hello Okayama
CIBI Okayama & CIBI House opening!!
"It's all about enjoying life” Melbourne, Tokyo and Okayama.
CIBI first opened its doors in Melbourne Australia, 2008, followed by CIBI Tokyo in 2017 and CIBI corner store Kitasando in 2020, to share our concept “It’s about enjoying life” with our communities. Excitingly, an idea we have been nurturing is ready to come to life. CIBI Okayama will open in June 2026 within the community of Kibichūō, followed by CIBI House in 2027, a township close to our CIBI heart.
Why Okayama?
Located in the central highland area of Okayama, Kibichūō is the childhood home of CIBI co-founder Meg Tanaka.
22 years ago, co-founder Zenta Tanaka first visited Kibichūō to meet Meg’s family. The rural landscapes of fields, mountains, and bamboo forests were everything he had long admired. Zenta was deeply moved by the beauty of the countryside and the richness of nature. Beyond the landscape, Zenta recognised the community and admired the simple, traditional way of life of the people who lived there.
It was in this place that his long-held admiration and sense of wonder came together, the very origin of his feeling that “simple life is the best."
We have always hoped to share this feeling with many people, and to share the experience of being in this special place with people from around the world.
From a former school to a lifestyle hub
CIBI Okayama is located in a former school building in Kibichūō. A building where Meg and generations of local students created memories growing into young adults, a building that will hold onto those stories as it grows into a lifestyle hub, a new space combining retail, cafe and grocery.
A natural space for community to gather, as students once gathered, where people meet, and moments are created. Everyday life, the small moments shared, this is what brings us joy and what we value at CIBI. The heart of the CIBI story, experienced in Melbourne, Tokyo and now in Okayama.
Welcoming you for breakfast and good coffee in the morning, simple, nourishing lunches to sustain your afternoons, freshly baked treats from the CIBI kitchen and drinks to suit different moments of the day, all the ingredients for a good day. Alongside the café, CIBI Design store brings together objects from makers across Japan, alongside our own designs, made to live with your everyday life.
The rich sounds, scents and beauty of nature in the surrounding gardens will develop over time, with planting projects completed and many varieties of plants to come. We have chosen to be here for the long term, to grow with the natural world and feel inspired.
Many years of preparation working closely with the town to arrive at the opening of CIBI Okayama is only the beginning. The beginning of a future we hope to shape together and a landscape we would like to create together. Happiness is for you to enjoy this story with us.
CIBI House — a place to enjoy everyday living in Japan
Alongside CIBI Okayama, CIBI House is a space to experience the beauty of everyday life in rural Japan. A home sitting quietly in the surrounding hills, this restored traditional Japanese farm house is 10 minutes away from CIBI Okayama and scheduled for opening in 2027.
A peaceful space, home to the gentle sounds of nature — birds singing and the wind moving through the trees.
A space for CIBI guests to experience how the “simple life is the best”. Harvesting vegetables, walking in the nearby hills, watching the light change through the day, and looking up at the night sky. We believe that time spent with nature is one of the most meaningful and joyful experiences in life.
Inside, the space is designed to be comfortable, while retaining the character of the original home. It is furnished with pieces we’ve brought together for this space, alongside our everyday objects — tableware, glassware, textiles, and our own designs.
We hope CIBI House becomes a place where small moments and ideas are discovered through living alongside nature, and where they can be brought back into everyday life.
This is what we hope to offer through CIBI House.
Access to CIBI Okayama
Public transport connections are limited in the area, so we recommend visiting by car or rental car. We hope you enjoy the drive and the beautiful surrounding landscapes.
By Plane
Okayama Momotaro Airport → by car (approx. 30min)
By Public Transport / Car From Okayama Station
Option 1: By Car (Rental Car)
- Approx. 60 minutes from Okayama Station
Option 2: By Public Transport
- Take the JR Hakubi Line from Okayama Station to Bitchū-Takahashi Station (Approx. 55 minutes)
- From Bitchū-Takahashi Station, take the Bihoku Bus bound for Kanbara / Kibi Plaza / Yoshikawa
- Get off at Kayo Post Office (Kayo Yubinkyoku-mae) (Approx. 30 minutes)
- Walk for 2 minutes to CIBI Okayama
CIBI Okayama — in the making, Vol.2 is coming soon...
CIBI Okayama — in the making 2
CIBI Okayama will open in Kibichuo, Okayama Prefecture, in June 2026.
Following that, CIBI House, a place where guests can stay and experience the surrounding nature more deeply, is scheduled to open in 2027.
Through this series, we would like to share the story of how this place has come to life — offering glimpses into the process, the people involved, and the many layers behind its creation.
In the next story, we reflect on the making of the CIBI Okayama space, the people involved in bringing it together, and the thoughts and values that sit at the heart of the project.
CIBI Okayama is hiring!
CIBI Okayama is now hiring for our opening team!
Our new space brings together food, design, and space — expressing CIBI as a whole. As a continuation of our Melbourne and Tokyo locations, we’ll be building this next chapter in Okayama, day by day.
If you feel connected to what we do and would like to be part of shaping this place with us, we would love to hear from you.
