Aichi: Exploring Inuyama’s Original Castle and the Architectural Heritage of Meiji-mura

My exploration of Aichi started at Nagoya Station, a major Shinkansen hub that offers effortless access to the surrounding areas. A short, simple train ride later, I found myself in Inuyama, surrounded by feudal history and striking Meiji-era architecture.

Inuyama Castle: One of Japan’s Oldest Original Castles

Inuyama Castle is one of the few castles in Japan that remains in its original wooden form.
Built in 1537, it sits atop a hill overlooking the Kiso River, offering views that once served strategic purposes.
Inside, steep staircases and worn wooden floors reveal the castle’s age.
Unlike reconstructed castles, Inuyama allows us to experience the narrow spaces and defensive design firsthand.
Its modest scale and preserved structure provide insight into how castles functioned as both residences and fortresses during Japan’s feudal period. It’s history you experience with your body, not just your eyes.
(Approx. 20 minutes on foot from Inuyama Station)

Meiji-mura: Architecture From Japan’s Turning Point

Meiji-mura is an open-air museum featuring relocated buildings from Japan’s Meiji era, a time when the country rapidly modernized and opened to the world.
Here, former schools, government buildings, churches, and homes stand together, offering a walk-through of Japan’s architectural transition from traditional to Western-influenced design.
Rather than mere recreations, many of these are valuable original structures carefully preserved and reconstructed. The site provides context for how Japan balanced modernization while retaining its cultural foundations. It’s a timeline you walk through rather than read.
(About 20 minutes by bus from Inuyama Station)