Okayama Castle

Strangely Shaped, Mis-Aligned, Awkwardly Jointed,...Every Angle Provides a Different View of this Remarkable Castle Keep.

Recognized as one of the Great Castles of the Edo Period, Okayama Castle is also known as U-jo 烏城, Cormorant Castle, as its’ tenshu, or keep’s black lacquered outer wooden wall paneling causes it to resembl a black cormorant sitting, watching over the Asahi River below. Prior to the Battle of Sekigahara, the castle was also known as Kin U-Jo, 金烏城、or Golden U-Jo, as the multiple shachihoko and all the roof tiles were covered in gold, which must have been a spectacular sight!