Aichi Inuyama Castle, the oldest surviving wooden castle tower that survived the war

#SeptemberDestinations2025 #AichiPrefecture #Inuyama #Tenshukaku #InuyamaCastle Aichi Inuyama Castle, the oldest surviving wooden castle tower that survived wartime, is located here. Address: 65-2 Inuyama Kitakoken, Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Admission: Adults 550 yen, Elementary/Junior High School Students 110 yen Access: Approximately a 15-minute walk from Inuyama Station Inuyama Castle was built in 1537. While only the castle tower remains, it is one of only 12 castle towers surviving from before the Edo period. It is also the oldest of the five designated National Treasures and has been visited by both Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The castle ruins, known as the "Inuyama Castle Ruins," have been designated a National Historic Site. Inuyama Castle, also known as Baidi Castle, was named after the Edo-period Confucian scholar Ogyū Sorai, who quoted a line from the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai's poem "Early Departure from Baidi Castle." Until the end of the shogunate, the castle's lord actually resided within it. However, with the Meiji era's abolition of feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures, the castle fell into disuse and was abandoned. In 1871, most of the buildings, including the turrets and gates, were demolished. Thankfully spared from World War II, the castle tower remains authentic to its 500-year-old state, unlike many postwar reconstructions. The traces of time are evident. Inside the castle, you can see various fortifications from the past, such as stone steps and turrets, as well as a steep staircase that slopes at a 60-degree angle, giving you an idea of ​​the difficulty of attacking the castle. The top floor observation tower is walkable, offering stunning views of the Kizugawa River and Mount Ontake. However, the railings are incredibly low, only reaching about knee-high, which is incredibly scary. After visiting Inuyama Castle, you can visit the Sanko Inari Shrine at the foot of the mountain or explore the castle town. This makes for a perfect day trip if you're in Nagoya.