Inuyama Castle Structure 犬山城郭構造

Official explanation

Inuyama Castle was constructed of stone and wood with layers of mud and white plaster added to guard against fire. Inside the keep, steep staircases climb past original stone walls and exposed hand-hewn timber beams from the basement to the fourth floor.

Inuyama Castle was a symbol of power and influence in addition to being a solid fortress. The striking architecture and careful attention to detail in the decorative window frames, undulating gables, and sweeping roofs crafted by skilled masons and carpenters testify to that aspiration.

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The castle stands high on a hill above the south bank of the Kiso River and is a classic example of a hilltop castle (hirayamajiro). It is surrounded by a thick forest of Japanese cedar, hinoki cypress, and pine. The lookout at the top commands a breathtaking view of the river and surrounding mountains and reveals how these natural obstacles provided protection for this early modern fortress.

Inuyama Castle is one of only 12 castles in Japan whose main keep (tenshu) dates back to at least the Edo period (1603–1868). The keep, along with the innermost enclosure (honmaru) and moats (hori), are the only surviving structures of what was once a larger compound.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.