Ever since first reading the Japanese historical novelist Yoshikawa Eiji’s book Musashi, I’ve had a bit of an obsession with Japan’s most notorious swordsman. Known to history as Miyamoto Musashi, this famed fencer from the early days of the Edo period (1603–1868) originally hails from an extremely rural part of Okayama Prefecture called Mimasaka. For the longest time, I’ve been itching to make a pilgrimage to Musashi’s birthplace to pay homage to the impact much of his thinking has had on my life.
Now, as anyone who has also read Yoshikawa Eiji’s treatise on Musashi will know, Musashi grew up in a sleepy hamlet called Miyamoto. Initially called Shinmen Takezo, Musashi later changed his name when he embarked on his pilgrimage to hone his skills with the blade. Despite leaving Miyamoto, Musashi continued to reference his place of birth for the rest of his days with his adopted last name, which is known to the annals of history.
I’ll be frank in saying that Miyamoto is not the kind of place that appeals to the masses. Still, if you’re a fan of Yoshikawa Eiji’s work or even the manga Vagabond, which was loosely based on his retelling of Musashi’s story, a trip to Miyamoto is bound to be interesting. You’ll need to allocate half a day to do it, but if you ever find yourself in Okayama Prefecture with a day to spare, as I did in March of 2024 after my my trip to Kojima, my fellow Musashi fans are all encouraged to also make a pilgrimage to Miyamoto.
How to Get There
If you want to make it out to Musashi’s Miyamoto, you’re going to first need to find your way to Okayama. Assuming you’re already there, you’ll want to begin the journey by taking the San-yo Line to Kamigori Station. Here, you’ll need to transfer from JR to another railway operator called the Chizu Express. This can be a bit hard to find unless you know what to look for, so look for the small building at the very end of the platform.
From what I remember, the connections were a bit dodgy, and I only had a few minutes to both find the transfer point and get on the train. I’d suggest using a service like Jorudan to see how much time you’re working with and plan not to dillydally when you arrive at Kamigori Station. Out here in the rural reaches of Okayama Prefecture, train departures are quite infrequent, so you don’t want to miss your connection.
Once you switch trains at Kamigori Station, you’ll then need to make your way north to Miyamoto-Musashi Station (yup, that’s right — they named the station after your boy too). Thereafter, the areas of interest in the town of Miyamoto can be reached on foot in around 10–15 minutes or so. There might be a bus, but I suspect they are so rare that they aren’t even worth depending on, so just resign yourself to having to hoof it over.
Oh, and for my fellow Yoshikawa Eiji fans out there, be sure not to miss the statues seen above of Musashi, Matahachi, and Otsu when they were children. You’ll find these immediately outside the station after descending the stairs!
What to See in Miyamoto
Ok… without further ado, let’s now delve into the laundry list of what’s actually on offer in Miyamoto. Surprisingly, most of the attractions in town are all clustered around a small section of Miyamoto. I guess this speaks to just how much of a tiny, countryside hamlet Musashi grew up in. In any case, the convenient clustering in Miyamoto means you only really need an hour at most to see all there is to see.
Speaking of which, the following is a list of locations in Miyamoto with a link to a Google Map so that you can note where you need to go. At first glance, it can feel like most of the spots worth visiting in Miyamoto seamlessly blend in with the setting if you can’t read the explanations in Japanese of what you’re looking at.
- Musashi’s Birth Home
One of the first things that you’ll come across when entering the village is the alleged childhood home of Musashi. While the original building where he was believed to have been brought up sadly burned down in a fire back in 1942, the current reconstruction is thought to be faithful to the original. Still, it is worth checking out while in town. - Ogin’s Home
Right behind Musashi’s birth home in Miyamoto, you’ll find the former house of his beloved older sister, Ogin. Unlike Musashi’s domicile, this structure has better weathered the ages and even today it retains its historic thatched roof. Definitely swing by for a quick peep! - Musashi Shrine
Located up a small hill behind where you’ll find the former homes of Musashi and his sister, Musashi Shrine is a quaint sanctuary dedicated to the celebrated swordsman. The shrine was erected in 1971 by a group of Miyamoto Musashi fans and attracts people looking to excel in martial arts and academia. Oftentimes, there are a collection of well-worn training swords used in Kendo here as evidence of its importance among those training to wield a sword. - The Family Grave
Right next to Musashi Shrine is the family grave of Musashi and his immediate relatives. Supposedly, one of Musashi’s adopted sons brought some of his bones all the way from where he died in Kumamoto so that Musashi could be interred here along with his family members. - Kamasaka Azalea Garden
On the way up to Musashi Shrine, you’ll find the rather small but charming Kamasaka Azalea Garden. Should your visit happen to be during the spring, you’ll be greeted by the sight of beautiful azaleas in full bloom. Since it’s on the way to Musashi Shrine, you should definitely stop and smell the literal flowers while en route! - Musashi Statue
This 5.6-meter tall statue of Musashi in his younger years was completed by master sculptor Tominaga Naoki in 1995. It showcases Musashi’s signature dual-wield style and leveraged cutting-edge technology for its day to recreate what Musashi would have looked like all those years ago. Directly next to it is also the Musashi Dojo, but I don’t think you can freely enter. - Sanomo Shrine
Speaking of Musashi dual wielding, it is thought that he developed the skill after witnessing the priest of a Shinto shrine banging on a taiko drum. From what we can assess, Musashi was actually left-handed in a time when everyone had to be right-handed for moral reasons. Thus, it is believed that he figured out how to use both his hands adeptly thanks to having naturally already been born left-handed. - Miyamoto Musashi Budokan
Unlike all of the above spots, this oddly-shaped building sits on the outskirts of the village. Allegedly designed to resemble the shape of Musashi’s sword guard, the Miyamoto Musashi Budokan was created with the hope that it would become a mecca for practitioners of Kendo in Japan. - Takeyama Castle Ruins
This last one isn’t really a location that you go to per se but instead somewhere that you can appreciate from afar. Located on the far side of the valley basin 430 meters up in the hills, this former fortress was where Musashi’s samurai father Shinmen Munisai worked with the local lord in charge of governing Mimasaka.
As noted, all of the aforementioned spots are found within a stone’s throw distance of each other. So, seeing as you will have already come this far out into the countryside though, I highly suggest you check out some other spots in this deep part of Okayama. After all, you’re likely not coming back, so make the most of your outing while you can!
Other Nearby Attractions
Just to the north of Musashi’s birthplace, you’ll find a number of other interesting add-ons. At the very least, I highly suggest that you go north a bit to the former post town of Ohara-juku. Located around a 40-minute walk away from Musashi’s place of birth, this little town sits on the Inaba Kaido, which connected the Sea of Japan side of the country with Himeji in modern-day Hyogo Prefecture.
To this day, much of the vibe from hundreds of years ago remains in Ohara-juku. In particular, you’ll want to check out the still-standing Honjin. These inns existed along highways during the time of the Tokugawa shoguns and were for the exclusive use of feudal lords traveling to and from their destinations. While you can’t go inside, Ohara-juku’s Honjin is one of the few remaining structures of its kind in Japan.
In addition to Ohara-juku, another spot of interest in the area is Koiyamagata Station. Literally written with the characters for “love,” “mountain,” and “shape,” Koiyamagata Station is a popular pilgrimage site for people looking to find that special someone. There really isn’t much to do at the station itself, but the number of romantics that flock here is surprising. You’ll find it further north towards Tottori Prefecture, just past Awakura Onsen.
Until next time travelers…
