OkayamaTravel

Mukashi Shimotsui Kaisen Donya (むかし下津井回船問屋)

Flow of the course

Previous stop: A viewpoint with a full view of the bridge and the beauty of the islands, where you can even look down on running trains

About 30 min from the previous stop

About 90 min here

About 30 min to the next stop

Next stop: The birthplace of Japan's domestic denim industry, where jeans sway overhead

About this spot

Shimotsui (下津井) is a port town that once flourished as a port of call for kitamaebune trading ships and as one of Japan's leading towns for octopus fishing. At the museum, a reconstruction of a shipping merchant house from that era, a white-walled merchant building has been recreated complete with a counter and storehouse, letting you tour the daily life of this port town, once bustling with maritime trade, free of charge. Listening to displays related to the folk song Shimotsui-bushi (下津井節) or walking through the charming storehouse spaces feels like time travel. After your visit, have lunch at a nearby restaurant featuring the local specialty octopus dishes. Octopus raised in Shimotsui's fast currents has firm, richly flavored flesh, and you can enjoy port-town flavors such as octopus rice and octopus tempura.

Tips

Admission is free and parking is also available. Seating at lunchtime restaurants is limited, so entering a little earlier is reassuring. The signature octopus rice can sell out, so order early if you find it.