Inuyama

Inuyama is a compact castle town in Aichi Prefecture that punches far above its weight. Its crowning glory is Inuyama Castle, one of only twelve original castles remaining in Japan and a designated National Treasure. Built in 1537, the four-storey wooden keep sits atop a bluff overlooking the Kiso River, offering a view that has remained essentially unchanged for nearly five centuries.

The town below the castle has been revitalised with care, its Honmachi Street now lined with small cafes, miso-glazed snack shops, and craft stores housed in restored machiya townhouses. Inuyama also hosts one of central Japan's most spectacular festivals — the Inuyama Matsuri — where towering three-tiered floats fitted with mechanical karakuri puppets parade through the streets.