Inuyama Castle, National Treasure castle in Inuyama, Japan
Inuyama Castle rises on a hill beside the Kiso River and consists of a four-story wooden tower with massive stone walls at the base. The top floor offers an open walkway from which you can look over the river and surrounding mountains.
Oda Nobuyasu, an uncle of Oda Nobunaga, had the tower built in 1537 when the region suffered constant conflict between rival warlords. The structure survived earthquakes, wars and Meiji-era modernization, proving its construction remarkably resilient.
The original name Hakutei-jō derives from a Chinese poem about a white emperor crane hovering over the Yangtze River. This poetic reference shows how Japanese castle lords wove Chinese scholarship into their symbols of power.
Visitors reach the hill in about 15 minutes on foot from Inuyama Station, with the path passing through the old town. The steep wooden stairs inside require sturdy footwear and some caution, especially on the upper levels.
The Naruse family owned the structure as private property for over a century until transferring ownership rights to a nonprofit foundation in 2004. This unusual status set it apart from every other major castle in the country, which had long been in government hands.
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