National Historic SiteChūgoku

岡山城

Okayama Castle

Seigneur

Ukita Hideie / Ikeda clan

Époque

Built in 1597 (Keichō 2)

Désignation

National Historic Site

Emplacement

2-3-1 Marunouchi, Kita-ku, Okayama

Accès

About 5 min by streetcar from JR Okayama Station to 'Shiroshita,' then 10 min walk

Présentation

Okayama Castle, nicknamed 'Crow Castle' for its black-lacquered exterior, is a magnificent fortress with moats fed by the Asahi River and the adjacent Kōraku-en Garden. Built by Ukita Hideie and later refined by the Ikeda clan after Sekigahara, the castle tower was renovated in 2022 with state-of-the-art exhibitions. The castle's most distinctive feature is its proximity to Bizen Osafune (present-day Osafune-chō, Setouchi City), the greatest sword production center in Japanese history. The Bizen tradition produced more master smiths than any other school, making Okayama Castle the epicenter of Bizen sword culture.

Lien avec les sabres

Bizen Osafune, just 30 minutes by car from Okayama Castle, is the greatest sword production center in Japanese history. The Bizen tradition produced more master smiths than any other school — Mitsutada, Nagamitsu, Kagemitsu, Kanemitsu, Chōgi, and countless others forged their blades here. The Bizen Osafune Sword Museum offers live forging demonstrations by active swordsmiths, allowing visitors to witness the sword-making process up close. The Okayama domain (Ikeda clan) was also enthusiastic about sword collecting, with domain smiths such as Yokoyama Sukekane active in the area. Visiting Bizen Osafune from Okayama Castle is a pilgrimage to the sacred ground of Japanese swords. The Hayashibara Museum of Art in Okayama city houses many notable blades from the Ikeda collection.