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Aichi · City

Inuyama

犬山市いぬやましInuyama-shi

The white keep above the Kiso River

Inuyama is a castle town on the Kiso River at the northern edge of Aichi Prefecture, 30 minutes from Nagoya. Its castle keep, one of five designated National Treasures, is among the oldest surviving in Japan, and the town is also known for the Jo-an tea house, the open-air architecture museum Meiji Mura and the Inuyama Festival with its karakuri floats.

Overview

Inuyama stands on a bluff where the Kiso River emerges from its gorge onto the Nōbi Plain, with Gifu Prefecture on the opposite bank. The small castle keep crowning the bluff overlooks the river, which upstream of the town flows between rocky banks known since the early twentieth century as the Japan Rhine.

The castle is one of only twelve in Japan with an original keep and one of five whose keeps are designated National Treasures. For most of the Edo period it belonged to the Naruse family, senior retainers of the Owari Tokugawa, and remarkably it remained in the family's private ownership until 2004. The castle town below preserves its grid of merchant streets and the storehouses where the town's festival floats are kept.

Around the town are some of the region's most visited cultural sites: Uraku-en garden with the National Treasure tea house Jo-an, the Meiji Mura museum of Meiji-era buildings including the front of Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel, and the ethnological park Little World. Cormorant fishing is practised on the Kiso River in summer.

Landmarks

  • Inuyama Castle

    犬山城Inuyama-jō

    Original three-tiered keep above the Kiso River, a National Treasure with an outer balcony overlooking the river.

  • Jo-an and Uraku-en

    如庵Jo-an

    Tea house built in 1618 by Oda Uraku, Nobunaga's younger brother, one of three National Treasure tea houses.

  • Meiji Mura

    博物館明治村Hakubutsukan Meiji-mura

    Open-air museum of more than sixty relocated Meiji-era buildings, including the Imperial Hotel's entrance.

  • Castle town

    犬山城下町Inuyama jōkamachi

    Streets of merchant houses south of the castle with the Donden-kan float museum.

  • Haritsuna Shrine

    針綱神社Haritsuna Jinja

    Shrine at the foot of the castle whose spring festival is the Inuyama Festival.

  • Little World

    野外民族博物館リトルワールドYagai Minzoku Hakubutsukan Ritoru Wārudo

    Open-air museum of houses and cultures from around the world.

Districts

  • Castle town

    城下町jōkamachi

    The historic core between Inuyama Station and the castle.

  • Kiso River bank

    木曽川河畔Kiso-gawa kahan

    Riverside hotels, the cormorant-fishing landing and views of the castle.

  • Eastern hills

    犬山東部Inuyama tōbu

    Wooded hills with Meiji Mura, Little World and Iruka pond.

History

A castle was established here in the sixteenth century by members of the Oda family; the present keep is generally dated to the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. In 1584 the castle served as a base in Hideyoshi's campaign of Komaki and Nagakute against Ieyasu. From 1617 it was held by the Naruse family on behalf of the Owari domain.

After the Meiji Restoration the castle became state property, but after damage in the Nōbi earthquake of 1891 it was returned to the Naruse on condition that they repair it. It was designated a National Treasure in 1935 and again in 1952. Inuyama became a city in 1954, and in 2004 the castle was transferred from private ownership to a public foundation.

  1. 1537

    Traditional date for the founding of the castle by Oda Nobuyasu, Nobunaga's uncle.

  2. 1584

    Hideyoshi uses Inuyama as a base in the Komaki-Nagakute campaign.

  3. 1617

    Naruse Masanari becomes lord of Inuyama Castle.

  4. 1891

    The Nōbi earthquake damages the castle, which is later returned to the Naruse family.

  5. 1935

    The castle keep is designated a National Treasure.

  6. 1954

    Inuyama is incorporated as a city.

  7. 1965

    The Meiji Mura open-air museum opens.

  8. 1972

    The Jo-an tea house is moved to Uraku-en garden in Inuyama.

  9. 2004

    Ownership of the castle passes from the Naruse family to a foundation.

  10. 2016

    The Inuyama Festival is inscribed by UNESCO among the Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals.

Culture

Inuyama's culture is shaped by its festival and its river. The thirteen three-storey floats of the Inuyama Festival carry karakuri puppets that perform on the upper decks, and at night each is hung with hundreds of lanterns. The Kiso River supports cormorant fishing by torchlight in summer. The Jo-an tea house of Oda Uraku, a leading tea master of the Momoyama period, links the town to the history of the tea ceremony.

Festivals

  • Inuyama Festival

    犬山祭Inuyama Matsuri

    On the first Saturday and Sunday of April, thirteen floats with karakuri puppets parade and are lit with lanterns at night.

  • Kiso River cormorant fishing

    木曽川鵜飼Kiso-gawa ukai

    Summer season of torch-lit fishing with cormorants below the castle.

  • Japan Rhine fireworks

    日本ライン夏まつり納涼花火大会Nihon Rain Natsumatsuri Nōryō Hanabi Taikai

    Summer fireworks over the Kiso River in August.

Food

  • Dengaku

    田楽dengaku

    Grilled tofu glazed with sweet miso, a traditional dish of the castle town.

  • Gohei-mochi

    五平餅gohei-mochi

    Grilled rice cakes on skewers with miso or nut glaze.

  • Ayu

    鮎ayu

    Sweetfish from the Kiso River, caught by cormorant fishermen in summer.

  • Street snacks

    食べ歩きtabearuki

    Skewers and sweets sold along the castle-town street.

Getting around

  • Meitetsu trains run from Meitetsu Nagoya to Inuyama in about 30 minutes; Inuyama-yūen Station is closest to the castle and river.
  • Meitetsu also links Inuyama with Gifu via Kakamigahara and with Chūbu Centrair International Airport.
  • Buses run from Inuyama Station to Meiji Mura (about 20 minutes) and Little World.
  • The castle town and castle are an easy walk of about 15 minutes from Inuyama Station.

Day trips

  • Nagoya

    名古屋Nagoya

    Castle, museums and food of the prefectural capital, 30 minutes by Meitetsu.

  • Gifu

    岐阜Gifu

    Mount Kinka's castle and cormorant fishing on the Nagara River.

  • Kakamigahara Aerospace Museum

    岐阜かかみがはら航空宇宙博物館Gifu Kakamigahara Kōkū Uchū Hakubutsukan

    Museum of aircraft and space technology across the river in Gifu.

  • Seki

    関Seki

    Swordsmith and knife town in Gifu.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalNagoyaNagoya-shiThe Owari Tokugawa's castle city and hub of Japanese industryCore cityToyotaToyota-shiJapan's car city with a mountain hinterland

Frequently asked questions

Is Inuyama Castle original?

Yes. Its keep survives from the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century and is one of five castle keeps designated National Treasures; it is often cited as the oldest surviving keep in Japan.

How do I get from Nagoya to Inuyama?

By Meitetsu from Meitetsu Nagoya Station to Inuyama or Inuyama-yūen in about 30 minutes.

What is Meiji Mura?

An open-air museum in the hills east of Inuyama where more than sixty buildings of the Meiji era, from churches and banks to a prison and Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel entrance, have been relocated.

When is the Inuyama Festival?

On the first Saturday and Sunday of April, often coinciding with the cherry blossoms along the castle moat.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.犬山市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 犬山市
  2. 2.文化遺産オンライン (opens in a new tab) — 文化庁
  3. 3.Japan National Tourism Organization (opens in a new tab) — Japan National Tourism Organization

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