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City in Chūgoku, Japan
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
Bizen (備前市 Bizen-shi) is the eastern part of Okayama Prefecture.
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備前市立備前焼ミュージアム Bizen shiritsu bizenyaki myujiamu
This concrete block displays both old and new examples of Bizen-style pottery. It also has informative displays on how Bizen-yaki is produced, the various ways it is fired, and displays results of each of the firing techniques.
天津神社
A shrine whose approach is lined with Bizen pottery tiles and zodiac animals. They even have ema made of Bizen pottery.
閑谷学校 Shizutani Gakko
Ikeda Mitsumasa, a lord of Okayama, commissioned Tsuda Nagatada to build this school. Completed in 1701, it was open not only to samurai but also farmers — it is said to be the first school in the world to be open to all classes of people. Now designated a national treasure, the school is still in its original condition, and the shining ebony floor is an impressive sight. Naturally, the roof tiles are made with bizen-yaki. The kai (楷) trees (Chinese pistache, nicknamed "trees of learning") on the grounds were brought here from a Confucius Temple in China are lovely, especially during cherry blossom season and the autumn. It's about 10 minutes by taxi from JR Yoshinaga Station (¥1200), or a longer ride from JR Imbe (¥2500).
藤原啓記念館
A museum featuring the artwork of Kei Fujiwara, a renowned Bizen potter who was designated a Living National Treasure in 1970.
正楽寺
The third temple of the Chugoku 33 Kannon Temple Pilgrimage.
BIZEN中南米美術館
A museum containing a variety of historic artifacts from Central and South America.
備前焼伝統産業会館 Bizen-yaki dentō sangyō kaikan
The easiest place to give the lathe a spin, as it is on the third floor of JR Imbe Station. Workshops are held every weekend.
備州窯
Try your hand at pottery. Reservations required. Shipping can take several months.
まるみ
A popular place to eat kaki-oko, oyster okonomiyaki.
A famous Bizen curry restaurant with a variety of curry and rice dishes, including their own original "Cleopatra Curry" which includes local Muscat grapes.
ビジネスイン STK
ゑびすや荒木旅館
English version of the webpage only lists ryokans in the most popular tourist areas, so information can only be obtained from the Japanese version.
たまや旅館
A portside ryokan in the Hinase area.
八塔寺国際交流ヴィラ
Hattoji Villa is a great way to experience traditional Japanese life in the countryside. The villa is in a traditional farmhouse in the isolated Hattoji area of Bizen. On the outside, you can appreciate the thatched roof while inside there is a traditional irori fire pit and goemonburo bath which is a small round tub heated from below. The villa is unique in that it also has a modern shower and kitchen so visitors can enjoy traditional aspects while still having access to modern conveniences to prepare meals. The villa is an experience itself, so it's not designed to be a base to visit other cities (although you could do it with a car). The surrounding area is scenic and there is a short hiking trail nearby as well. There are a couple restaurants, but it's recommended to bring your own food for cooking and snacks, because there are no supermarkets around the villa.
Two train lines run through Bizen. The JR Sanyo Line has Mitsuishi Station and Yoshinaga Station, the most convenient for accessing the Shizutani School and buses to the Hattoji area.
Read in the guideBizen is a sprawling area, but the pottery sites around Imbe Station can be easily covered on foot from the train station.
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Okayama · International · OKJ
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