Introducing Okayama Castle!

"【Touken World】「Okayama Castle - A Castle of Swords and Armor｜Armor Displays in the Castle｜YouTube Video" (【刀剣ワールド】「岡山城」刀剣・甲冑に会える城｜刀剣・甲冑展示の城郭 YouTube動画), released by "Virtual Sword Museum [Touken World]," is a video that introduces the popular tourist spot Okayama Castle, located in Okayama prefecture.

At Okayama Castle, there many historically valuable artifacts on display, such as the popular sword "Tachi Unsho," or the armor that belonged to Hanabusa Masanari.

In this article, we'll talk about Okayama Castle and the swords/armor that are exhibited inside of the castle. For those interested in Japanese history, this video is a must watch.
Be sure to follow along with the video as we introduce Okayama Castle!

About Okayama Castle

Photo：Okayama Castle

Okayama Castle is a Hirayama-type castle built in the Teikaku style. It is designated as a national historic site and stands in Kita-ku, Okayama city, Okayama prefecture.
The castle was built by Ukita Hideie, a member of the Council of Five Elders of the Toyotomi family and a feudal lord in the Warring States period, under the guidance of Hideyoshi Toyotomi.
The historic castle was completed in 1597 after eight years of work.

The 3-layer, 6 story castle tower was burnt down during the air raids in 1945; however, it was rebuilt in 1966 and the room of the castle's lord was also restored.
Okayama Castle’s castle tower is said to have been modeled after the castle tower of Oda Nobunaga’s Azuchi Castle.
The base of the castle tower is unique in that it is in the shape of an irregular pentagon and its appearance changes depending on where it is viewed from.

As you can see from 0:26 in the video, Okayama Castle stands on a small hill along the Asahikawa River and the river runs through the east outer moat of the castle.

The characteristic of Okayama Castle is its beautiful black appearance reminiscent of a crows feathers. It is also referred to as “Crow Castle” and “Golden Crow Castle.”
The stone wall of the ruins of Honmaru which can be seen from 1:31 in the video, is a valuable spot for capturing the appearance of the castle as it once was.
From 1:52 in the video, you can see the legendary sword "Tachi Unsho," armor used by Hanabusa Masanari, and the armor of Ukita Hideie, Kobayakawa Hideaki, and Ikeda Terumasa.

There are many things to see in Okayama Castle, such as the Moon Viewing Tower and Western Observation Tower, registered as Important Cultural Properties, and “Omoteshoin,” the biggest palatial residence within the grounds of Okayama Castle.

Tourist Information for Okayama Castle

Photo：Okayama Castle at night

Access to Okayama Castle is as follows:
To get to Okayama Castle, take the streetcar from Okayama Station toward Higashiyama, get off at the Joka stop and it's 10 minutes walking.
If you are coming by car, it's a 20-minute drive from the Okayama Interchange.
Admission to the castle is ¥320 for adults and ¥130 for elementary and junior high school students during the permanent exhibition period, and ¥160 for adults and ¥65 for elementary and junior high school students when exhibitions are being changed.

Various events are held at Okayama Castle as well.
At the “Autumn Ujo Togenkyo” event that is held every November, the castle tower of Okayama Castle and its surroundings are lit up by illuminations and you can enjoy the magical scenery.
In the spring, you can enjoy the beautiful cherry blossoms.

There is a lot of information posted on the official website, including maps of the area and the annual calendar.
There are also many hotels around Okayama Castle, so even if you're coming from afar for sightseeing, you shouldn't need to worry about lodging.
Okayama prefecture also has a variety of local gourmet foods such as “Demi Katsu-don” and “Ebi meshi,” so you can enjoy sightseeing in the area while eating delicious food.

Summary of Okayama Castle

Source :YouTube screenshot

"【Touken World】「Okayama Castle - A Castle of Swords and Armor｜Armor Displays in the Castle｜YouTube Video," released by "Virtual Sword Museum [Touken World]," introduces the allure of Okayama Castle.

Okayama Castle is a black, beautiful Japanese castle.
They also have illumination events where you can enjoy beautiful views.
If you visit Okayama Castle, you can get a goshuin stamp to commemorate your trip to Okayama as well!

【Official Website】Okayama Castle – The Jet Black Castle That Gleams by the River
https://okayama-kanko.net/ujo/english/index.html

【Tripadvisor】Okayama Castle
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298134-d323963-Reviews-Okayama_Castle-Okayama_Okayama_Prefecture_Chugoku.html