Imagine this… it’s your very first trip to Japan. You went on a whim and don’t really know that much about the country. After a few days in Osaka, a huge city, you travel to Okayama, a smaller city with a castle (and one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan).

Okayama Castle is surrounded by water as a natural fortification. It’s early April cherry blossom trees stand in front of the castle.

This was the first Japanese castle I ever visited, and it started a bit of a love affair…

Okayama Castle 「岡山城 Okayama-jō」

Okayama Castle at Sunset (a black castle in Japan)
Canon DIGITAL IXUS 65 (14.421mm, f/4.5, 1/320 sec, ISO0)
Okayama Castle at Sunset

This photo was taken in the late afternoon, while walking on the river bank opposite Okayama Castle.

Okayama-jō sits on the Asahi River. Across the river is Korakuen (which has some great summer night viewing events).

My friends and I spent a relaxing afternoon strolling around the castle and the river. Unfortunately it was too late to visit Korakuen, with it’s traditional Japanese landscaped gardens, tea houses and ponds – but I would return here a few years later.

Okayama is about halfway between Osaka/Kyoto and Hiroshima. The bullet train stops at JR Okayama Station. It’s a great place to stop, even if only for an afternoon visit to the castle, which is very close to the city center and train station.

Loading map...

Loading

View this location – GSP coordinates: 34.665235,133.936222.