Inuyama (犬山)

Map

Getting There

• train
• bus
• car

Best Times to Visit

• spring: Spring offers cherry blossoms, pleasant walking weather, river scenery, boat rides, and the major Inuyama Festival with elaborate floats and performances.
• summer: Summer is best for evening cormorant fishing, riverside atmosphere, fireworks, lively seasonal sweets, and verdant gardens, though daytime heat can be substantial.
• autumn: Autumn brings comfortable sightseeing temperatures, vivid foliage around the castle and nearby temples, and seasonal river cruises focused on autumn colors.
• winter: Winter suits quieter heritage visits, temple and shrine experiences, New Year observances, castle-town food exploration, and seasonal nighttime illumination.

What's There

• architecture: Historic castle-town streets, wooden castle architecture, tea-house buildings, and relocated Meiji-era structures define Inuyama’s built heritage.
• castle: National Treasure Inuyama Castle is the city’s signature attraction, with a historic wooden keep and broad river and mountain views.
• cherry blossoms: Castle surroundings, river promenades, and Meiji-mura provide notable spring cherry-blossom scenery, especially from late March through mid-April.
• culture: Inuyama combines castle-town traditions, tea culture, folk legends, historic architecture, traditional foods, and long-established local festivals.
• festival: Major seasonal events include Inuyama Festival in spring, summer fireworks, autumn cultural processions, and winter illumination or shrine activities.
• fishing: Kiso River cormorant fishing is a distinctive traditional summer-evening experience conducted from boats beneath the illuminated castle.
• food: The castle town is known for walkable street foods and local specialties including grilled rice cakes, miso dishes, pickles, tea, and traditional sweets.
• garden: Urakuen is a refined traditional garden centered on the National Treasure tea house Joan and associated historic buildings.
• history: Inuyama preserves layered history from the medieval castle and Edo-period townscape to Meiji-era buildings and transportation exhibits.
• museum: Meiji-mura is a large open-air museum preserving more than sixty historic buildings, cultural properties, period vehicles, and educational exhibits.
• nature: The Kiso River, surrounding hills, garden landscapes, seasonal foliage, and extensive Meiji-mura grounds provide varied natural scenery.
• park: Meiji-mura offers spacious landscaped grounds beside a reservoir, combining outdoor walking with historic architecture and seasonal plant displays.
• river: The Kiso River shapes Inuyama’s scenery and activities, including promenades, boat rides, castle views, and traditional cormorant fishing.
• shrine: Momotaro Shrine and other historic shrines add distinctive religious, folkloric, architectural, and family-oriented attractions.
• temple: Inuyama Naritasan provides hilltop temple grounds, protective prayers, and expansive views, while nearby temples are notable autumn destinations.
• views: The castle keep, riverbanks, promenades, hilltop temple grounds, and seasonal foliage offer memorable views across the town and surrounding landscape.
• shopping: Castle-town streets offer local confectionery, pickles, tea, souvenirs, traditional crafts, and varied walkable food stalls.

Specialties

• Gohei Mochi (五平餅): Gohei mochi is a hand-made rice cake grilled on a skewer and coated with a savory sauce containing sesame, walnut, and peanut. It is a well-known street food of Inuyama Castle Town.
• Moriguchi Zuke (守口漬): Moriguchi zuke is a traditional pickle made from long Moriguchi daikon radish fermented in sake lees. In Inuyama, it is served both as a local souvenir and as an ingredient in meals and rice dishes.
• Inuyama Dengaku (犬山田楽): Inuyama dengaku is a local grilled dish featuring skewered ingredients such as tofu, taro, or meat covered with a sweet-savory miso glaze. It is a longstanding regional specialty commonly served in the castle town.
• Genkotsu Candy (げんこつ飴): Genkotsu candy is a traditional Inuyama confection made from roasted soybean flour and syrup, often flavored with cinnamon or sesame. It is sold by established local confectioners and is a characteristic edible souvenir of the city.
• Inuyama Tea (犬山茶): Inuyama tea is locally produced tea from the Inuyama area of Aichi. Local tea growers manage cultivation, processing, and direct sales, making the tea a recognized regional product.