Walking Home in Okayama: A Collage of Observations

Today, with sun shining again once more, I finally visited Okayama Korakuen, one of the three great gardens of Japan. Almost playing second fiddle to these gardens is the nearby Okayama Castle, sporting a striking, sleek black design with white trimming and gold accents. From the garden, you seemingly always look up just a little, and there it is! Every angle seems to be the money angle, the perfect backdrop. It truly is beautiful.

Anyway, I then had a late afternoon solo stroll in front of me to return home. Moderately long, but not crazy. In no rush. I decided to be as present as possible for this walk. By now, I knew the route. So, eyes up out of my phone and instead scanning, watching, observing.

Straight after the bridge was the unassuming Café Moyau. I almost missed it. I’m glad I crossed the road. This was a gem. It was nestled in the corner, almost underneath the bridge itself, without a direct view in from the road. For good reason. The window-side seats offered an unobstructed lookout across the Asahi river and towards the garden precinct. Many young Japanese sat here working and sipping coffee. I can’t blame them. Peering in, the back wall was lined from floor to ceiling with books. Another room over appeared to have a couch. Cozy. Understated. Perfect.

What else did I notice on this walk? Well, there was a guitar store which looked cool. Closed sadly, though. I passed three identical Daihatsu vans with their engines left on and hazards blinking in unison, yet no-one in sight of the vehicles themselves. There was an large, old red-brick house just off the main road that transported me to somewhere in Britain. A giant dome building that I later found out is a symphony hall! Cool. Okayama is surprisingly lively I think. A man was practice his pitching game in the park, hitting his bundle of golf balls repeatedly into the high side netting of the neighbouring baseball field. Creative. Brought a smile to my face. Reminded me of my dad. And finally, I just keep on noting that the bike infrastructure is amazing here. Far beyond what I expected. I really like it.

That’s all. Just some small notes from a fairly uneventful day. I suppose that’s the spirit of this blog after all, isn’t it?