（英文）Let’s Enjoy Okayama Life! Convenient Guide for Newcomer to Okayama City [English]
Spring has come, and many people would move to Okayama City.
For newcomer to Okayama City, I wrote this article introducing information necessary for living in Okayama, especially for the people from foreign countries.
Unfortunately I couldn't find any website which provides local information in English, so I decided to write this article.
I have written blog “Okayama gurashi” for two years. But all articles were written in Japanese. From now I would try to translate them into English. Thank you for your patience…
And this is the first article of "Okayama gurashi" in English!
Please, no flames about my bad English. I wish it would contribute to your happy life in Okayama.
=Fresh Vegetable=
“Hanayaka chuo ten” はなやか中央店
Omoto area
Hanayaka chuo ten is a brunch of JA-Japan Agricultural Cooperatives.
You can get lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, fish, meat and rice there. Especially Vegetables are sometimes cheaper than supermarkets.
Address: Daiku omotemachi 4-5, Kita-ku, Okayama city
From Okayama city hall, walk 10 minutes along Route 173 to the direction to Niwase. In front of “Pachinko OMEGA”.
Open: 9am-6pm / Shop holiday: the year-end and New Year holidays
“JA Okayama chokubai-jo ” 全農おかやま直売所
Omotecho-area
Same as “Hanayaka chuo ten”, “JA Okayama chokubai-jo” is a brunch of JA. In spite of city central location-close to Tenmaya, this shop offers cheap and fresh vegetables.
Location
Address: Omotecho 2-7-22, kita-ku, Okayama city.
In the sakaecho mall. From Tenmaya, go straight toward south about 300meters In front of “Momotaro Pocket”.
Open :10 am-6 pm / Shop Holiday: Tuesday
=Coffee and coffee beans=
“Favonius Coffee” 自家焙煎珈琲店 Favonius
Tamachi area
At Favonius Coffee, you can enjoy delightful aroma of coffee and quiet time. Selected coffee beans are available for about \500/100g.
Price: 450yen-
Address: Tamachi 1-13-20, kita-ku, Okayama city.
You can see 7 Eleven across the route 53 from Kawasaki Hospital(next to Okayama central Post Office). In the back street of the 7 Eleven, Favonius Coffee is located.
Open: 10am to 7pm / Shop Holiday: Tuesday
=Bread=
“Boulangerie Pain D’or” パン・ドール
Togiya-cho area
Breads of “Boulangerie Pain D’or” are baked with wild yeast and fresh butter from Bretagne, France. Fragrant Buckets and pies are excellent.
Address: Togiyacho 8-26, kita-ku, Okayama city.
From Okayama central Post Office, going along Kencho-street toward Okayama Station. At the corner of Juice Bar “Marugo Deli ⑤”, turn right, and walk about 30 meters, then you can see “Boulangerie Pain D’or” on the right side on the corner.
Open: 11am to 6pm / Shop Holiday: Sunday, Monday, National Holiday
http://www.paind-or.com/index.html
=Furniture and household goods=
Home and Fashion - Nitori ニトリ
Nitori is one of the leading companies which offer furniture and household goods of good value for good price. For example, curtain-999yen, bed-9990yen, area rug-2000yen , dishes set- 590yen, and more. Moreover you can get many electrical appliances, such as rice cooker-4990yen, microwave-6900yen, electric kettle-2900yen and so on.
http://www.nitori.co.jp/
Address: okuda minami cho 4-32, kita-ku, Okayama city.
By car or bus. Get on the bus at No.8 bus stop at Okayama Station and get off at “Kounan shougakkou mae 岡南（こうなん）小学校前” bus stop, and walk 5 minutes.
Along the Route 30, you can find a big sign of “NITORI”.
Open:
Mon to Fri 11am to 7pm
Sat, Sun and National Holidays 10am to 9pm
7 days open
TEL 086-234-3500
=Recycle shop=
“Ri cycle Kimidori” リサイクル キミドリ
Tsushima area
At Kimidori, you can get used home electrical appliances, such as refrigerator, microwave, ricecooker, TV, and so on. Kimidori carries them to your house for \1500.
Address: Gakunan-cho2-6-39, kita-ku, Okayama city.
It is close to Okayama University, Tsushima campus. Around the gate of Okayama University, you can find the sign of the shop with the map.
Open: 11am to 7pm / Shop Holiday: Wednesday
TEL 086-255-3453
http://www.kimidori.org/about.htm
“Recycle Yu Ho Kan” なんでもリサイクル 遊歩館
Yu Ho Kan is the largest class recyle shop in Okayama. You can find used home electrical appliances, clothing, furniture and more.
Address: kounan-cho 2-1-5, kita-ku, Okayama city.
Along Route 30, in the south of Kounan bus office. You can go by car or bus bound for Kounan bus station of Okaden Bus (Bus No.12 from Tenmaya or Okayama station). Very Close to “Home and Fashion Nitori”
Open: 10am to 7pm / Shop Holiday: New Year Holidays
TEL 086-235-3016
http://www.yuhokan.net/tenpo/tenpo_tokaichi.html
“Recycle Mart Omoto branch” リサイクルマート 大元店
Recycle Mart has reasonable furniture, electrical appliances, clothing, towels and more.
Address: Omoto ekimae3-27-2, kita-ku, Okayama city.
3minutes walk from JR Omoto station. Located between restaurant “Nanpu 南風” and “Yakiniku Tsurumatsu 焼肉・鶴松”.
Open: 10am to 7pm / Shop Holiday: New Year Holidays
TEL 0120-931-971
http://re-mart.jp/default.htm
I will add more information such as favorite local restaurants or must-see spot of Okayama to this article.
For newcomer to Okayama City, I wrote this article introducing information necessary for living in Okayama, especially for the people from foreign countries.
Unfortunately I couldn't find any website which provides local information in English, so I decided to write this article.
I have written blog “Okayama gurashi” for two years. But all articles were written in Japanese. From now I would try to translate them into English. Thank you for your patience…
And this is the first article of "Okayama gurashi" in English!
Please, no flames about my bad English. I wish it would contribute to your happy life in Okayama.
=Fresh Vegetable=
“Hanayaka chuo ten” はなやか中央店
Omoto area
Hanayaka chuo ten is a brunch of JA-Japan Agricultural Cooperatives.
You can get lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, fish, meat and rice there. Especially Vegetables are sometimes cheaper than supermarkets.
Address: Daiku omotemachi 4-5, Kita-ku, Okayama city
From Okayama city hall, walk 10 minutes along Route 173 to the direction to Niwase. In front of “Pachinko OMEGA”.
Open: 9am-6pm / Shop holiday: the year-end and New Year holidays
“JA Okayama chokubai-jo ” 全農おかやま直売所
Omotecho-area
Same as “Hanayaka chuo ten”, “JA Okayama chokubai-jo” is a brunch of JA. In spite of city central location-close to Tenmaya, this shop offers cheap and fresh vegetables.
Location
Address: Omotecho 2-7-22, kita-ku, Okayama city.
In the sakaecho mall. From Tenmaya, go straight toward south about 300meters In front of “Momotaro Pocket”.
Open :10 am-6 pm / Shop Holiday: Tuesday
=Coffee and coffee beans=
“Favonius Coffee” 自家焙煎珈琲店 Favonius
Tamachi area
At Favonius Coffee, you can enjoy delightful aroma of coffee and quiet time. Selected coffee beans are available for about \500/100g.
Price: 450yen-
Address: Tamachi 1-13-20, kita-ku, Okayama city.
You can see 7 Eleven across the route 53 from Kawasaki Hospital(next to Okayama central Post Office). In the back street of the 7 Eleven, Favonius Coffee is located.
Open: 10am to 7pm / Shop Holiday: Tuesday
=Bread=
“Boulangerie Pain D’or” パン・ドール
Togiya-cho area
Breads of “Boulangerie Pain D’or” are baked with wild yeast and fresh butter from Bretagne, France. Fragrant Buckets and pies are excellent.
Address: Togiyacho 8-26, kita-ku, Okayama city.
From Okayama central Post Office, going along Kencho-street toward Okayama Station. At the corner of Juice Bar “Marugo Deli ⑤”, turn right, and walk about 30 meters, then you can see “Boulangerie Pain D’or” on the right side on the corner.
Open: 11am to 6pm / Shop Holiday: Sunday, Monday, National Holiday
http://www.paind-or.com/index.html
=Furniture and household goods=
Home and Fashion - Nitori ニトリ
Nitori is one of the leading companies which offer furniture and household goods of good value for good price. For example, curtain-999yen, bed-9990yen, area rug-2000yen , dishes set- 590yen, and more. Moreover you can get many electrical appliances, such as rice cooker-4990yen, microwave-6900yen, electric kettle-2900yen and so on.
http://www.nitori.co.jp/
Address: okuda minami cho 4-32, kita-ku, Okayama city.
By car or bus. Get on the bus at No.8 bus stop at Okayama Station and get off at “Kounan shougakkou mae 岡南（こうなん）小学校前” bus stop, and walk 5 minutes.
Along the Route 30, you can find a big sign of “NITORI”.
Open:
Mon to Fri 11am to 7pm
Sat, Sun and National Holidays 10am to 9pm
7 days open
TEL 086-234-3500
=Recycle shop=
“Ri cycle Kimidori” リサイクル キミドリ
Tsushima area
At Kimidori, you can get used home electrical appliances, such as refrigerator, microwave, ricecooker, TV, and so on. Kimidori carries them to your house for \1500.
Address: Gakunan-cho2-6-39, kita-ku, Okayama city.
It is close to Okayama University, Tsushima campus. Around the gate of Okayama University, you can find the sign of the shop with the map.
Open: 11am to 7pm / Shop Holiday: Wednesday
TEL 086-255-3453
http://www.kimidori.org/about.htm
“Recycle Yu Ho Kan” なんでもリサイクル 遊歩館
Yu Ho Kan is the largest class recyle shop in Okayama. You can find used home electrical appliances, clothing, furniture and more.
Address: kounan-cho 2-1-5, kita-ku, Okayama city.
Along Route 30, in the south of Kounan bus office. You can go by car or bus bound for Kounan bus station of Okaden Bus (Bus No.12 from Tenmaya or Okayama station). Very Close to “Home and Fashion Nitori”
Open: 10am to 7pm / Shop Holiday: New Year Holidays
TEL 086-235-3016
http://www.yuhokan.net/tenpo/tenpo_tokaichi.html
“Recycle Mart Omoto branch” リサイクルマート 大元店
Recycle Mart has reasonable furniture, electrical appliances, clothing, towels and more.
Address: Omoto ekimae3-27-2, kita-ku, Okayama city.
3minutes walk from JR Omoto station. Located between restaurant “Nanpu 南風” and “Yakiniku Tsurumatsu 焼肉・鶴松”.
Open: 10am to 7pm / Shop Holiday: New Year Holidays
TEL 0120-931-971
http://re-mart.jp/default.htm
I will add more information such as favorite local restaurants or must-see spot of Okayama to this article.
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Excellent!
I have hoped that you challenge to writte blog in English for long time .
I'm looking forward to reading next.
kirakiraさん好みのパン屋さん、記事アップしました♪
by mizunara (2010-04-03 22:30)
mizunara chan,
thank you for your nice comment!
well, recently i met my new English teacher, who just moved to Okayama . Of course he doesn't have any information about Okayama city, so i wanted to introduce my article of "benrichou". but it was written in Japanese, so i felt English version is necessary for him and others. i am grateful to him for giving me the chance to try to write in English.
パン屋さんの記事読んだよー 美味しそう！おなかすいた！
by kirakira (2010-04-04 11:05)
Wow!
It might be able to be said that this is an intelligent hub of Okayama. Or, the hub of life.
(It is not a meaning of snake's "HABU". HAHAHA.)
英語でダジャレは難しいッス。
by hamuni(not habuni) (2010-04-05 13:12)
habuni-san,
おひさしぶりです！
i am so impressed to read your japanese style dajare in english (:
anyway thank you for your comment.
i looked up the word "Habu" in a dictionary and found that Japanese "Habu" is called "Habu" in English-there seems to be no equivalent word.
by kirakira (2010-04-05 23:33)