Day 4: Tokyo to Okayama

The fourth day moved us out of Tokyo and west to Okayama. We started around the Shinjuku hotel area, went through Tokyo Station, and then let the train do the work of changing the shape of the trip.

Okayama gave the day more than just a transfer. After arriving, we headed out toward Korakuen and the castle area. The garden, Ujo Park, and Okayama Castle made the afternoon feel like the first proper sightseeing stretch after the arrival days.

By evening, Okayama had become the new base: station, hotel, dinner, and the practical rhythm of getting ready for another day trip from there. It was a travel day, but it landed with enough time to make the city feel like a stop of its own.