set up. The atmosphere was very festive! Funnily, we were interviewed by some Japanese media (or rather, they tried to) until they realised we weren’t locals!

Okayama Castle and Korakuen Garden

We got free entry to Okayama Castle as it was New Year’s Day, and I guess everyone got the memo because it was extremely crowded! It was also reopened on 3 November 2022, so new + free = a must-visit.

Fun fact: Did you know the average height of a Shogun was 155cm? I’m almost as tall as they were!

Many of the exhibits were narrated or had descriptions in Japanese, so we didn’t spend a long time in the castle. There were some interactive areas where language didn’t matter though – we had fun holding the antique guns to see how they felt like and going into a carriage. 

Too bad we went to the Okayama Castle in the late afternoon, as there was a Bizen-yaki pottery studio where you can try your hand at Okayama-speciality pottery!

After visiting Okayama Castle, we crossed the bridge to Korakuen Garden. As we only had 10 minutes in the garden till closing at 5pm, we also came back the next day to fully explore the scenic Korakuen Garden.

Cranes are released every New Year’s Day, but due to COVID regulations, the release was cancelled this year. We were really disappointed as we planned a trip to Okayama with the cranes as the main highlight. We did manage to spot them in their enclosures making a huge din though – maybe they were disappointed they were not getting released too!

Kibitsu-jinja Shrine

The shrine is renowned for its impressive 360-meter-long corridor. And the area surrounding the tranquil pond across the road from the corridor was my favourite as it looked so peaceful and quintessentially zen.