話飲徒然草〜Tokyo Meanderings

日本三名園のひとつ、後楽園には年初に訪れたのだが、冬場とあって一面茶枯葉色の景色だった。今回は一泊出張でスケジュールがタイトなな中、夕刻小一時間ほど時間ができたので再訪してみたが、それだけの価値はあった。紅葉にはまだ早かったが、「唯心山」からの眺望はすばらしかったし、バックに映る岡山城の背景も見事だった。岡山には今年４回行ったが、街は綺麗だし、店やインフラは充実しているし、観光名所もいろいろあって、すっかりお気に入りになった。メジャーな観光スポットほどオーバーツーリズム気味でないのにも好感が持てた。難を言えば、陸路だとやや遠く、新幹線で行くべきか飛行機で行くべきか、非常に微妙なところですかね。

夜は仕事仲間と、駅の傍の居酒屋、壱厘酒蔵 （いちりんしゅぞう）へ。海の幸が充実していて、値段も手頃。食べログの点数が高いこともあってか、平日なのに店内は満員だった。













I visited Kōraku-en, one of Japan’s three most celebrated gardens, earlier this year, but since it was winter, the entire landscape was tinged with the dull brown of withered grass. This time, though my overnight business trip left me with a tight schedule, I managed to find an hour or so free in the late afternoon and decided to revisit the garden—and it was well worth it. It was still a little early for the autumn foliage, but the view from Yuishinzan Hill was magnificent, and the backdrop of Okayama Castle was simply stunning.
This was my fourth trip to Okayama this year, and I’ve really grown fond of the city. It’s clean and well-organized, with plenty of good shops and infrastructure, and there’s no shortage of sightseeing spots. I also like the fact that, unlike major tourist destinations, it hasn’t yet fallen victim to overtourism. If I had to name one drawback, it would be the access—by land, it’s a bit far, and it’s always a toss-up between taking the Shinkansen or flying there.
In the evening, I went out for drinks with some colleagues at an zakaya near the station（Ichirin-Syuzou）. The place offered a great selection of seafood at reasonable prices, and perhaps because it’s highly rated on Tabelog, it was packed even on a weekday night.