Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-09-14 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
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Our guide
Okayama Castle is black where Himeji Castle is white: its dark exterior earned it the name Crow Castle, U-jō, as a contrast to Himeji's “White Egret”. (The black castle at Matsumoto Castle is also called Crow Castle, but as karasu-jō in Japanese.) Before the Battle of Sekigahara its keep also had gilded roof tiles, which gave it a third name, Golden Crow Castle; today only a few parts of the roof, including the fish-shaped ornaments, are gilded.
The main keep was finished in 1597, destroyed in 1945 and rebuilt in concrete in 1966, but two watchtowers survived the bombing and are Important Cultural Properties. Korakuen Garden is only about 0.3 km away, and a combined ticket covers both — the obvious way to see them. The castle closes in bad weather. Shiroshita Station is about 600 m away in a straight line.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Okayama Castle main keep 2023-10-18 — Kanesue · CC BY 2.0 · source · resized
- Okayama castle15s3200 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Okayama castle13s3872 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Okayama castle12s3200 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Okayama castle11s3200 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Okayama castle10s3872 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Okayama castle05s3200 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Okayama castle02s3872 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Okayama castle01s3200 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Okayama Castle detail - DSC01786 — Daderot · CC0 · source · resized
What this place is
Okayama Castle (岡山城, Okayama-jō) is a Japanese castle in the city of Okayama in Okayama Prefecture in Japan. The main tower was completed in 1597, destroyed in 1945 and replicated in concrete in 1966. Two of the watch towers survived the bombing of 1945 and are now listed by the national Agency for Cultural Affairs as Important Cultural Properties. In stark contrast to the white "Egret Castle" of neighboring Himeji, Okayama Castle has a black exterior, earning it the nickname Crow Castle (烏城, U-jō) or "castle of the black bird". (The black castle of Matsumoto in Nagano is also known as "Crow Castle", but it is karasu-jō in Japanese.) Today, only a few parts of Okayama Castle's roof (including the fish-shaped-gargoyles) are gilded, but prior to the Battle of Sekigahara the main keep also featured gilded roof tiles, earning it the nickname Golden Crow Castle (金烏城, Kin U-jō).
Visitor information checked: 2026-09-14 · Okayama Castle: visitor information
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Castle
Nearby station
Nearby station: Shiroshita, about 600 m from the spot in a straight line.
Worked out on 2026-09-14 from this place’s map position, using HeartRails Express station data and station names from Wikidata. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route, and says nothing about buses, transfers or timetables — plan the trip on Google Maps.
Where to stay nearby
Hotels near Okayama Castle on Agoda
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