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Okayama Castle

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 .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 Golden Crow Castle.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.) Unfortunately very little information is available in English. Access to the inner sanctuary is free, but entry into the main donjon (museum) is ¥300, 9 AM to 5 PM daily. Combination tickets for the castle and Kōraku-en are also available.

Korakuen Garden

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.In 1687, the daimyo Ikeda Tsunamasa ordered Tsuda Nagatada to begin construction of the Korakuen. It was completed in 1700 and has retained its original appearance to the present day, except for a few changes by various daimyo. The Korakuen is one of the few daimyo gardens in the provinces where historical change can be observed, thanks to the many Edo period paintings and Ikeda family records and documents left behind. The garden was used as a place for entertaining important guests and also as a spa of sorts for daimyo, although regular folk could visit on certain days.

Okayama Prefectural Museum

Is a museum in Okayama, Japan, built to house important artifacts from the prefecture dating from prehistory through modern times.The museum houses one National Treasure, red-laced yoroi armor from the 12th century. Although documents about red-dyed armor lacing exist, the museum's armor is the only known example of this type of armor.The museums also houses two important tachi swords, one a National Important Cultural Property and the other an Important Cultural Property of Okayama Prefecture.

Hayashibara Museum of Art

Is a privately owned art museum in Okayama owned by the Hayashibara Group. The owner of the collection was Ichiro Hayashibara, and the museum was opened in 1964, to honor his final wishes to display his collection to the public prior to his death. The museum owns approximately 10,000 artifacts from Hayashibara's personal collection and is most famous for its items from the Ikeda clan. The museum itself has limited space, so exhibits are rotated 4-5 times per year.

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