19 Nov Muslim-Friendly Winter Trip in Okayama: Experience the Magic of Yuki-Koi Festival with Muslim Network Tour
Okayama has tons to offer in each season. As part of its ongoing commitment to inclusive tourism, Okayama Prefecture welcomed Muslim travelers to enjoy the beauty of winter through the Muslim Network Tour during the Yuki-Koi Festival in Hiruzen Highlands in February. This one-day trip was specially made for Muslim travelers, making sure that every person can enjoy and have fun in Okayama without worry.
In February 2025, the Muslim Network Tour began their journey gathering at the East Bus terminal at Okayama Station, where participants boarded a bus at 10:40 AM, heading for the scenic Hiruzen Highlands Center via Okayama IC and Hiruzen IC.
Upon arrival at the festival site around 12:30 PM, guests were greeted by a landscape blanketed in snow and the cheerful spirit of winter celebration.
Before they began their activities at the Festival, the tour provided a halal and muslim-friendly lunch, so that all the participants could enjoy the food with peace of mind and have more energy for the rest of the winter activities later on. Lamb BBQ at Genghis Khan was served as their lunch, this restaurant has received Peach Mark 2 certification – indicating more Muslim-friendly facilities offered in the restaurant, including halal food options and places of prayer.
After filling up all the energy and refreshed for a bit, all the travelers’ days are soon packed with engaging and fun activities in the Yuki-Koi Festival, starting from an ice cream-making workshop, each participant is accompanied by the masters and being grouped 4 persons per table. This intimate experience in making traditional ice cream, by mixing all the ice cream ingredients in a ball-like place and rolling it until it reaches the creamy texture of an ice cream.
Next, the group continues their activity with making mini Kamakura (snow dome) with baskets and snow maker utensils—another fun and exciting winter activity especially for those who are experiencing snow for the first time.
The joy continued with a treasure hunt and snow play session starting at 03:00 P.M., sparking laughter and connection among the groups consisting people of different backgrounds. This session is filled with taking pictures with the iconic GREENable Hiruzen building that was designed with the theme of sustainability.
In addition to that, the group was also able to experience snow sledding in which every person got to slide down the snow-covered slopes on a sled. Offering a super exciting experience that can only be enjoyed in the winter.
As the day transitioned into the evening, all the participants of the tour were able to witness the magical snow dome illumination starting from 05:00 P.M.— a moment of peace and wonder that captured the essence of the Yuki-Koi Festival where thousands of small snow domes lit up the place in the evening, creating a pretty soft glow over the white landscape.
This one-day Muslim-friendly winter trip at Yuki-Koi Festival ended at 06.30 P.M. where all the participants went back to the West of Okayama Station by bus, filled with memories and happiness as well as the culture of Okayama.
Through events like this, with thoughtful attention to muslim-friendly meals, prayer spaces, and cultural respect, this region is setting an example for how tourism can be inclusive, educational, and truly heartwarming. Okayama will continue to welcome Muslim tourists and add more Muslim-friendly places and food, so that everyone can enjoy their Japan trip with ease.
To know more about Okayama and exciting Muslim-friendly places, please visit:
https://okayamahealthtourism.com/
Find more about Okayama Tour itinerary here:
- Okayama Muslim Friendly Trip with Syaza Yusof and Saffa Yusof
- Visit Winter Destinations and Play with Snow in Okayama