SilkCode LibraryCastles of Japan
No. 070ChugokuOkayama

Okayama Castle

岡山城

Reconstructed buildings

Okayama Castle is known as the Crow Castle for the dark keep beside the Asahi River. Its reconstructed keep, surviving Tsukimi Turret and stonework from different periods reveal a long history of change.

The black reconstructed keep of Okayama Castle
The black reconstructed keep of Okayama CastlePhoto: 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · Resized and converted to WebP. Cards crop the display.This photograph shows the site at the time it was taken. Check the notes and official sources for current restoration work and access.

Get to know the castle

Castle at a glance

Site & layout
Hilltop castle
Origins
Historic keep considered completed in 1597; present keep rebuilt in 1966
Builders & patrons
Ukita Hideie; later altered by the Ikeda and other rulers
Other names
Ujo (Crow Castle); Kin-ujo
What remains today
Historic buildings including Tsukimi Turret, and stone walls; keep reconstructed

THE STORY

The story behind the walls

Ukita Hideie expanded the castle centred on neighbouring Okayama after inheriting his father Naoie’s Ishiyama Castle. The keep is considered to have been completed in 1597 as work advanced on both castle and town. The use of the Asahi River to protect the north and east became a defining feature of the site. Edo-period rulers including the Ikeda added and altered stone walls and buildings. The historic keep burned in an air raid in 1945 and was reconstructed in 1966, while surviving buildings such as the Tsukimi Turret preserve earlier fabric.

LAYOUT & ARCHITECTURE

Read the landscape and the buildings.

The main enclosure occupies Okayama hill, protected by the Asahi River to the north and east. An irregular keep platform and overlapping phases of stonework reflect the terrain rather than a uniformly rectangular plan. Changes in ground level make the Tsukimi Turret appear to have different numbers of storeys from different sides, while its outward and inward faces serve different purposes.

A CLOSER LOOK

Details worth a closer look.

01

The dark keep and its reconstruction

The present keep was rebuilt in 1966 after the historic building was destroyed in the war. Its exterior draws on old photographs and drawings, while the interior serves as a modern exhibition space.

02

The surviving Tsukimi Turret

The Tsukimi Turret combines outward-facing defensive features, including openings for dropping objects, with more comfortable rooms towards the interior. It illustrates how a fortified building could also host moon viewing.

03

Stone walls from successive periods

Stonework within the castle relates to the Ukita and Ikeda building campaigns. Large display stones and earlier walls revealed by excavation show that the complex was not built in a single phase.

THROUGH THE YEARS

A short timeline

  1. 1597

    Ukita Hideie’s keep is considered to have been completed.

  2. 1945

    The historic keep was destroyed in an air raid.

  3. 1966

    The keep was reconstructed using old photographs and drawings.

BEFORE YOU GO

A note before you go.

Combine the keep’s exhibitions with an outdoor walk past the walls and turrets. Interior access to buildings such as the Tsukimi Turret may differ from that of the keep, so check the arrangements for each building you wish to enter.

Official visitor information ↗Find it on a map ↗

Information checked: 27 September 2026

Sources & official information

Some official sources are available in Japanese only.

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