"Peach Capital Okayama" Top 5 Page for this destination Okayama-ken by Rabbityama

Okayama-ken Travel Guide: 241 reviews and 811 photos

Statue of Momotarou (Peach Boy) in Okayama Station

In 2003, I spent four weeks in Japan. Most of that time was spent in Okayama-ken in the city of Tsuyama. The entire prefecture is famous for it's peaches, and it's all thanks to Momotarou, a hero of one of Japan's most famous folktales! Momotarou is everywhere in Okayama prefecture, along with the peaches. Okayama peaches really are the best peaches I've ever had! If you go to Okayama, pay homage to Momotarou and honor him by eating a peach (or two)!

The Story of Momotarou

An old man and old woman (his wife) lived together, but were very poor. One day, while the old woman was washing clothing by the river, she saw a large peach floating down the river. She grabbed it took it home to her husband so that they could eat it. As they prepared to cut it, it began to move. Then, suddenly, a little boy emerged from the peach!

The elderly couple decided to raise the boy, even though they were poor. One day, when Momotarou (the boy) was older, he found out that their were a group of Oni (Japanese ogres) with a large amount of riches far away. Momotarou decided to go and defeat the evil Oni and take their treasure.

On his way, he met a monkey, a bird (pheasant, I think), and a dog. They decide to help him, so they follow him as he goes to the island where the Oni are hiding. When they arrive, Momotarou and his friends fight the Oni and defeat them. Then, Momotarou and his friends take all of the treasure and sail back to the old couple who raised him.

THE END

I'm sure there are slightly different variations, but that is the basic story! It's quite a nice story! I like Japanese folktales! I hoped you enjoyed it, too!

Pros and Cons

Pros:Mostly Rural, Culture, Unexplored by most foreigners, Great People
Cons:Mostly Rural (if you like cities)
In a nutshell:Natural Beauty

Intro Updated Oct 2, 2005
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Reviews (7)

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Comments (3)

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sanukseeker Jan 21, 2012 at 6:10 PM

The tip on a Momotarou-theme walk/travel is a neat idea. It helped me consolidate my knowledge of the folk tale together;)
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luckyzen Dec 9, 2005 at 9:52 AM

Thank you Brandon, for dropping by. I think your homepage is great with all the maps. I really enjoyed the info and pic. on your Okayama -ken page!
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cheesecake17 Dec 7, 2005 at 2:37 AM

happy holidays to you.....ursula