Yakage

Yakage-juku

Yakage (矢掛町) is in Okayama, Japan.

Understand

Yakage was built up as a post-town, the Yakage-juku, along the Old Sanyo Road that connected the area to Edo.

Tourist information site

The local DMO (Destination Management Organization) has a multilingual guide site.

Get in

Ibara Railway (井原鉄道) runs through Yakage with three stations falling within town limits; Oda, Yakage, and Mitani. It can be accessed from Okayama by changing trains at Kiyone Station in Kurashiki or Soja Station in Soja. On the opposite terminus, the line is accessible from Kannabe Station in Fukuyama. Ibara Railway offers a "Super Holiday Pass" (スーパーホリデーパス) on weekends and holidays for ¥1400. It provides savings for a roundtrip ticket to Yakage from Kannabe.

See

• 1 Yakage Museum (やかげ郷土美術館). A museum featuring works by Yakage natives Issho Sato and Kaido Tanaka along with exhibits of modern local artists. Visitors can also ascend the tower for a view of the town. (updated Feb 2024)
• 2 Yakage Honjin (旧矢掛本陣). Also known as the Ishii Residence (石井家住宅), the honjin was the principal inn of the Yakage-juku where daimyo and high-ranking officials stayed. (updated Mar 2024)
• 3 Yakage Wakihonjin (旧矢掛脇本陣). Also known as the Takakusa Residence (髙草家住宅), the wakihonjin served as the secondary inn where lower-ranking officials stayed when traveling along the Yakage-juku. (updated Mar 2024)
• 4 Kibi no Makibi Park (吉備真備公園). A park dedicated to Kibi no Makibi (695-775CE) where he was born. Kibi no Makibi went as an envoy to China and is credited with introducing Go to Japan upon his return. The park was built over the spot of his former residence. (updated Sep 2021)

Go next

• Ibara
• Soja
• Fukuyama
• Kurashiki
• Asakuchi
• Kasaoka
• Satosho
• Fuchu
• Sera