Walking route
Castle Hopping: Okayama Castle Route Map (October 2026)
This route map traces the way I walked around Okayama Castle, in photos. From Okayama Ekimae, I took the tram to Shiroshita, explored the stone walls of the Honmaru, plus the stone walls in the underground exhibits, then took the tram back again. The spots appear in the order I took the photos (some of the smaller twists along the way are left out).
📝 Read the main article → Castle Hopping: Okayama Castle (October 2026)
30 stops
The route I walked
I took the tram from Okayama Ekimae to Shiroshita, then walked through the Rōka Gate to explore the stone walls around the Honmaru. After stopping at the keep's shop, I went back to the stone wall display I had missed, then returned to the Shiroshita tram stop.
- Okayama Ekimae → Shiroshita and Shirochika → Rōka Gate
- Outer side of Tsukimi Yagura → Southwest walls of the Naka-no-dan
- Buried stone wall → Inner side of Tsukimi Yagura → Omote Shoin site
- Keep foundation stones → Honmaru lawn → Keep's shop
- Around the Hondan → High walls on the east and southeast sides
- Stone wall display → Cooking stoves at the Omote Shoin site
- Shiroshita → Tram back
📝 Read the main article → Castle Hopping: Okayama Castle (October 2026)
Okayama Castle Basic Information
Address2-3-1 Marunouchi, Kita-ku, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture
Admissionadults ¥500; free for junior high school students, younger children (revised April 2026)
Hours9:00–17:30 (last entry 17:00); may change during events
Closed29–31 December
AccessFrom the Okayama Ekimae tram stop, take the tram bound for Higashiyama to Shiroshita, then walk about 10 minutes
Highlightsthe Tsukimi Yagura (Important Cultural Property); stone walls from different eras side by side; two exhibits of buried stone walls; the Omote Shoin floor plan marked out on the ground
Castle seals / stampsGoshuin, Meijō cards: sold at the Kin'ujō Shōten shop on the keep's B1 floor. Japan's 100 Famous Castles stamp (No. 70): near the reception on the keep's B1 floor
NotesThe Honmaru (Ujō Park) is open 24 hours. Only the keep charges admission (as of October 2026)
Solo Visit NoteThe Honmaru is bigger than you might expect, so time flies if you read the information boards as you go. When I asked a staff member, I was able to use just the shop inside the keep (as of October 2026). The "Stone Wall from the Time of the Castle's Construction" exhibit on the west side of the Naka-no-dan is easy to miss, so it's worth checking where it is on the Honmaru map before you set off. On rainy days, the stone steps — plus the stairs in the underground exhibit — get wet, so watch your step.
