Okayama Castle

History

Ukita Naoie began construction of the castle in 1573 but it was not completed until 1597 by his son Hideie. After the Battle of Sekigahara, Kobayakawa Hideaki was given control of the castle but he died just two years later. Ikeda Terumasa's second son, Ikeda Tadatsugu (a grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu), became the new lord of the castle. The Ikeda family continued to rule until the Meiji Period. This was another one of the great castles of the Edo Period but was unfortunately destroyed in the air raids of 1945.

Visit Notes

Okayama Castle has such a unique shape that every angle you gives you a unique view. That's why I have so many pictures of the main keep. There is also another yagura that is an Important Cultural Property located on the grounds of a nearby school. I tried to find it but it looked like there was no public way on to the school grounds and the gates were closed.

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Gallery

main keep
Akazunomon Gate
Rokujyuichi Gangi Ue Mon gate
gate and stone walls
Tsukimi Yagura
Rokamon Gate
Rokamon Gate
Main keep
main keep
main keep
main keep
donjon and gardens
nagayamon gate
map
Nishinomaru Nishite Yagura
Nishinomaru Ishigaki
Gate Ruin s.e. of Nishinomaru
Ishigaki of outer bailey
Ishigaki and moat segment, south

Castle Profile
English Name	Okayama Castle
Japanese Name	岡山城
Alternate Names	U-jo, Kin'u-jo
Founder	Ukita Hideie
Year Founded	1597
Castle Type	Hilltop
Castle Condition	Reconstructed main keep
Designations	Top 100 Castles, has Important Cultural Properties, National Historic Site
Historical Period	Edo Period
Main Keep Structure	3 level, 6 stories
Year Reconstructed	1965 (concrete)
Artifacts	Nishonomaru Nishite Yagura, Tsukimi Yagura
Features	main keep, gates, turrets, water moats, stone walls, walls
Visitor Information
Access	Okayama Sta. (San'yo Line); 20 min walk, 10 min bus
Visitor Information
Time Required
Website	http://www.city.okayama.okayama.jp/keizai/kankou/ujo/
Location	Okayama, Okayama Prefecture
Coordinates	34° 39' 54.58" N, 133° 56' 9.82" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2006
Admin Year Visited	2009
Admin Visits	November 14, 2009
Friends of JCastle
Malcolm Fairman Photography - Okayama Castle

3.48

(44 votes)

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Matthew WardGunshi

4 months ago

Score 0

I've been to this castle a couple of times. I love the views of it from the river and from Koraku-en. The main keep is also pretty unique in its design. I liked the extant Tsukimi Yagura and the reconstructed gates. My main quibble with this castle is that it's another one that's kind of a shadow of its former self in terms of remaining area: a lot of the former castle grounds have been heavily built-over. I'll give it 4-stars based on my last visit, but looks like they have refurbished the keep and reconstructed at least one more building, so I'll be curious to see how I rate it next time. Also, I never did see the Nishinomaru Nishite Yagura, the other building that survived WWII, so I'll have to look for it next time.