Inuyama Castle: Nagoya’s Treasured Castle

Inuyama, located in northern Nagoya, is a popular tourist destination in Aichi Prefecture. One of its main attractions is Inuyama Castle, a magnificent structure that is one of the few castles that claims the title of national treasure. This remarkable castle draws tourists from all over the country.

Inuyama Castle

Inuyama Castle was originally built by Oda Nobuyasu, the uncle of Oda Nobunaga. Later, the castle became the residence of Nobunaga’s second son, Oda Nobuo. After Nobunaga’s death, the castle came under the control of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

However, following Hideyoshi’s defeat in the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute against the Oda clan, Inuyama Castle returned to Oda Nobuo.

After the Battle of Sekigahara ownership of Inuyama Castle transferred to Tokugawa Ieyasu. During the Edo Period, the castle passed down through generations of Ieyasu’s subordinate, the Naruse clan. Although the castle changed hands many times, it is noteworthy that all three of the top leaders of the Warring States period—Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu—were involved with it at some point.

Going to Inuyama Castle

The nearest station to Inuyama Castle is Inuyama Station, where you’ll find a variety of souvenir shops and restaurants along the road. Inuyama-Yuen Station is another convenient option. From there, you can enjoy a pleasant walk along the Kisogawa River.

Inuyama Castle sits on a small hill. To reach the castle gate visitors must go up the hill, which is a bit of a walk.

To date, all gates and turrets of Inuyama Castle have been demolished, leaving only the keep and the moat intact. Fortunately, the keep has survived.

The castle suffered significant damage in 1891 due to an earthquake, after which it was transferred to the Naruse family with the condition that it be restored. As a result, the castle remained privately owned until 2004.

The Main Keep

After passing through the gate, you will find the castle keep. Built by Oda Nobuyasu in 1537, this keep is one of only 12 remaining castles in Japan and is considered one of the five national treasures.

Although the keep is not very large—it appears even smaller than Hikone Castle—it has impressive stone walls that stand 5 meters high, while the keep reaches a height of 19 meters. Originally, the keep was just two stories but during the Edo Period, the Naruse clan expanded it by adding a third and fourth floor.

You can also enter the keep, and as you would expect from a national treasure, there are many things to see. Just keep in mind that the old castle has quite steep stairs.

Perhaps because we visited early in the morning there were no crowds at the castle. Inuyama Castle is likely the only national treasure castle where you can take your time exploring; to memory, crowding at the other castles tends to be an issue.

At the top of the castle is a luxurious room with a red carpet. The top floor also features a wrapped balcony that allows you to step outside. The railing is quite low, so it almost feels like you might fall off. But the view is simply stunning.

From above, you can see the Kisogawa River below. Inuyama Castle is located on the edge of the Owari region, while the Mino region lies across the river. Saito Dozan, the greatest rival of the Oda family, governed that area. Situated on the border to the right, Inuyama Castle was likely very important to the Oda family.