Inuyama Castle

Inuyama is one of the twelve original castle keeps in Japan and among the oldest of them, with the core structure generally dated to the 1530s or 1580s depending on which reading of the timbers is accepted. It is small - three visible storeys on a stone base, on a bluff directly above the Kiso river - and it is the interior that makes it worth the visit: bare dark timber, steep ladder-like stairs, and a narrow open balcony round the top floor with no glass, from which the river, the plain and the mountains are visible and the drop is immediate. Until 2004 it was the only privately owned castle in Japan, held by the Naruse family, who had run it since 1618; it was transferred to a foundation because the maintenance costs became impossible. Below it is a shrine, an old street of shops, and a garden with a tea house that is a national treasure.

What you actually see

• An original keep - one of twelve, dated to the sixteenth century.
• Bare timber inside - dark wood and steep ladder stairs, not a museum fit-out.
• An open top balcony - no glass, directly above the Kiso river.
• Private until 2004 - held by one family from 1618 until maintenance costs ended it.

When to go

April for cherry along the river; all year otherwise. Two hours.

Honest expectations

The stairs are very steep and narrow - genuinely difficult for some, and there is no lift. The keep is small and entry is limited in numbers at busy times. Blossom weekends queue at the gate. The balcony has a low rail and a real drop.

Nearby

Meiji Mura is east; Gifu is north-west across the river.