Nagoya Inuyama Castle Half-Day Leisure Guide

On the last day of the Hokuriku trip, I chose a half-day tour to Inuyama Castle from Nagoya. Inuyama Castle is one of the five national treasure castles, and the surrounding scenery is quite pleasant. 1️⃣ Depart from Nagoya Station at 10:00 am. Inspired by other bloggers, take the Meitetsu Inuyama Line to "Inuyama Yuen Station." Nagoya Station's transportation is complex, so the key is to first find the areas for Kintetsu (city subway), Meitetsu (suburban subway), JR, and bus, then go to the corresponding area's ticket machine to buy tickets or directly swipe an IC card. You can check the fare on Google Maps, but be sure to use the Transfer Guide app for train schedules. Note that ticket machines do not accept credit cards; you can use cash, IC cards, or buy tickets manually. 2️⃣ Get off at "Inuyama Yuen" station to visit Urakuen and the national treasure tea room Jo-an inside. You can enjoy river views along the way from the station. Urakuen was built by Oda Nobunaga's brother, Urakusai, who focused on art and tea ceremony, unlike his brother's military ambitions. The entrance fee plus tea is 1600 yen (a bit pricey but indeed exquisite). 3️⃣ Then walk up the mountain to the castle. A friendly reminder: you can buy tickets at the entrance machine using Alipay. 4️⃣ After descending, enjoy food and drinks on the shopping street. Figure 10 shows Honmachi Saryo, where I ordered two high-quality tofu skewer sets, along with desserts, tea, and drinks. ❗️Note that many shops only accept cash; if you don't have cash, find a nearby convenience store ATM to withdraw money. Additionally, on the shopping street, you can visit Nikubee (Hida beef sushi, which has long queues in Takayama) and the Dondenkan (Folk Colorful Mountain Car Museum). 5️⃣ Finally, return to Nagoya Station from "Inuyama Station." Remember to check the direction and use the Transfer Guide app for train schedules. The entire trip, including round trip, takes about 5 hours. You can spend the remaining time exploring and shopping in Nagoya by taking the Kintetsu (city subway) from Nagoya Station. #Inuyama #InuyamaCastle #NagoyaInuyamaCastle #NagoyaHiddenGems #NagoyaDayTrip #NationalTreasureInuyamaCastle #JapanHiddenTravel #JapanHiddenGems #HokurikuTravel