Okayama Castle was built in 1597 to honor Naoie Ukita who conquered and unified the region of modern Okayama. The castle was built in 1597 by Naoie Ukita's son and became known as Ujo Castle (Crow Castle) because of its distinctive black walls.

The original castle was destroyed in 1945 during a W.W. II air raid. It was carefully recreated to the original exterior specifications in 1966.