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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Nishiawakura
西粟倉村
Go only if you want forest, onsen and quiet: one night, a car or booked taxi, and no plan to fill a day with sights.
Nishiawakura is a forested village of about 1,400 people in northeast Okayama, on the Chizu Express line between Okayama and Tottori. There is one onsen cluster, a handful of walks and a rest stop, and almost no public transport beyond the two stations. It works as a single quiet night between Okayama and Tottori, or as a base for hiking if you have a car or can call a taxi.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 西粟倉村
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (snow, closed forest facilities)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥6,000–9,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥9,000–14,000 excl. bed · High ¥14,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Awakura Deai Burger at Awakurando | ¥450 |
| Hinoki Beer, one bottle | ¥800 |
| Onsen day entry | ¥500–700 |
| Buffet lunch at Awakura Shun no Sato | ¥1,200 adults |
| Berry picking entry | ¥700 |
| Camp site, one night | ¥1,500 |
| Do Yashiki entry | ¥500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- OKJ · Okayama Momotaro Airport
- Bus or train into Okayama, then the Chizu Express line; about 2–2.5 h total
- KIX · Kansai International
- Rail via Okayama, then Chizu Express; allow 4 h+
Typical fares
- Awakura-Onsen Station → Awakura Onsen
- about 15 min on foot
- Ohara Taxi to Awakura-Onsen Station
- about 20 min wait, fare by meter (check)
- Chizu Express Okayama → Nishiawakura
- about 1.5–2 h with a transfer (check)
Get around
Two Chizu Express stations, Nishiawakura and Awakura-Onsen, cover the valley. Everything else — trailheads, the stone circles, the ski slope — is up mountain roads with no bus. There is no taxi company in the village; Ohara Taxi in Mimasaka serves it, with about a 20-minute wait. A rental car from Okayama or Tsuyama is the practical option.
See and do
Known for
- Awakura Onsen and its radium spring
- Wakasugi Primeval Forest
- Cedar and cypress forestry, Hinoki Beer
- Awakura Deai Burger
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tsuyama | Chizu Express to Chizu or Tsuyama via JR, or drive about 1 h | 1.5–2 h |
| Tottori sand dunes | Chizu Express to Tottori, then bus to the dunes | 2.5–3 h |
| Mimasaka | Drive or Chizu Express then taxi | About 1 h |
| Okayama | Chizu Express limited express | 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Awakura Onsen area
- Motoyu, Awakura-So and the onsen baths; 15 min on foot from Awakura-Onsen Station.
- Kageishi / village centre
- Awakurando rest stop, B&B and farmhouse stays; near Nishiawakura Station.
- Ogaya (ski and camp area)
- Campground and ski slope; car needed, no rail access.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| Please call a taxi | タクシーを呼んでくださいtakushī o yonde kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- No buses to the hiking areas and no local taxi firm: book Ohara Taxi or drive.
- Wakasugi Primeval Forest toilets and car park close in winter.
- Do Yashiki opens irregularly — call before you go.
- Several restaurants are weekend-only or close two days a week; check hours the day before.
- Village tourism information is Japanese-only.
Very safe. The real risks are mountain roads after dark, unmarked trail footing at the stone circles, and winter snow on unplowed forest access.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Nishiawakura yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Awakura Onsen and its radium spring
- Wakasugi Primeval Forest
- Cedar and cypress forestry, Hinoki Beer
- Awakura Deai Burger
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Nishiawakura, revision 4892213 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4892213
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Nishiawakura西粟倉村
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in the village; consulates-general in Osaka, embassies in Tokyo. US citizens in Okayama use the Osaka consulate (check).
Village tourism pages are Japanese-only; carry the Japanese place names.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/nishiawakura). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.