Getting There -- Okayama is a major stop on the Shinkansen Tokaido/Sanyo Line, about 4 hours from Tokyo, 1 hour and 15 minutes from Kyoto, and less than 1 hour from Hiroshima. The fare from Tokyo is ¥15,850 ($132) for an unreserved seat.

Buses depart nightly from Shinjuku Station's west exit in Tokyo at 9:30 and 9:45pm, arriving at Okayama Station the next day at 7:50 and 8:05am respectively. The fare is ¥10,200 ($85) one-way. For the same fare, you can depart from Tokyo's Shinagawa Station at 9:15pm and arrive at 7:35am. There's also express bus service from Osaka.

Visitor Information -- Before you depart Tokyo, Kyoto, or Kansai or Narita international airports, stop by the Tourist Information Center for the leaflet "Okayama, Kurashiki and Seto Ohashi Bridge," which contains useful information on train transportation to Okayama and important sights in the prefecture. In Okayama, the Okayama City Tourist Information Office (tel. 086/222-2912; open daily 9am-6pm) is inside Okayama Station near the central exit of the east side (look for the sign displaying a question mark). The office is well-prepared for foreign visitors, supplying maps in English of Okayama and Kurashiki as well as brochures.

Just a 4-minute walk from Okayama Station is the Okayama International Center, 2-2-1 Hokancho (tel. 086/256-2000; open Tues-Sun 9am-5pm), where you can get more detailed information, obtain a better map of Okayama than those available at the station, take classes, log onto the Internet, peruse a library book, and even stay overnight. Although geared mainly toward foreign residents, classes that accept one-timers include instruction in tea ceremony, Japanese cooking, Japanese language, ikebana, and aikido. Check with the International Center for availability, times, and prices. The multilingual staff here is very helpful and is happy to steer you to Okayama Prefecture's International Villas, your hotel, or your next destination. To find the center, take the west exit of the station and turn right (north) onto the main street running in front of the station until you come to a 7-Eleven, where you should turn left; the center is the big building on your right. More information on Okayama Prefecture is available on their website.

Internet Access -- You can check and send e-mail at the Okayama International Center free of charge, but you're limited to 30 minutes of usage. Be aware, too, that you may have to reserve the center's one computer in advance for busy times, or be prepared to wait.

Getting Around -- Okayama's sights are all clustered within walking distance of each other, due east of Okayama Station. The easiest way to sightsee is to board a streetcar from Okayama Station's east side bound for Higashiyama (platform 1) and disembark about 8 minutes later at the Shiroshita streetcar stop (the 3rd stop; to your right will be the very noticeable Okayama Symphony Hall building). Pay the ¥100 (85¢) fare when you get off. From here you can continue walking straight ahead (east) 8 minutes to Okayama Castle and then visit nearby Korakuen Garden and the Yumeji Art Museum.