In 1440, Japan was in the Muromachi Period, the early phase of the violent Sengoku, or Warring States period, marked by frequent localized wars. To control territories, many castles were built. One local warrior capitalized on the strategically situated 85-meter-high Inuyama Hill, surrounded by the natural moat of the Kiso River, offering clear views of the Nobi Plain and the ancient lands of Owari (Western Aichi) and Mino (Gifu).
Almost a century later, in 1537, Oda Nobuyasu, grandfather of the great Oda Nobunaga, took the hill and fortress, also known as Hakutei Castle. Recognizing its strategic importance, the Oda clan constructed a larger, sturdier, and more elegant castle. This became the first castle owned outright by Oda Nobunaga, although he left his uncle as a caretaker while he engaged in further battles.
Inuyama Castle, classified as a Hirayama-jiro, is the oldest of Japan's 12 remaining original castles. Located in Aichi Prefecture, it may seem small compared to others like Nagoya or Osaka castles. Its stone walls stand just five meters high, with the tower itself a mere 19 meters on top of that. The total floor space of the defensive tower structure is around 699 square meters, comparable to Hikone Castle, which is quite large for its time.
Today, only the keep, the main watchtower, remains. The lord's living quarters once occupied the wide flat area along the lower slopes of the mountain, which was fortified with turrets, barracks, walled corridors, and related buildings. Inuyama had nine yagura watchtowers around its perimeter and two main gates, with six smaller gates protecting the Honmaru.
Unlike most castles that name their precincts Honmaru, Ni-no-Maru, San-no-Maru, etc., Inuyama Castle's five baileys were named after trees, with the Honmaru at the top, and the lower slopes consisting of the Sumi, Momi, Kiri, and Matsu kuruwa.
The castle's architectural beauty is evident both inside and out. The tower is a four-story Borogata-type keep, with entry via the smallest anakura (basement) of all the castles in Japan. Steep stairs, built to save space and hinder armored invaders, lead to the spacious first floor.
The keep appears to be square, yet the northeastern corner features the widest open angle of any keep in Japan, providing better views and increased firing range along the eastern flank. The first floor is divided into several rooms, including the Jodan-no-Ma, the lord's official audience chamber, which is rare to find in a tower keep. This room features hidden doors in the wall, behind which the lord's bodyguards or a private retreat could be found.
Wide corridors called Musha-Bashiri (warrior running corridors) around these central rooms allowed defenders ample space to move during an attack. The first-floor Musha-Bashiri has six places where sliding doors once stood, reflecting an old style seen in Oda Nobunaga's Azuchi and Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Osaka Castles. However, these doors would hinder warriors' movements, preventing them from running around the central area.
Climbing to the second floor, you find the armory where weapons and armor were stored. The third story features wide outer corridors for warriors, especially archers, to move freely. Above that, small balconies under triangular eaves (hafu) provide fine views of the river and mountains and serve as firing positions. The fourth floor is a wide chamber with a low balcony offering spectacular views of the surrounding area.
The mid-section karahafu decorative curved roofing element and extended yagura watchtower were added during the Naruse years.
Inuyama Castle saw significant action, notably during the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute in 1584 when Toyotomi Hideyoshi used it as a base against Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1600, it was threatened during the Battle of Sekigahara. The night before the battle, daimyo Takenaka Shigekado defected to the Eastern forces, and Ishikawa Sadakiyo, the lord of Inuyama, made a secret deal with the Eastern forces, securing the castle's future.
After a succession of lords, Naruse Masanori took control in 1617, and the castle remained in the Naruse family for generations. In 1871, after the feudal system ended, many of the castle's outer walls and buildings were destroyed. The main keep survived but was damaged in the 1890 Great Nobi Earthquake. The former Lord Naruse undertook repairs, and in 1935, Inuyama Castle was designated a National Treasure. It remained in the Naruse family's care until 2004 when it was handed over to Inuyama City and a new overseeing foundation.
Inuyama Castle is a fine example of 16th-century castle architecture and a treasured symbol of Inuyama City.
See also
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Nagoya Castle
Nagoya Castle, originally built by the Owari Domain in 1612 during the Edo period, stands on the site of an earlier Oda clan castle from the Sengoku period. It became the centerpiece of Nagoya-juku, a significant castle town on the Minoji road, which connected two major Edo Five Routes: the Tokaido and the Nakasendo. In 1930, ownership of the castle was transferred to the city by the Imperial Household Ministry, establishing it as the focal point of modern Nagoya. Although partially destroyed in the Pacific War in 1945, the castle has undergone continuous restoration and preservation efforts since 1957.
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Matsushiro Castle
Matsushiro Castle, originally known as Kaizu Castle, is located in what was once Matsushiro town, now part of Nagano City. The site is recognized as a National Historic Site of Japan. Situated on the northern Shinano flatlands between the Chikuma River and a former riverbed that serves as a natural outer moat to the north, the castle and its surrounding town were prone to flooding due to their location.
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Fushimi Castle
Fushimi Castle, also known as Momoyama Castle or Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, is located in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto. Originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi between 1592 and 1594 as his retirement residence, the castle was destroyed by the 1596 Keichō–Fushimi earthquake and later rebuilt. However, it was demolished again in 1623, and its site now houses the tomb of Emperor Meiji. A replica of the castle was constructed nearby in 1964.
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Odawara Castle
Odawara Castle, located in the city of Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, is a reconstructed historical site with roots dating back to the Kamakura period (1185–1333). The current donjon (main keep) was rebuilt using reinforced concrete in 1960 on the stone foundation of the original structure, which was dismantled between 1870 and 1872 during the Meiji Restoration.
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Shinpu Castle
Shinpu Castle was a Japanese hirayama-style fortress from the Sengoku period, situated in what is now Nirasaki, Yamanashi Prefecture. It served as the main stronghold of warlord Takeda Katsuyori. Designated as a National Historic Site in 1973, the castle occupies a strategic position on a mountain with steep cliffs, overlooking the Kamanashi River to the west of Kofu, where Takeda Shingen’s Tsutsujigasaki Castle once stood.
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Takato Castle
Takato Castle, located in the city of Ina in southern Nagano Prefecture, Japan, was a notable stronghold during the Sengoku period. By the end of the Edo period, it was the residence of a cadet branch of the Naito clan, the daimyo of the Takato Domain. Also known as Kabuto Castle, it was originally constructed in the 16th century and is now mostly in ruins.
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Takatenjin Castle
Takatenjin Castle was a yamashiro-style fortress from Japan's Sengoku period, situated in the Kamihijikata and Shimohijikata districts of Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture. Designated a National Historic Site in 1975, with an expanded protected area in 2007, its ruins remain a significant historical landmark.
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Yoshida Castle
Yoshida Castle is renowned worldwide, particularly through the intricate woodblock prints by Edo Period artist Hiroshige. His famous series, depicting the 53 stages of the Tokaido—the historic route between Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo)—includes the 34th print, which shows workmen repairing a castle overlooking a wooden bridge crossing a wide river. This scene captures the Toyokawa River at Toyohashi in southeast Aichi Prefecture, and the castle is Yoshida Castle.