Okayama

Korakuen Garden

Okayama City, (oh-kah-yah-mah) famous for its Korakuen Garden and the black Okayama Castle, is the capital of Okayama Prefecture in the Chugoku region of Japan, half way between Kobe and Hiroshima. Its twin sister, Kurashiki City (koo-kah-she-key) spreading out 16 kilometers to the west adds a more modern flavor to this “older” city with its warehouses turned into shops and its modern mall.

The Okayama area is a major center for the production of steel, petro-chemicals and ship building. It remains the second largest producer of clothing in Japan. Okayama and its twin sister, Kurashiki are located on the shores of the inland Sea. These twin cities are connected to the island of Shikoku by the Great Seto Bridge making them a major transportation hub.

Okayama City

Okayama and Kurashiki are connected in the minds of the area residents and together offer a mixture of East and West. Kurashiki is home to Japan’s first Western (Ohara) Art Museum. The large Sogenji Zen monastery belonging to the Rinzai sect of Buddhism is located in the center of Kurashiki and greatly influences the climate of the city. Its effect reaches well beyond the city, as it serves as a training center to send out disciples of Zen to the religious capitol of Japan, Kyoto, and across Japan.

The Inland Sea that protects Okayama, as well as Kurashiki, from direct hits by typhoons is the setting for the famous Japanese fairy tale, Momotaro, The Little Peach Boy. The area does not experience earthquakes and this gives them a sense of security. Residents boast that their city is the safest and easiest place to live in Japan!

Prayer Requests:

•   Pray that Japanese in Okayamawill put their faith in Christ and depend on Him for abundant life rather than depend on their circumstances.
•   Pray for the people of Okayama to have opportunities to hear and respond to the gospel that will affect their lives and their city as they make Christ their Lord and Master.
•   Pray that Okayama will become a hub for disciple making; for followers of Jesus Christ to take the gospel to their prefecture, then across the “Great Bridge” to Shikoku and beyond.