Okayama Castle is known as Ujo, the Crow Castle, for the striking black lacquered boards that clad its walls — a deliberate contrast to the white ‘White Heron’ castle at Himeji. Originally completed in 1597 by Ukita Hideie, it stood on the bank of the Asahi River, which served as its natural moat, until the keep was destroyed in a wartime air raid in 1945. The present keep is a 1966 reconstruction, extensively renewed in 2022, housing a well-presented museum of the castle and its lords, with a top-floor view over the river to Korakuen garden directly opposite.
🗓️ At a Glance
| Location | Okayama, Okayama |
| Hours | ~9:00–17:30 |
| Admission | ~¥400 (combined Korakuen ticket available) |
| Time needed | 1–1.5 hours |
| Best time | Year-round; lit up beautifully at night |
What to See
- The striking black-lacquered keep, the Crow Castle.
- A renewed museum of the castle and its ruling clans.
- A top-floor view over the river to Korakuen.
- The riverside setting and night illumination.
Combine Your Visit
- Combine with Korakuen Garden across the river.
- Pair with barazushi in the city for lunch.
- Read our Okayama overview .
Getting There
- By tram: Okayama tram to Shiroshita, then about 10 minutes' walk.
- On foot: a bridge links the castle directly to Korakuen.
Tips
Buy the combined ticket with Korakuen and walk between the two across the bridge, which is the natural way to see both in a morning. The 2022 renewal made the interior museum much more engaging than most reconstructed keeps, and the castle is floodlit after dark — worth a look from the Korakuen side of the river in the evening.
