About Okayama Castle
Okayama Castle, also known as Ujou Castle or Golden Ujou Castle, is a castle located in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan, which was once the seat of the Okayama Clan Office during the Edo period and is now a nationally designated historical site in Japan. It is said to have been founded by Kamigami Takanao between 1346 and 1369, and has survived wars and centuries of weathering, with only the remains of the yagura, stone walls, and hori remaining today as a testament to the ancient history of Okayama Castle.
In the Meiji period, most of the gyuden, yagura, and gates of Okayama Castle were removed, and only the inner hori of the moat remained, while the rest was buried. In the Second World War, Tenshu and Ishiyama Gate were destroyed by air raids, and only the two yagura, Ishigaki and Uchibori have been preserved to this day, and in 1966, the reconstruction of the four-story, six-step composite watchtower-type Tenshu was completed using steel reinforcement, and in 2006, it was selected as one of the top 100 castles in Japan. Nowadays, a Ushigaki Park has been built around Okayama Castle, which is one of the favorite recreational spots for Okayama citizens with its greenery, brilliantly open clusters of flowers, fresh air and beautiful environment.
How to get there
The nearest station to Okayama Castle is Okayama Electric Railway’s Shiroshita Station. Take the Okayama Electric Railway, which departs every 5 minutes from Okayama Station (Okayama Station timetable), and get off at Shiroshita Station, a 4-minute ride (100 yen fare), and Okayama Castle is right in front of you and takes about 8 minutes to reach on foot. If the connection from Okayama Station to Okayama Castle is good, you can reach the castle in 12 minutes, so it is worth getting off at Okayama Station and dropping by. If you walk from Okayama Station to Okayama Castle, it will take about 24 minutes. It is not so difficult on foot.
Tips
It was great. I was able to experience the basket. I felt it was very crowded because we went in the opposite direction of other visitors. It was good to know about the stone walls outside and the previous castle. The salt cellar game was fun. The theater is good for those who like theater. Perfect for learning about history.
