Things to Do in Inuyama, Japan: Walking Guide

The best things to do in Inuyama include visiting one of Japan’s oldest surviving castle keeps, exploring historic museums, discovering important Shinto shrines and seeing the city’s connection with ancient burial traditions. Inuyama, in Aichi, offers a compact mix of cultural sites, family attractions and distinctive landscapes. Neywo has a free audio guide for Inuyama with 11 narrated places, available in 11 languages.

What to See in Inuyama

Aotsuka Kofun

Aotsuka Kofun is one of Inuyama’s most important ancient burial mounds. Built around the middle of the fourth century during the early Kofun period, it has the characteristic keyhole shape known in Japanese as zenpō-kōen-fun. The mound forms part of the Aotsuka Kofun group and is designated a National Historic Site of Japan.

It is the second-largest kofun in Aichi Prefecture, after Danpusan Kofun in Nagoya. Its scale and distinctive form offer a glimpse into Japan’s early history long before the castle town took shape.

Inuyama Shrine

Near the southern entrance to Inuyama Castle, Inuyama Shrine provides a quieter place to explore the city’s historical connections. The shrine stands on the former site of the castle’s western palace. That palace had been relocated from the residence of Hiraiwa Chikayoshi, linking the shrine directly with the earlier history of the castle grounds.

Inuyama Castle

Inuyama Castle is the city’s defining landmark and one of the most important things to see in Inuyama. Its surviving keep was built before the Edo period, making it one of only twelve Japanese castles with a pre-Edo keep still standing.

The keep is also a National Treasure, one of only five Japanese castle keeps with that designation. Only the original keep survives from the castle’s earlier buildings. Its hilltop position gives it the form of a hirayama-style castle, combining a raised setting with the surrounding plain. The keep is a National Treasure, while the castle ruins have been designated a National Historic Site since 2018.

Annex Karakuri Exhibition Room

The Annex Karakuri Exhibition Room, also known as the Imasen Inuyama Karakuri Museum Tamaya Shobei Workshop, is a small exhibition space connected with Inuyama’s traditional mechanical-art heritage. It makes a useful stop while exploring the historic area around the castle.

Inuyama Artifacts Museum

The Inuyama Artifacts Museum is also called Inuyama-shi Bunka Shiryokan. Its nickname, Castle and Town Museum, reflects its connection with the history of Inuyama and its castle-town setting. It is a natural stop for visitors who want to place the city’s monuments and streets in a broader local context.

Japan Monkey Park

For a lively family activity, Japan Monkey Park—known locally as Monpa—combines rides and entertainment with attractions designed for children. It began as Inuyama Line Park, a place that brought together a zoo and an amusement park. In 1980, it adopted the name Japan Monkey Park, while the former zoo section later became the separate Japan Monkey Centre.

The park’s original characters, Monpa-kun and Monpee-chan, debuted on March 11, 2006.

Tower of the Ever Young Sun

Japan Monkey Park is also home to the Tower of the Ever Young Sun, one of artist Taro Okamoto’s distinctive works. Created in March 1969, the tower is often described as a sibling of Okamoto’s celebrated Tower of the Sun. It is the third-largest work among Okamoto’s creations, giving the sculpture a notable place in his artistic legacy.

Ōagata Shrine

Ōagata Shrine, or Ōagata Jinja, is one of the important shrines of the former Owari region. Its historical status has changed over time: it was recognized as a Shikinaisha, a shrine listed in the Engishiki, with the rank of Myōjin Taisha. It was also regarded as the second-ranking shrine of Owari Province and later held the rank of a former national shrine.

Narumi Tegashi Shrine

In the Haguro area, Narumi Tegashi Shrine preserves another part of Inuyama’s religious history. Also known as Narumi Tegashi Jinja, it is recorded as a Shikinai shrine and formerly held the status of a gōsha, or local village shrine.

Kureha-za Theater at Meiji-mura Museum

Kureha-za Theater preserves the form and atmosphere of a traditional Edo-period theater. It was originally built in Ikeda, in Osaka Prefecture, and relocated to Meiji-mura Museum in Inuyama in 1971.

The building is particularly valuable for the way it conveys the structure of theaters that developed during the Edo period. In 1984, Kureha-za Theater was designated a national Important Cultural Property of Japan.

Okashi no Shiro

Okashi no Shiro, also known as the Sweets Castle, is a food theme park in Inuyama operated by Takeda Honsha, formerly known as Takeda Seika. It adds a more playful stop to an itinerary focused on the city’s castles, shrines and museums.

Explore Inuyama with a Free Audio Guide

A self-guided walking tour is a convenient way to connect Inuyama’s main sights without joining a group. Neywo’s “Inuyama Castle and the Kiso River town” walk covers 2.83 km in about 73 minutes and includes six narrated stops:

• Annex Karakuri Exhibition Room
• Inuyama Artifacts Museum
• Inuyama Shrine
• Inuyama Castle
• Tower of the Ever Young Sun
• Japan Monkey Park

Download Neywo and explore Inuyama at your own pace. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, with no group and no schedule. Its free Inuyama audio guide includes 11 narrated places, while the city currently has one walking tour. You can also continue exploring the region through nearby Nagoya or discover more of Japan.