Sights
Okayama Castle
Okayama City
Wear a kimono in the castle and try your hand at making ceramics!
Completed in 1597 after eight years of construction, Okayama Castle is one of Japan’s top 100 castles. After the keep was destroyed in the war, the castle was rebuilt in 1966. Also known as “U-jo (Crow Castle)” for its crow-like black outer wall, Okayama Castle is a popular counterpart to the white outer walls of Himeji Castle. Inside the keep, visitors are welcome to dress up (free) as feudal lords or princesses, or have a memorial photo taken while riding a daimyo’s palanquin, a traditional Japanese form of conveyance, for a taste of life as a feudal warlord. Visitors can also attend workshops to make Bizen pottery, representative of Japan itself, and are encouraged to try Okayama Castle’s famous “Castle Parfait.” Just 5 minutes on foot from Okayama Korakuen Garden, the areas around the keep are open to all visitors free of charge. Free English guide services are also available.
Basic information
- Address
- 2-3-1 Marunouchi, Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture
- Access
- 10 min by bus from JR Okayama Sta. to “Kenchomae,” and then 5 min on foot; 10 min on foot from “Shiroshita” via tram from JR Okayama Sta.
- Business Hours
- 9:00am – 5:30pm (last admission 5:00pm)
- Closed
- December 29 – 31
- Admission
- General admission 320 yen; students 130 yen (elementary and junior high)
"Combined Tickets"
• Okayama Castle and Okayama Korakuen Garden: General admission 580 yen (15 – 64 years old); students 260 yen (elementary and junior high)
• Okayama Castle, Okayama Korakuen Garden, and Hayashibara Museum of Art: General 980 yen (15 – 64 years old)
*Combined Tickets are unavailable while special exhibitions are in session, on days the displays are switched, and on days the museum is closed.
- Tel.
- 086-225-2096
- Infection prevention
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