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Gifu 🏯 Castle 📷 8

Inuyama Castle

犬山城

A samurai-era stronghold with stone walls, moats and a view from the keep.

See the photos How to get there Open in Maps
Best season Late March–April (cherry blossom) and November (autumn colour)
Time needed 1–2 hours
Admission Grounds free; keep roughly ¥300–1,000 (≈ $2–6)
Opening hours Typically 9:00–17:00 (extended in summer)

What this place is

Inuyama Castle (犬山城, Inuyama-jō) is a hirayama-style Japanese castle located in the city of Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The castle overlooks the Kiso River, which serves as the border between Aichi and Gifu Prefectures. The tenshu of Inuyama Castle, one of only 12 pre-modern tenshu remaining in existence, has been determined to be one of the oldest remaining tenshu, although Maruoka Castle also makes this claim. The castle has been a National Historic Site since 2018.

Inuyama Castle (犬山城) is one of the standout places to visit in Gifu. Give yourself unhurried time for photos, seasonal views, and nearby food stops. IC cards such as Suica, Pasmo, or ICOCA cover most trains and city buses.

Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Why it is worth the trip

  • Massive dry-stone walls and moats built without mortar — the engineering is as impressive as the tower above it.
  • A main keep (tenshu) you can climb, with each floor showing armour, weapons and castle-town models.
  • Grounds that double as the town's best park: cherry blossoms in spring, maples in autumn, illumination at night.

What you can do here

  • Climb to the top floor for a 360° view over the castle town and surrounding mountains.
  • Walk the full circuit of the moat and outer baileys — the gates and turrets are free to see from outside.
  • Rent a kimono or samurai costume nearby for photos in front of the keep.
  • Time your visit with a seasonal festival or evening light-up, when the walls are lit from below.

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.

Getting there by public transport

  1. Meitetsu to Inuyama; walk up castle hill.
  2. Nearest station/stop: Inuyama-yuen / Inuyama.

Route on Google Maps

Good to know before you go

  • Keep interiors have steep wooden stairs and a shoes-off rule — wear socks and easy-to-remove shoes.
  • Last admission is usually 30 minutes before closing; arrive early on weekends.
  • The park around the castle is normally free even when the keep charges admission.

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