If you’re staying in Nagoya and looking for a perfect little escape from the hustle and bustle of Japans larger cities, let me suggest an Inuyama day trip. It’s a charming, history-packed town just a short train ride from Nagoya city. It’s got everything you want in a day trip: an ancient samurai-era castle, picture-perfect traditional streets lined with shops, and, of course, mouthwatering local snacks (because let’s be real, food is always a big part of the experience when you’re travelling in Japan).
Whether you’re a history buff, a foodie, or just someone who loves discovering hidden gems, Inuyama is going to be a good choice.
But that’s not all. Beyond the famous Inuyama Castle – one of Japans few remaining original castles – this town has quirky shrines, scenic river views and one of Japans most celebrated teahouses. Plus, if you time it right, you might catch one of Inuyama’s epic festivals, where giant floats and lanterns light up the streets. So grab your camera, wear comfy shoes, and get ready for a fun-filled day in one of Japan’s less touristed destinations.
Interested in Japan’s castles from the feudal period? You’ll also want to consider these other great castles towns in Japan, just click the link for visitor information on Himeiji, Hikone, Osaka, and Okayama .
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How to get to Inuyama
By Train
As a visitor in Japan the train is usually going to be your best option for getting around between towns and cities. If you are staying in Nagoya city, the closest major city to Inuyama, then you will catch the local Meitetsu Line at Nagoya station to Inuyama Station or Inuyamayuen station (it’s less than 30 minutes to either). As this trip utilises local trains it is a very affordable day trip.
Both stations are a similar distance from Inuyama Castle, the main attration and the walk to and from either takes you past other must see attractions. We suggest doing as we did and arriving at one station and exploring via a route that includes the major sites then leaving from the other station, that way you won’t miss anything.
Pro Tip: Nagoya is on the main train line between Tokyo and Osaka so you could do this as a slightly longer day trip from either Osaka or Kyoto. Alternatively if you are using the bullet train on the Tokaido line just leave your suitcase in a luggage locker and continue the day trip out to Inuyama returning to collect your bags and continue your journey later in the day.
Must-See Attractions
Inuyama Castle
Inuyama castle is one of only 12 ‘original’ castles in Japan meaning that the castle keep as it stood during the years of Japans warring period is still intact. We’ve visited a few of these over the years including Himeji Castle, Hikone Castle and Matsumoto Castle and they are all special in their own way making it hard to choose a favourite between them. You can feel the history as you explore the town and grounds then climb in stockinged feet up multiple stories of steep wooden staircases and floors worn smooth by centuries of footsteps.
Inuyama Castle has survived the feudal era, WWII and multiple natural disasters intact. It was constructed in 1537 so it actually the oldest wooden keep to have survived and this alone would justify its recognition as a National Treasure but it’s also very prettily situated as a hilltop castle with epic views up and down the Kiso river.
Japans history of this time features a trio of famous warlords who are now recognised as the 3 great unifiers of Japan, they were Oda Nobunaga, who attempted to unify the warring nation, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who succeeded in unifying it, and Tokukagawa Ieyasu, who built an era of peace. Inuyama Castles defences were tested by Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s armies and vassals of all three occupied the castle at various times so its place in Japans history is significant.
Inuyama Jokamachi
Postcard perfect old streets of wooden buildings leading from town to the castle are filled with museums, small shops, restaurants and food stalls. Allow plenty of time to make your way from Inuyama station down the Jokamachi taking in the scenery and vista of the castle looming ahead of you on the hillside.
Sanko Inari Shrine
You may already be familiar with the sight of tunnels of tori gates in Japan such as the famous Fushimi Inari in Kyoto or Hie Jinga in Tokyo. You’ll also find these at Sanko Inari Shrine adjacent to Inuyama Castle.
Sanko Inari Jinja (Shinto) Shrine is also known as Sankoji Temple and you can walk through the shrines tori gates on the way to the castle. This shine is known for finding love, making wishes for family harmony and as an Inari shrine it is also a shrine for financial/commercial prosperity.
The ema boards that you write your wishes on and place at the shrine are heart shaped and and there are often young women visiting, laughing together and enjoying the shrine which creates a fun and light hearted vibe.
The shrine is central to Inuyama’s summer festival where red paper lanterns are placed throughout the shrine and lantern lit boats float along the river below.
Kiso River
The sparkling water and flow of the Kiso River can be enjoyed as sweeping views from the top floor of the castle and various spots in the castle grounds. There is also a paved walking path along the river front.
If you are planning to leave Inuyama through Inuyamayuen Station or visit any of the attractions to the east of the castle including Urakuen garden and teahouse, Daishoji Temple or watch the cormorant fishing on the river then the river walk is easily included in your day.
Ukai or cormorant fishing is a common historical summer activity on rivers around Japan and Inuyama is one of the places where you can watch it taking place. I’ll mention it here as many tours and guides list it as a must see activity during the hot summer months. It will be of interest to some visitors as it is a traditional fishing practice with cultural significance however I’ll also provide a warning that others, including ourselves, may choose to simply avoid the display due to the use of captive wild cormorants to catch the fish and the method used to preventing them swallowing the catch.
Urakuen Garden
Just to the east and below Inuyama Castle is Urakuen Garden which includes the famous Jo An tea house. It’s about a 10 minute walk from here to Inuyamayuen station if you are doing a loop. The Japanese garden is pretty in all seasons but this is really one for those that have a particular interest in its history or the traditional teahouses experience.
Jo-An teahouse was originally built in Kyoto in 1618 as part of Kennin-ji Temple by Oda Uraku a disciple of Japans from influential tea master Sen no Rikyu. He is also the younger brother of the warlord Oda Nobunaga who features heavily in Inuyama castles history. The teahouse was relocated a couple of time, finally to its current position in Urakuen Garden in the 1970’s.
Entry to the garden is Y1200 and Y600 for matcha and sweet.
Inuyama Museums
If you have time in your day to explore the castle town not just view the castle we’d recommend picking up the Inuyama Jokamachi Shūyūken, a ticket that gives access to the castle itself and three museums all located on heritage street that leads to the castle. The musuems are the Shirotomachi Museum IMASEN Inuyama Karakuri Museum Tamaya Shobei Kobo, and the Dondenkan.
Approaching from Inuyama Station and walking towards the castle you will first come to Dondenkan on the right, this is the museum that houses the giant floats that are pulled through the town during the festival. The museums all had sufficient information in English to get a good understanding of what you were seeing and friendly staff who made an effort to help answer any questions or make sure you didn’t miss any highlights.
The other two were on the left hand side much closer to the castle. IMASEN is next, this museum is all about the mechanical puppets or dolls used in the festivals throughout history, at 10:30 am and 2 pm on weekdays, more often on weekends there are demonstations where you can see the mechanical dolls carrying a tea bowl and how they are operated. There are also some interactive elements that demonstate the mechanics if you visit outside the demonstration time.
Shirotomachi Museum is the last one and wraps up the history of the town. As you enter there is a very detailed diorama showing how the castle town was laid out in feudal times, I’m a visual person and found this birdseye view really informative as other castle towns we have been too across Japan demonstrate the same segmentation of samurai, artisans, merchants and townspeople but this presentation really helped me better grasp both the practicalities and inherent class system that underlies it.
What to Eat in Inuyama
A big part of a great travel day is trying the local foods that the region is known for and Japans castle towns are a great place to graze as you make your way through their historic streets. A few choice picks to consider around Inuyama and easily available on the main street leading to the castle are:
- Gohei Mochi – Tasty grilled rice skewers with miso sauce
- Hida Beef Sushi – This lightly seared, melt-in-your-mouth wagyu sushi is a pricier snack but so delicious!
- Local Craft Beer & Sake – The perfect way to end you day after sightseeing
- Matcha Soft Serve – Because in Japan = matcha everything is really good and not overly sweetened 😍
A few of our other highlights would have to be:
- Strawberries – In season, huge, vibrant red and perfectly full of flavour
- Craft roastery coffee – Brewed pour over drip style by a local roastery was a standout, and
- Takoyaki – Small griddle fried dumplings with a chunk of octopus in the centre are something I always struggle to pass by at any time of day.
Although we had so much fabulous food, both snacks and lunch as we wandered around town, I still couldn’t resist a box of super soft and squishy fruit flavoured mochi from a tiny shop front just before the station to take back for an after dinner treat. They were so good, the best we found on this trip!
Top tips for an Inuyama day trip
Best time of year to visit Inuyama
There really is no bad time to visit most places in Japan but the spring and autumn are our preference. In early springtime there will be cherry blossoms by the castle, a classic postcard perfect view, then in April there is the Inuyama Matsuri a festival with massive floats & fireworks. We really enjoy local festivals they add so many fun memories to a visit. Autumn of course offers the fiery fall colours and again they make the castle and river views extra magical.
We were there in May this time, late spring is one of our personal favourite times in Japan, you don’t get the blossoms or jewel coloured leaves but everything is such as lush clean green and the crowds everywhere are just a little less.
General Tips for daytripper to Inuyama
As usual when travelling in Japan we recommend having internet connectivity, our personal preference for convenience, value and coverage is a TravelKon eSIM, this really comes into its own when travelling in smaller towns like this where you are more likely to want to check train times or get a little help to translate a sign or menu.
You’ll also want your camera, very comfortable walking shoes and and empty tummy ready to take on the best that Inuyama has to offer. Our packing for Japan article is also popular and helps with a few less obvious things to consider for your next visit.
Conclusion: Why You Should Go Inuyama!
There is a lot to love about Inuyama that makes it a no-brainer day trip from Nagoya. It’s has a relaxed and more sedate pace than most other day trip options around the city but has so much to see and do in the one spot. An ideal blend of history, culture, food and some unique experiences all in the one spot.
It’s ideally positioned between two train stations that are easy to walk between so you don’t need to use time and energy looping back over ground you’ve already covered, you can plan your day starting at one station and ending at the other.