INUYAMA CASTLE
(INUYAMA-JO, otherwise HAKUTEI-JO)

Inuyama Castle

Inuyama Castle is one of 4 castles considered to be national treasures.
(the others are Himeji Castle, Matsumoto Castle and Hikone Castle)
The castle is one of the 12 real, feudal era towers in Japan,
and is the only private castle in Japan.
The castle is characterized by its Muromachi period (1392-1573) style design
and is the oldest in existece today.
It stands 80m high from sea level, on a three-sided cliff facing the Kiso River

Ogyu Sorai, a Confucianist in the Edo Period, named the castle HAKUTEI-JO,
whose source was a poem by Chinese poet Rihaku who lived in the Tang period (616-907)

The original Inuyama castle was build in 1469 by Oda Hirochika ( feudatory of Shiba Yoshisato )
It was on the terrace along the Kiso River.
Then Honmaru (main house ) was moved and rebuilt on the top of the hill,
which has a cliff, in 1537 by Oda Nobuyasu, a 5th generation descendent of Oda Hirochika.
After that, the castle was attacked and taken by Oda Nobunaga, who first appointed Ikeda Nobuteru
as the lord of the castle (or feudatory) and later Noda Nobufusa.
After Oda Nobunaga died in 1582, his son Oda Nobuo got this castle
and his substitution stayed there.
In 1595, Ishikawa Mitsuyoshi built the main tower.

After the Battle of Sekigahara, this castle belonged to Matsudaira Tadayoshi,
then his feudatory bacome the lord of this castle in 1601.
In 1607, Tokugawa Ieyasu 's 10th son Tokugawa Yoshinao got this castle,
and his feudatory become the lord.
In 1618 Naruse Masanari, one of the top members of the Owari-Tokugawa Clan, become
the lord of this castle.
Since then, Inuyama Castle has been belonged Naruse Family.

Take Meitetsu Inuyama Line from Meitetsu Shin-Nagoya Station
Get off at Inuyama Yuuen

Open: 9:00 - 17:00 ( enter by 16:30 )
Closed for Holidays: Dec. 29 - 31

Fee: 400 yen


Inuyama Spring Festival