Okayama Castle
Encyclopedia
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
.
In stark contrast to the white "Egret Castle"
of neighboring Himeji, Okayama Castle has a black exterior, earning it the nickname . (The black castle of Matsumoto
in Nagano
is also known as "Crow Castle", but it is karasu-jo in Japanese.)
Today, only a few parts of Okayama Castle's roof (including the fish-shaped-gargoyles
) are gilded in gold, but prior to the Battle of Sekigahara
the main keep also featured gilded roof tiles, earning it the nickname .
Construction of Okayama Castle was started in 1573 by Ukita Naoie
and completed by his son Hideie
in 1597. Three years later, Hideie sided with the ill-fated Toyotomi Clan
at the Battle of Sekigahara, was captured by the Tokugawa Clan
and exiled to the island prison of Hachijo
. The castle and surrounding fiefdoms were given to Kobayakawa Hideaki
as spoils of war. Kobayakawa died just two years later without leaving an heir, and the castle (and fiefdom) was given to the Ikeda Clan
, who later added Kōraku-en
as a private garden.
In 1869 the castle became the property of the Meiji government's Hyōbu-shō (Ministry of War), who saw the 'samurai' era castles as archaic and unnecessary. Like many other castles throughout Japan, the outer moats were filled in and the old castle walls gradually disappeared underneath the city. On June 29, 1945, allied bombers burnt the castle to the ground. Reconstruction work began in 1964 and was completed in 1966. In 1996 the rooftop gargoyles were gilded as part of the 400th anniversary celebrations.
The reconstructed castle is a concrete building complete with air-conditioning, elevators and numerous displays documenting the castle's history (with a heavy focus on the Ikeda era.) Little information is available in English. Access to the inner sanctuary is free.
Japanese castle
' were fortresses composed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century...
in the city of Okayama
Okayama, Okayama
is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan.The city was founded on June 1, 1889. As of August 2010, the city has an estimated population of 705,224 and a population density of 893 persons per km². The total area is 789.88 km²....
in Okayama Prefecture
Okayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. 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
Agency for Cultural Affairs
The is a special body of the Japanese Ministry of Education . It was set up in 1968 to promote Japanese arts and culture. As of April 2007, it is led by the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, Tamotsu Aoki....
as Important Cultural Properties
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....
.
In stark contrast to the white "Egret Castle"
Himeji Castle
When the han feudal system was abolished in 1871, Himeji Castle was put up for auction. The castle was purchased by a Himeji resident for 23 Japanese yen...
of neighboring Himeji, Okayama Castle has a black exterior, earning it the nickname . (The black castle of Matsumoto
Matsumoto Castle
, also known as the because of its black exterior, is one of Japan's premier historic castles. It is located in the city of Matsumoto, in Nagano Prefecture and is within easy reach of Tokyo by road or rail....
in Nagano
Nagano Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...
is also known as "Crow Castle", but it is karasu-jo in Japanese.)
Today, only a few parts of Okayama Castle's roof (including the fish-shaped-gargoyles
Shachihoko
A is an animal in Japanese folklore with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp. It was believed that this animal could cause the rain to fall, and as such, temples and castles were often adorned with roof ornaments crafted in the form of a shachihoko, in order to protect them from fire.The...
) are gilded in gold, but prior to the Battle of Sekigahara
Battle of Sekigahara
The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...
the main keep also featured gilded roof tiles, earning it the nickname .
Construction of Okayama Castle was started in 1573 by Ukita Naoie
Ukita Naoie
was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period. He was born in Bizen Province, to Ukita Okiie, a local samurai leader. After the assassination of Naoie's grandfather Yoshiie in 1534, he was left homeless along with his father, but both were soon taken in by Murakami Munekage, the lord of Tenjinzan...
and completed by his son Hideie
Ukita Hideie
was the daimyo of Bizen and Mimasaka provinces , and one of the council of Five Elders appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Son of Ukita Naoie, he married Gohime, a daughter of Maeda Toshiie...
in 1597. Three years later, Hideie sided with the ill-fated Toyotomi Clan
Toyotomi clan
Originating in Owari Province, the served as retainers to the Oda clan throughout 16th-century Japan's Sengoku period. -Unity and Conflict:The most influential figure within the Toyotomi was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three "unifiers of Japan." Oda Nobunaga was another primary unifier and the...
at the Battle of Sekigahara, was captured by the Tokugawa Clan
Tokugawa clan
The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
and exiled to the island prison of Hachijo
Hachijojima
is a volcanic Japanese island in the Philippine Sea, administered by Tōkyō and located approximately south of the Special Wards of Tōkyō. It is the southernmost and most isolated of the Izu Seven Islands group of the seven northern islands of the Izu archipelago...
. The castle and surrounding fiefdoms were given to Kobayakawa Hideaki
Kobayakawa Hideaki
Kobayakawa Hideaki was fifth son of Kinoshita Iesada and the nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.He was adopted by Hideyoshi and called himself Hashiba Hidetoshi and Shusen . He was then again adopted by Kobayakawa Takakage and renamed himself Hideaki...
as spoils of war. Kobayakawa died just two years later without leaving an heir, and the castle (and fiefdom) was given to the Ikeda Clan
Ikeda clan
The was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji. In the Edo period, several of the clan's branches were daimyo families, most notably of the Tottori Domain, and Okayama Domain. Takamasa Ikeda, present head of the Okayama Ikeda house is a husband of Atsuko Ikeda, fourth daughter...
, who later added Kōraku-en
Koraku-en
, is a Japanese garden located in Okayama, Okayama Prefecture. It is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, along with Kenroku-en and Kairaku-en. Korakuen was built in 1700 by Ikeda Tsunamasa, lord of Okayama. The garden's form almost had turned into the modern form in 1863.- History :In 1687,...
as a private garden.
In 1869 the castle became the property of the Meiji government's Hyōbu-shō (Ministry of War), who saw the 'samurai' era castles as archaic and unnecessary. Like many other castles throughout Japan, the outer moats were filled in and the old castle walls gradually disappeared underneath the city. On June 29, 1945, allied bombers burnt the castle to the ground. Reconstruction work began in 1964 and was completed in 1966. In 1996 the rooftop gargoyles were gilded as part of the 400th anniversary celebrations.
The reconstructed castle is a concrete building complete with air-conditioning, elevators and numerous displays documenting the castle's history (with a heavy focus on the Ikeda era.) Little information is available in English. Access to the inner sanctuary is free.