Overview

Okayama Castle, nicknamed 'Crow Castle' for its black-lacquered exterior, is a magnificent fortress with moats fed by the Asahi River and the adjacent Kōraku-en Garden. Built by Ukita Hideie and later refined by the Ikeda clan after Sekigahara, the castle tower was renovated in 2022 with state-of-the-art exhibitions. The castle's most distinctive feature is its proximity to Bizen Osafune (present-day Osafune-chō, Setouchi City), the greatest sword production center in Japanese history. The Bizen tradition produced more master smiths than any other school, making Okayama Castle the epicenter of Bizen sword culture.

Connection to Swords

To speak of the relationship between Okayama Castle and Japanese swords is to speak of nothing less than the grand history of Bizen swords. Located approximately 30 minutes by car from Okayama Castle, Bizen Osafune (Setouchi City, Osafune Town) is the greatest and most significant sword production center in Japanese sword history. The Bizen tradition is sometimes called the foremost of the Five Schools, and from the late Heian through the Muromachi period, it continued uninterrupted in producing master smiths. The lineage that began with Tomoshige of Old Bizen, passed through the Fukuoka Ichimonji school masters Norisada, Yoshifusa, and Sukemasa, the Osafune school smiths Mitsutada, Nagamitsu, Kagemitsu, Kanemitsu, and Chōgi, and extended to Sukesada and Katsumitsu of Late Bizen, is the very history of Japanese swords. Mitsutada is renowned for his brilliant choji midare blade patterns, while Nagamitsu inherited his father Mitsutada's style and further refined the technique. Kagemitsu founded a unique blade pattern called "kataochigoume," and Kanemitsu, influenced by the Soshu tradition, became a master smith representing the Nanboku-chō period with his bold and powerful style. The Bizen Osafune Sword Museum is Japan's only public, specialized sword museum, and visitors may observe forging demonstrations by active swordsmiths every month. The sight of steel taken from the glowing forge, scattering sparks as it is hammered, is an overwhelming experience—witnessing the moment the soul of the Japanese sword is born. The Okayama domain (Ikeda clan) was equally devoted to sword collecting, with domain smiths such as Yokoyama Sukekane active in the area. The Hayashibara Museum of Art (Okayama city) houses numerous celebrated blades from the Ikeda clan collection, boasting a collection of exceptional quality that includes National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. For the Japanese sword enthusiast, visiting Bizen Osafune from Okayama Castle is truly a pilgrimage to sacred ground and the sword journey most strongly recommended by TOUKENZA. When you gaze into the forge fire at the forging grounds of Bizen Osafune, you will feel the spirits of eight hundred years of swordsmiths still breathing in this place. Okayama is also known as the land of the Momotarō legend, and with locations such as Kibitsu Shrine and Kii Castle, it is a land where myth and the traditions of martial valor intersect.