Inuyama Castle is one of Japan’s oldest surviving original castles.
The castle stands in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, overlooking the Kiso River. Its keep is traditionally dated to 1537, when Oda Yojirō Nobuyasu, an uncle of Oda Nobunaga, built the present structure’s predecessor or core. The fortress changed hands among important warrior families during the Sengoku and early Edo periods.
Inuyama is classified as an original castle because its main keep survived without being a modern reconstruction. Its wooden construction, compact design, and elevated position provide evidence of Japanese castle architecture before many later castles were rebuilt in concrete or steel.
The castle has also had an unusual ownership history. It remained under the control of the Naruse family for generations and was privately owned until the early 21st century. This distinguishes it from many Japanese castles now administered directly by local governments.