Inuyama Castle
犬山城
The oldest of Japan's five National Treasure castle keeps, above the Kiso River. Climb the original wooden keep for views over the river and the Nobi Plain.
Japan's oldest surviving castle keep
Inuyama Castle stands on a low hill beside the Kiso River in Inuyama, in the north of Aichi Prefecture. It is said to have been built in 1537 by Oda Nobuyasu, the uncle of the warlord Oda Nobunaga. Its tenshu (the tall main tower at the heart of a castle) is not a post-war concrete reconstruction but a genzon tenshu, an original keep that has survived as it was built.
Only five castle keeps are designated National Treasures: Inuyama, Matsumoto, Himeji, Hikone and Matsue. Of these, Inuyama is considered the oldest. From outside the keep looks like three storeys, but inside it has four floors plus two below ground. The castle also goes by another name, Hakuteijo.
A castle kept by one family for almost 400 years
Because it guarded a key spot overlooking the river, the castle changed hands many times during the Sengoku (Warring States) period. In the Edo period the Naruse family, senior retainers of the Owari domain, became lords of the castle and held it until the end of the shogunate.
After the Meiji era began the castle passed into government hands for a time, but it was later returned to the Naruse family. It was the only castle in Japan that was both a National Treasure and privately owned, and the Naruse family kept it until 2004. Today it belongs to a public-interest foundation, the Inuyama Castle Hakutei Bunko.
The view from the keep, and getting there
From the top floor of the keep you look straight down on the Kiso River and out across the Nobi Plain (the plain spanning Aichi and Gifu prefectures), where the warlords of the Sengoku period fought.
From Meitetsu Nagoya Station it is about 25 minutes by Meitetsu train to Inuyama Station, then about a 17-minute walk. Near the castle is a jokamachi (castle town) where old streets survive, so you can snack and shop your way to the castle.
Tips
- When it is busy, entry to the keep may be restricted. At weekends and in peak holiday seasons, go early in the day.
- Combine the castle with a walk through the castle town to get a feel for both.
- Opening hours and admission fees can change, so check the official website before you go.
Sources
Updated 29 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.
