中国地方の交通の要衝／鉄道でゆく四国の玄関口／一駅一駅 JR山陽線 ＃１９ 岡山駅
This time, we will introduce Okayama Station on the JR Sanyo Line. It’s big. I proceeded west on the Sanyo Line. Okayama Station is also a station on the Sanyo Shinkansen, and the average number of passengers per day is approximately 60,000.
It is the 12th largest station in JR West Japan. There are many passengers on the train, and it is lively. Arrived at Okayama Station. Okayama Station is located in the Chugoku region and is the central station of Okayama City. Check which lines connect to Okayama Station. First, the Sanyo Shinkansen.
The first line to start with is the Sanyo Line. Next is the Tsuyama Line. Next is the Kibi Line. And then there is the Hakubi Line, which extends north from Kurashiki. Sanyo line. Uno line. The last stop on the Seto Ohashi Line is the Ako Line.
Okayama Station, which serves many lines, is an important transfer station. East and west connect the Kinki region and Hiroshima. Lines extend to the San’in region in the north and to Shikoku in the south. There are various bulletin boards and it’s very lively.
Platforms 1 and 2 are downhill from the Sanyo Line and Hakubi Line. Platforms 3 and 4 are the upstream lines of the Sanyo Line and Ako Line. Platforms 5 to 8 are the Uno Line and Seto Ohashi Line.
Platforms 9 and 10 are the Tsuyama Line and Kibi Line. The nickname of the Kibi Line is the Momotaro Line. I heard that the Hashigami station building was built in 2006, and I’m surprised at how much it has changed from what I remember. Today in December, it’s still cold but sunny.
I only remember it being sunny. Let’s take a look at lines 1 and 2. On the way down, this is the limited express Yakumono departure and arrival platform. I hear that the new vehicle will start operating from April 2024. Regular train bound for Bitchu Takahashi. There’s snow on the train.
It must be cold. Since it’s a one-man train, the driver even makes sure the doors are locked. By the way, there is a legend that if you see a yellow train, you will be happy,
And you can see it on a daily basis in the Sanyo area, such as the Doctor Yellow Shinkansen and construction vehicles. There are also passages underground. This is the normal route to Fukuyama. The door won’t open unless you press the button. Everyone is used to it.
On the Sanyo Line, Okayama Station is located between Nishikawahara/Shuritsu Station and Kitanagase Station. This is a new train being tested on the second track. The camera is coming. Well, I am one of them. It has already been introduced from Okayama to Mihara, but it will be introduced from January 20, 2024
Between Okayama and Himeji on the Sanyo Line and between Soja and Niimi on the Hakubi Line . This has been installed and is open for business. This is the new 227 series vehicle “Urara”. The pink color is reminiscent of peach blossoms in Okayama. I guess the yellow cars will be replaced.
Well, there is an ekiben shop on the platform. 3 hours and 6 minutes by Yakumo to Izumo City Station. I want to eat lunch. There are various bento boxes, but this one is the most popular. . . This is festival sushi for 1,100 yen. Matsuri sushi is a local dish of Okayama.
It is also called rose sushi. Now, the Ako Line up train is leaving from Platform 3. This is a passing train. I wonder what’s coming? The locomotive is Momotaro. Next is the limited express Super Inaba. I’m going to Tottori. I saw it parked at Kamigori Station, but it’s been a while.
Stop information is located overhead. Ah, I’ve already eaten my lunch. It takes less than 2 hours to get to Tottori. Please proceed with caution. Next up is the limited express Yakumo. This station is the last stop. It’s snowing here too. thank you for your hard work.
It is a 381 series pendulum train that has been running since the JNR era. The new vehicle is expected to debut in the spring of 2024. The station building has reused rails, giving it a beautiful retro feel. There is also a light section on the roof.
Oh, the Sunrise Seto/Izumo train is coming too! This is where trains from Shikoku and San’in connect and disconnect, and travel to and from Tokyo. Let’s go from platform 5 to platform 8. This is the only platform for trains heading towards Shikoku.
Platform 6 ends at a car stop, and the track in the middle becomes Platform 5. Tourist trains depart from here. La Mar runs mainly on Saturdays and Sundays towards Mihara, Hinase, Uno and Kotohira. The detour train has arrived. It’s snowing too. There is a deck and a bell on the platform. Bon voyage!
There are two Marine Liner trains departing from Platform 5 a day. The train that came to Platform 6 was the limited express Shiokaze. This is a limited express train that connects Okayama and Matsuyama. It takes less than 3 hours to reach Matsuyama.
The Shiokaze is connected to the limited express Ishizuchi, which connects Takamatsu and Matsuyama, at Utazu in Kagawa Prefecture, and heads for Matsuyama. Many are operated like this. It’s 8600 series, but it’s SS8000. It has a futuristic form. Come to think of it, its nickname is the Seto Ohashi Line.
It refers to the area from Okayama to Takamatsu, but it also refers to the Uno Line, Honshibisan Line, and Yosan Line. Next is line 7. A Uno Line train is entering the line. I couldn’t help but listen to it all. The nickname of the Uno Line is the Uno Minato Line.
Seto Ohashi Bridge was completed in 1986. Until then, the most common way to get there was to take the Udaka ferry from Uno Port to Takamatsu Port. And someday, someday, it will be the Shikoku Shinkansen. The overpass on the east side is still in use. Maybe there was an escalator.
This also reuses the rails. Marine Liner is entering platform 8. The last vehicle has a special feature. This train was a high-speed train connecting Okayama and Takamatsu , and began operation when transportation by ship changed to rail . It’s a two-story building. It looks like you can see the sea clearly.
The 2nd floor seats and the front of the 1st floor are green seats. The windows are also big. There are three types of designs, and this one is Momotaro Tokiji. What else? ? Cars 2 and onwards are free seats. The next station on the Uno Line is Omoto. Please go to Shikoku.
Other limited express trains to Shikoku include Minamikaze and Uzushio. It connects from Okayama, but I couldn’t see it today. Next are platforms 9 and 10. This is the platform for the Tsuyama Line and Kibi Line. It doesn’t say Kibi Line. After all, Momotaro is loved. The home is wide and spacious.
Oh, it’s here, it’s here. Entering the Tsuyama Line. This is a fast Kotobuki train. It sounds good. It’s snowing. The next station on the Tsuyama Line is Hokaiin. Sightseeing trains also depart from the Tsuyama Line. The Momotaro Line trains have a lively design. Okayama is the birthplace of the legend of Momotaro
, which is one of Japan’s heritage sites . The cultural assets that make up it are shown. It’s an advertising train. The demon cauldron looks scary. I’ll go someday. There are also trash cans. The next station on the Momotaro Line is Bizen Sanmon. Kilometer post is 0. It’s the starting point.
I guess I’ll be leaving soon. I’m having fun without running away. Now, in the station building there is a large ticket office and a Shinkansen transfer gate. As expected from Okayama Station. You can hear many different dialects. There are many welcome to Okayama signs at the station. There are only good photos there.
Okayama is a great place with a lot to see. Now let’s have lunch. This is Kibi, which is located at the top of Platform 1. Noodles are the main dish here, but you can also find mamakari pressed sushi here. Well, let’s leave the station. This is the underground ticket gate.
The exit is Okayama Ichibangai. It’s spacious and shiny. It’s sophisticated. In addition to the chocolate shop, this is the Western confectionery shop Hakujuji. There are stores in Okayama, Hiroshima and Hyogo prefectures. It has come up to the ground. It was a large underground shopping mall. This is the east exit.
Momotaro Boulevard stretches out and there is Bic Camera. In the middle of the main street is a tram. Operates the Ryobi Group’s Okayama Electric Tramway. There are two lines: the Higashiyama Line and the Seikibashi Line. It’s a slim train. The Higashiyama Line passes near Okayama Castle.
The fare is high, 140 yen. that’s cheap. There are quite a number of trains, and they depart every 5 to 8 minutes. Although it is used by local residents, it is also convenient for sightseeing. The lines are embedded. When you go up from the underpass, you will reach the platform.
Bic Camera and Takashimaya. Large taxi waiting area. The buses are spacious and there are buses of various colors. Okaden bus, Bihoku bus. Chutetsu bus. Here we come, Okayama. After all, it’s Momotaro. Momotaro is said to be one of the fairy tales,
And there are places all over the country that are associated with it, but Okayama seems to be the most likely place. He’s a boy. The station building houses a medical school. Sansute seems to be managed by a company affiliated with JR West Japan. Anyway, there are a lot of shops inside.
The supermarket is stocked with souvenirs. fresh juice. beef cutlet. Bookstore. Surprisingly, there is a ticket gate in front of the suit shop . Let’s go to the west exit this time. Oh, it’s a courier service store. It would be nice if they could keep it for me for a while. Central ticket gate.
There are many automatic ticket vending machines, but there are lines. At the end of the passage is a taxi stand at the west exit. General cars are on the first floor. The ceiling is high and it feels open. Contains a hotel and a shelter.
The hotel Via Inn is also related to JR West. There is also a passageway that leads to Okayama City Museum and NHK Okayama Broadcasting Station. On the north side, there are hotels and mid-rise residences. Last time I was here, it seemed more cluttered, but now it feels refreshed.
Parking is 1,600 yen and 500 yen on weekdays, so it’s probably 2,100 yen. Quite a structure. Well, it’s a 5 minute walk from the station. I came to Kannonyama Fruit Parlor OKAYAMA , which is located a little in the back .
Okayama is known as the fruit kingdom, and is the city of fruit parfaits. The store is almost reserved for private use, and a female staff member prepares the “seasonal fruit farm parfait” that you order . Now, please introduce yourself. From the top, there are apples and yari pears.The
Sides are Atago pears and Okitsu Wase mandarin oranges. Available in kiwi and Fuyu persimmons. The chip on top is chocolate. The ingredients change depending on the season, but seasonal fruits are delicious. Okayama is a nice place. On the way home , I received gifts of sweets and oranges because it was Christmas .
It was a small but wonderful tasting mandarin orange. Let’s go underground. Pedestrians get off here. When you come up, you will be under the elevated Shinkansen. If you try to cross Okayama Station by bicycle, you will have to pass through an underground passage.
There is one in the north and one in the south, but this is the underground passage on the north side. Bicycle parking is 100 yen once. The electromagnetic lock system makes it easy to stop. There is also a second floor. Okayama Station was a really big station.
I felt the power of the terminal station. Now, let’s get on the yellow train and go to the next one. It seems like it’s the starting station because no one is on it. This concludes the Himeji-Okayama section of the JR Sanyo Line. Thank you for visiting. See you again at some station!
駅から始まる小さな旅、一駅一駅。
JR山陽線シリーズ
岡山駅周辺を散歩してみました。
2023/12/22
#岡山駅、#観音山フルーツパーラー岡山店、#桃太郎像、#岡山電気軌道岡山駅前駅、＃小さな旅
撮影機材：DJI Pocket 2