The walk up: a castle town come to life

The approach to the castle is half the fun. The main street leading up to it is lined with old wooden merchant houses, and on the day I visited it was packed with market stalls and pop-up shops. Vendors sold grilled skewers, sweets, handmade crafts, and small souvenirs. Even the street food seemed to belong to another century. I took my time, stopping every few steps to browse or snack. It felt less like a tourist strip and more like a town festival.

Lunch was eel at Unagi to Kamameshi Koko, right in the middle of the shopping street. The eel is grilled over charcoal until it's crispy on the outside and tender inside, then glazed with a sweet, smoky sauce and served over rice. The staff even explain the different ways to eat it, which is half the fun. Order the whole eel instead of the half. You won't regret it.

Afterward I found a pop-up cafe that was set up just for the day and grabbed a drink to carry up the hill. There's something great about sipping a cold drink in a centuries-old castle town. It's a small moment that sticks with you. If there's no pop-up when you visit, Honmachi Saryo, a teahouse on the same street, is a great stand-in. Try the sampler of seven kinds of dengaku, grilled tofu glazed with miso, with a cup of green tea.

Inside a real Edo-era castle

The castle grounds are home to Sanko Inari Shrine and its rows of red torii gates. Walking through them on the way up makes a gorgeous photo stop before you even reach the castle.

Then you arrive. Inuyama Castle has one of the oldest castle keeps in Japan and is designated a national treasure. It's one of only a handful of original castles left in the country, and you feel it immediately. You take off your shoes at the entrance, and from there it's all original wood: dark, polished floors worn smooth by centuries of footsteps, thick beams overhead, and staircases so steep they're almost ladders. You grip the handrail and climb carefully, just as samurai would have.

Every floor feels like a time machine. There are no elevators, no glass display cases blocking the view of the structure, and no modern walls covering the old ones. Just creaking wood, narrow windows, and the quiet feeling that you're standing exactly where lords and soldiers once stood watch.

The top balcony: the most surreal part

What makes Inuyama truly special is the top floor. Instead of looking out through a window, you can actually step outside onto the wooden balcony that wraps around the keep. The railing is low, the wind picks up, and the whole landscape opens beneath you.

The castle sits on a hill above the Kiso River, and the view is breathtaking: the river curving below, the rooftops of the castle town, and mountains fading into the distance. Walking slowly around the balcony, I lost track of time. For a few minutes it genuinely felt like I'd been transported back to the Edo period, a lord surveying his land. It's one of the most surreal experiences I've had in Japan.

Bring your camera

You're bound to get beautiful pictures here. I certainly did. The best shots are the castle seen from below as you walk up the hill, the red torii gates of the shrine, the wooden interiors, and, above all, the sweeping river view from the top balcony. The castle town street makes great photos too, especially when the market is running and the old storefronts are full of color.

If you visit in spring, you can even see the castle from the water. A seasonal pleasure boat on the Kiso River passes rows of cherry blossoms and lets you photograph the castle from the middle of the river.

The takeaway

Inuyama is small, easy to reach, and completely unforgettable. Between the lively market street, a plate of charcoal-grilled eel, a drink from a pop-up cafe, and the chance to stand on the balcony of a real Edo-era castle, it felt like stepping into a living piece of history.

If you go

Inuyama Castle

Unagi to Kamameshi Koko (eel)

Honmachi Saryo (teahouse)

Kura (eel, closer to the castle)

Getting there

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