Important cultural property

Granite shrine in Shimoashimori, Okayama City, dated 1338 by its porch-pillar inscription and built for Oji Gongen. Kasuga-style front, hipped back; 2.0 metres tall.

Mid-Muromachi pagoda at Shinkoji in Bizen, moved from Ushimado in 1601. It is 18.24 metres tall, with seed syllables carved on its first-storey struts.

Main hall of Shinkoji in Bizen, a three-bay hall enlarged to five bays in 1516. Its tie beams keep Muromachi carving and its shrine cabinet Momoyama colour.

Kurashiki's Takahashi River Tozai Yosui facilities, finished in 1924, pair a granite-clad intake gate with a 15-bay distribution gate and still feed local canals.

Tanjoji Temple in Kumenan, Okayama, marks Honen's birthplace. Its 1695 Mieido Hall with round posts and bracket sets and 1716 gate are Important Cultural Properties.

The Three-Storied Pagoda of Chofukuji in Mimasaka, Okayama dates to 1285 and is the oldest wooden building in the prefecture. It stands 22.07 metres tall.

The Stone Pagoda of Tsuzumi Shrine in Okayama City was carved in 1346 and stands 4.15 metres in granite, the largest of its kind in the prefecture. Entry is free.

The main hall of Tsuruyama Hachiman Shrine in Tsuyama, Okayama, built in 1669, is the most elaborate of the regional nakayama-style halls, rich in carving.

The main hall of Nakayama Shrine in Tsuyama, Okayama, built in 1559, gave its name to the nakayama style, a model for many shrine halls in the Mimasaka region.

The Hachiman Shrine Torii in Okayama is a granite ryobu-style gate carved by the mason Myoa and dated 1361. Learn about its inscription, braced pillars, and visits.

The Hayashi Family Residence in Mimasaka, Okayama, is a headman's homestead with a thatched 1786 main house, a long gate and two storehouses, open days 1-7 monthly.

A late Edo pagoda at Bitchu Kokubunji in Soja, Okayama: begun about 1821, 34.315 m tall, listed in 1980 for its slim proportions and inner frame. How to visit.

Bitchu Matsuyama Castle in Takahashi, Okayama keeps its 1683 keep, two-story turret and earthen wall, Important Cultural Properties since 1941. Hours, fees, hike.

Henjoin Three-Storied Pagoda in Kurashiki was dated to 1416 by an ink note found in a 1966-67 repair. See its wayo brackets, carved kaerumata and how to visit.

Henshoji Temple Tahoto Pagoda, built in 1606, stands alone in Icho Park near Kasaoka Station after its temple moved. See the tiled dome, stone monument and ginkgo.

The Hokyoin Tower at Dōōji in Kurashiki is a 3.3-meter granite stupa dated 1314, raised by the fundraising monk Kakuen. How to read its inscriptions and reach it.

A vermilion pagoda of 1376 behind the Buddha Hall at Hofukuji in Soja, Okayama, the prefecture's second-oldest. An Important Cultural Property, designated in 1927.

Hongenji in Tsuyama, Okayama, is the Mori lords' family temple, with a 1607 abbot-style main hall, a carved 1639 mausoleum and three other buildings. Visiting tips.

Rebuilt in 1652 by a Tsuyama lord, the three-story pagoda at Honzan-ji in Okayama keeps a classical exterior while hiding newer structural methods within its frame.

A granite stone pagoda at Honzan-ji in Okayama, dated 1335. About 184 cm tall, it stands beside the temple's three-story pagoda and is the grounds' oldest structure.