Inuyama Castle

The castle town under Inuyama Castle has a variety of places for dining and shopping. Recently, many shops have been selling their own original skewers, so you should try out different types! Another fun aspect of the area is that there are shops where you can rent kimonos and yukatas, which will make for great photographs with the traditional backdrop of the castle town. Don’t miss out on the facilities that introduce Inuyama’s history and culture, such as "Inuyama Cultural Assets Museum" and "Dondenkan Museum".

Inuyama Festival is held on the first Saturday and Sunday of April every year. The festival is a magnificent affair, with 13 three-layered floats paraded around the castle town and Karakuri puppet performances accompanied by flute and drum music. In the evening, lanterns are lit in between rows of cherry blossom trees in full bloom. The floats are paraded down this path, providing for breathtakingly beautiful scenes. The festival was also registered on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016.

The deity of Sanko Inari Shrine at the foot of Inuyama Castle is the guardian deity of the Naruse family, which presides over the castle. The red-lacquered torii gates lined one after another is a popular photo spot, with both domestic and international tourists coming here to take photos. Another interesting feature of the shrine is the pink, heart-shaped wooden plaques. Many people visit the shrine with a variety of wishes, such as eternal happiness and being surrounded by great people. They write these wishes on the wooden plaques and hang them at the shrine. Try hanging a wooden plaque of your own when you visit!