Information
■ Opening hours and closed days
Opening hours：9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (The castle can be entered until 5 p.m.)
closed days：December 29, 30, and 31
■ Entrance fees
| Categories | During the opening of the permanent exhibition | During the change of the exhibition |
|---|---|---|
| Adults: 15 years and older |
320yen （260yen） | 160yen |
| Children: 6 to 14 years old |
130yen （110yen） | 65yen |
* The fee in parenthesis is the group rate for twenty or more people.
* Please note that some works are unable to see during the change of the exhibition.
■ Combined Tickets
| Categories | Okayama Castle and Okayama Korakuen Garden | Okayama Castle, Okayama Korakuen Garden, and Hayashibara Museum of Art |
|---|---|---|
| Adults: 15 years and older |
580yen | 980yen |
History
Under the direction of Hideie Ukita, a daimyo of the Sengoku Period, Okayama Castle was completed in 1597 after eight years of construction. Because the castle was oriented to the west, Hideie undertook a major project to pull the nearby Asahigawa River to flow along the eastern end of the castle to ward off enemies from entering through the rear. The architecture of the period is partly represented by the use of boards painted with black lacquer on the walls of the castle tower (Tenshukaku). As such, the exterior is black, and in the later periods, the castle came to be known as the Crow Castle (Ujo). Hideie not only used Okayama Castle as a military facility, but also called in merchants and craftsmen around the castle's domain to develop a castle town.
After the Ikeda Family took control over the castle, Okayama Korakuen Garden,a vast daimyo garden, was built to the north across the Asahigawa River at the end of the 17th century.
Under the aegis of historical castle lords, Okayama continued to thrive as a city, laying down the foundations of a modern city.
What to Experience
*We can accommodate the first five persons to arrive per session.
■ Let's Wear a Kimono
On the second floor, you can dress like a lord or princess.
| Fee | ： | Free |
| Hours | ： | （1）10：00～ （2）11：00～ （3）13：00～ （4）14：00～ （5）15：00～ |
*We can ship your finished project overseas (extra charge applies).
■ Let's Make a Bizenyaki
On the first floor, you can make a Bizenyaki, a traditional Japanese ceramic ware.
| Fee | ： | 1,250yen (500g of clay) |
| Hours | ： | （1）10：00～ （2）11：00～ （3）13：00～ （4）14：00～ （5）15：00～ |
What to See
View from the sixth floor
Golden dolphin (Kin No Shachihoko) (From the fifth floor)
Hideie Ukita's portrait (third floor)
Daimyo's palanquin, a traditional Japanese conveyance (second floor)
Access
■How to get to Okayama City
For more information, please click here.
■How to get to Okayama Castle
| Airplane | ： | About 30 minutes to Okayama Station from Okayama Airport by bus |
| Bus | ： | From Okayama Station, take the Okaden Bus bound for “Okaden Takaya” or the Ryobi Bus bound for “Saidaiji” via “Higashiyama”(Higashiyama-keiyu Saidaiji). Get off at “Kencho-mae”. The castle is five minutes by walk from the bus station. |
| Streetcar | ： | From Okayama Station , take a streetcar bound for “Higashiyama”. Get off at “Shiroshita”. The castle is ten minutes by walk from the streetcar station. |
| Car | ： | About 20 minutes to the east from Okayama I.C. |
■Okayama Castle Office
Address: 2-3-1,Marunouchi,Kita-ku,Okayama-shi,Okayama-ken,700-0823,Japan
Tel: +81-86-225-2096(Japanese only)
FaX: +81-86-225-2097
