Inuyama Castle

Inuyama, Japan, Japan

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Inuyama Castle is a historic hilltop castle in the city of Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, perched on a wooded rise above the Kiso River and recognized as one of the oldest and most important surviving castles in the country.

Its main tower (tenshu) was completed in 1537 under Oda Nobuyasu, uncle of the famous warlord Oda Nobunaga, and is one of only twelve original castle keeps in Japan that date back to the pre-modern era, and one of only five designated as a National Treasure along with Himeji, Matsumoto, Hikone, and Matsue castles.

The keep is built almost entirely of wood and stone, with four stories above ground and two basement levels, and retains steep historic staircases, exposed timber beams, original stone walls, and defensive features such as lookout windows and stone-throwing holes, giving visitors a clear sense of how a genuine feudal fortress looked and functioned.

For much of the modern period, Inuyama Castle was unique as the only privately owned castle in Japan, having been returned to the Narake (Naruse) family in 1895 after earthquake damage, with the condition that they maintain and repair it, until it was finally taken under public protection in 2004.