Kibichuo-cho

 Name: ● ● ● Kibichūō-chō (吉備中央町・きびちゅうおうちょう) Prefecture: ● Okayama-ken (岡山県) Population: ● ~13,000 JET count: ● ~2 Website: ● ● click here

=Features= Famed for being the "Heart of Okayama", Kibichūō-chō provides a beautiful place of nature. Based on a 2010 consensus, the population of Kibichūō-chō is 13,039 people. Though there are no train stations located in the town, many visitors come by car or bus. There is a bus that goes from Okayama Station to Kibi Plaza. You can find the information here: Kibichuo Chutetsu Bus Schedule. For those living in the Shimogamo or Kamogawa area, there is another bus stop in front of the Tsuginoko pharmacy (cross the bridge near Lawsons and make a right; the pharmacy and bus stop is on your left). The bus runs once daily and has a boarding time around 7:30 AM.

Being in the center of Okayama prefecture, Kibichūō-chō is conveniently surrounded by many other popular cities. Car owners will find it very easy to go to and from Kibichūō-chō as Okayama City, Kurashiki, Takahashi, Soja and others can all be reached within an hour.



=Education= Kibichūō-chō is home to ten elementary schools, five junior high schools (4 public, 1 private), one private high school, and a number of kindergartens. Kibichūō-chō's four junior high schools are scheduled to merge into one large junior high school in 2014.

=Festivals=
 * Furusato Matsuri （ふるさと祭り）Summer Festival at Kibikogen, Kibi Plaza**: Held annually in August, this is an annual festival to celebrate the summer. Dancers and local performers gather to display their Uraja dances and traditional Japanese performances. Local schools play musical instruments and the lawn is filled with lanterns designed by all the elementary schools students. A magical fireworks show is set in the evening, where people can picnic and drink to the display.


 * Kamotaisai (加茂大祭）Festival:** Famed as one of the top 3 festivals in Okayama, this two-day festival is held every October. The men are dressed in traditional Japanese gowns and gather to carry a portable shrine to the local temple. There is much drinking of sake throughout the entirety of the weekend. More info here.



=Places of Interest= Kibi Plaza （吉備プラザ）: One of the main areas in Kibichūō-chō, it was initially designated as a "techno plaza" to promote advanced technology in the rural areas. There are many hidden gardens around the plaza as well as delicious restaurants and cafes inside. One of the most popular restaurants is the 1000yen All-You-Can-Eat buffet restaurant on the 2nd floor of the plaza. It has a variety of delicious Japanese and Western food to satisfy every palate.



Kibichūō-chō Town Hall Famous Garden "Yuurin No Niwa"（友琳の庭）: A famous garden designed by Mirei Shigemori （重森三玲）. It is located on the town hall grounds.



Narutaki Forest Waterfall Park （鳴滝森林公園）: A great place for hiking and camping. A must-visit during all four seasons.



Kayo Road Station Organic Farmer's Market:（道の駅『かよう』） A main stopping sight for visitors who want cheap, fresh fruits and vegetables. They offer several restaurants specializing in udon and a soft cream stand.



Kamogawa-Enjo Road Station (top link): （駅の前『かもがわ円城』）Another great place to pick up locally grown fruits and vegetables.



Yoshikawa Hachiman Shrine Festival（吉川八幡宮）Said to have been established in the middle of the Heian period (794-1185), this shrine is designated as important cultural property for Japan.



=External Links= Kibichūō Town Page Kibikogen City Homepage Trip Advisor Kibichūō-chō tourism Kibichūō-chō Wikipedia Page (Japanese) Video: Exploring Kibichuo: The local JET Programme ALTs of 2011-2013 made a video with other local ALTs from Okayama-ken to feature Kibichūō-chō in a more active light. Some of the features include the Iwakura Park in Enjo with the "Heart of Okayama" stone, a tower with a 360-degree panorama view of Kibichuo, the Narutaki Forest Waterfall park, and the Yoshikawa Obstacle Course Park.