Day 28 has us in the Chugoku region of Japan to visit Okayama, which faces the Seto Inland Sea. Its capital is also called Okayama and it has a population of just under 2 million people.
1. What kind of animal is a binbi (びんび) in Okayama?
2. What does oidense (おいでんせえ) mean in Okayama?
3. Before the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama was divided between which three provinces?
4. Why does Okayama Castle have the nickname Crow Castle (烏城, U-jō) or "castle of the black bird”?
5. The city of Kojima in Okayama is famous for what type of clothing: (a) kimonos (b) fedora hats (c) jeans
6. What is the name of this garden in Okayama that is recognised as one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan (日本三名園, Nihon Sanmeien)?
7. What is the name of the Japanese manga artist who was born in Okayama and whose smash hit manga series was the first manga to ever win a Quill Award when it was awarded "Best Graphic Novel" in 2006?
8. Okayama is famous for its own style of “Hinase Kakioko” okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury pancakes) which feature what type of local seafood?
9. Okayama is famous for what variety of peaches? (Hint: it’s a colour!)
10. Write a haiku poem which best describes the beauty and charms of Okayama prefecture.
Answers for Day 27: (1) a bath towel (2) a butterfly (3) false - it is the third largest (4) Spa Resort Hawaiians (formerly known as Joban Hawaiian Center) (5) Mutsu Province (6) true (7) Lake Inawashiro (猪苗代湖) (8) Abukuma Cave あぶくま洞 (9) Negi soba or Takato soba