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Inuyama Castle

Inuyama Castle is located in the city of Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The castle overlooks the Kiso River, which serves as the border between Aichi and Gifu prefectures. Inuyama Castle is one of the 12 castles still in existence in Japan that were built before the Edo period.Inuyama Castle is often claimed as the oldest castle in Japan, with original construction being done in 1440. According to Engishiki, Harigane Shrine was moved to make way for the castle. That structure has been heavily augmented over time, and the current towers were completed in 1537, by Oda Nobuyasu, Oda Nobunaga's uncle. Though the antiquated architectural style of the watchtower atop the tenshu has in the past led many historians to believe this to be the oldest extant tenshu in Japan, that honor goes to Maruoka Castle, built in 1576. Construction on the main tenshu  at Inuyama began in 1601, and continued through 1620

Japan Monkey Center

The Japan Monkey Center is a few minutes way from Inuyama station on the monorail line, clearly sign-posted with ape statues and colorful paintings. On the plus side, the Center has a remarkable collection of monkeys and apes, with a wider variety of primates than even most world-class zoos. On the negative side, however, like too many Japanese zoos, the animals live in cramped conditions - mostly unadorned cement blocks with a single cross-bar - and have little in the way of enrichment, leaving many of them distinctly bored.

Little World

Little World a 20-minute bus ride away from Inuyama station. A miniature Expo that tries to reconstruct or import houses from all over the world, together with souvenir shops and restaurants - nice for a day visit. Buses depart from bus stop 1 east of Inuyama station, one-way fare is ¥480. One ticket for adults is ¥1600, for foreign students ¥1000.

Meiji Mura Museum

Meiji Mura Museum is about 20 minutes by bus from Inuyama station, houses a large collection of Meiji-era architecture from all over Japan and even as far away as Brazil, Hawaii, and Seattle. The effect is like that of a ghost town - visitors can walk through the buildings at their leisure, and each one is full of vintage furnishings, as if it were still in use. Fans of Japanese literature may enjoy the summer house of writer Soseki Natsume, where he reportedly wrote his classic novel I Am A Cat. The signature piece, however, is the lobby of the old Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Imperial Hotel (1923-1965) in Tokyo.

Bunraku Museum

Together with your ticket for Inuyama Castle, you will get admission to the Bunraku museum just down the road. It makes for a nice walk around seeing how puppets are constructed and operated, you can try moving one puppet by yourself, and puppets are on display.
 

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