While in Okayama, a visit to its castle was a must. The castle’s exterior, made of wooden panels painted with black lacquer, earned it the nickname “Crow Castle.”
Built in 1597, it survived centuries of history before being taken over by the Ministry of War in 1869, when many of its structures were dismantled and the moats filled in as part of modernisation efforts. In 1945, during World War II, it was heavily damaged by Allied air raids, and restoration followed in 1966.
The historic six-level structure narrows as it rises, with each level featuring exhibits on the castle’s history and samurai culture.
While the exhibits are in Japanese, many include QR codes that provide summaries in five languages, making them more accessible. I think I had an advantage thanks to my Year 11 and 12 history lessons on Japanese culture—thank you, my high school history teacher! It was great to draw on those lessons after all this time.
The castle has a fantastic gift shop. It also has an OK café, which I’d recommend skipping, in favour of the tea houses and the nearby Kōraku-en Garden.
The garden is one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens, and the entry ticket to the castle includes access to that garden, which makes the visit a very well-rounded, memorable, and enjoyable time.
Getting to Okayama
From Hiroshima take the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Hiroshima to Okayama Station, which takes about 40–50 minutes.
From Kyoto, by Shinkansen to Okayama Station takes about two hours or 1 and a half from Osaka
From the station, walk or take the tram
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