Yujaku Park is named after the ricefields (yujaku-den) owned by Shiga Yoshisato, the 8th son of Otomo Yoshinao, along with a mansion he owned as lord of the manor in 1240.

The land was given to Nakagawa Heiemon, the elder of the Oka Clan in 1664 from the Oka Clan leader, Nakagawa Kiyohisa. It provided an important stop along the route known as Sankin Kotai Michi that daimyo took between their domains and Edo. It was located closest to Okajo Castle.

Heiemon proceeded to build a mansion, plant maples and pines, make two ponds (Shinji-ike and Tanji-ike) and turn the land into a place not only as a rest station on the Sankin Kotai Michi but as a beautiful scenic cottage spot.

Apparently even important literati, such as Rai-Sanyo and Tanomura Chikuden, visited the Oka clan guesthouses (okyaku-ya) and held garden parties.

Today, a maple-viewing festival is held in November, and the park is renowned as one of the best places in Okayama to see autumn leaves.

Honjin are the inns located at post stations on the old highways. During the Edo period, they provided accommodation to traveling daimyo, kuge and officers, who were obliged as part of the Sankin Kotai system to live part of the year in Edo, the Shogun's capital.

Yakage is a town built along the Odagawa river. Major roads passed through Yakage from ancient times. In the Edo period, the town prospered as the 18th post station of the Sanyo Highway. It is the only place where the original honjin (of the Ishi family) and the original sub-honjin (of the Takakusa family) are both designated as important national cultural assets. The honjin mansion still fronts some 36m along the road, and has land 90m long with an area of 3,200m2. Dozens of buildings still stand today, hardly changed from Edo times, and provide representative examples of 'tsuma-iri' and 'hira-iri' architecture, as well as 'oni-gawara' roof tiles and 'shira-kabe' and 'namako-kabe' walling.

Every November, the town holds a festival with a daimyo procession and enjoyably recreates the atmosphere of the Edo period.