Okayama Castle
Okayama Castle (岡山城, Okayama-jō) is a Japanese castle in the city of Okayama in Okayama Prefecture in Japan. The main tower was completed in 1597, destroyed in 1945 and replicated in concrete in 1966. Two of the watch towers survived the bombing of 1945 and are now listed by the national Agency for Cultural Affairs as Important Cultural Properties.
| Okayama Castle 岡山城 | |
|---|---|
| Okayama, Okayama Prefecture, Japan | |
Donjon Tower | |
An aerial view of Okayama Castle | |
| Type | Azuchi-Momoyama castle |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Nawa clan (1346-unknown) Kanamitu clan (1521-1528) Ukita clan (1570-1600) Kobayakawa clan (1600-1602) Ikeda clan (1602-1869) Japan (1869-present) |
| Condition | Concrete replica (1966) |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1346-1369 (Nawa clan) rebuilt 1590-1597 (Ukita Hideie) replica donjon completed 1966 |
| In use | 1346-1889 |
| Materials | Wood, stone, plaster, tile. |
| Demolished | Moats: Ministry of War (1873-82), Main tower: US air raid (Jun 29, 1945) |
| Battles/wars | Contributed to Sekigahara (total loss) |
In stark contrast to the white "Egret Castle" of neighboring Himeji, Okayama Castle has a black exterior, earning it the nickname Crow Castle (烏城, U-jō) or "castle of the black bird". (The black castle of Matsumoto in Nagano is also known as "Crow Castle", but it is karasu-jō in Japanese.)
Today, only a few parts of Okayama Castle's roof (including the fish-shaped-gargoyles) are gilded, but prior to the Battle of Sekigahara the main keep also featured gilded roof tiles, earning it the nickname Golden Crow Castle (金烏城, Kin U-jō).