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.