DAY 4 ~ INUYAMA

Have you heard of Inuyama?  

This city is very near Nagoya (a little under 35kms) is easily accessible via the Nagoya Meitetsu Train and thus a perfect for a quick day trip away from the busyness of the city.  

A DIY is not difficult to arrange ~ Meitetsu offers Special Ticket Discounts to Inuyama.  Meitetsu Nagayo Railroad webpage, even includes recommended itineraries and model courses.   

Check the link here: Meitetsu Special Ticket Discount.

We bought our special discount ticket from Meitetsu Nagoya Station Central Gate Ticket Window, one day before our scheduled trip.

We opted for the Inuyama Castle Town and Meiji Mura combo, which included:

>Hop-on hop-off Meitetsu train One-day ticket 

> Hop-on hop-off bus ticket between Inuyama station and Museum Meiji-mura 

> Museum Meiji-mura admission 

> Inuyama castle admission 

> Meitetsu discount coupons (usable in Inuyama Castle Town/Meiji Mura museum for discounts on food and souvenirs)

We left Nagoya City at 730am and arrived at Inuyama Station around 830am.  We stopped for breakfast at the Lotteria at the Inuyama Station.  It is like Japan's McDonald's.

Inuyama Castle (one of the last original castles in Japan, unscathed by the war or any natural disasters) and an open-air architectural theme park/museum called Meiji Mura.  

Inuyama Castle is about 1 km leisurely walk from the station.   And it was a good thing that we packed energy before beginning our ascend to the castle.

We passed by the Sankoinari Shrine on our way to the castle.  It is a mini version of Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine (more on that in my Kyoto blog).  It is less touristy here, which very good for thanking photos. 

The Inuyama Castle is said to be the oldest existing castle tower in Japan.  

It was a steep climb up to the top, but the view was all worth it. The tower overlooks the Kiso River. 

Watch this video link of the Inuyama Castle view from the balcony

Strolled a bit around the Inuyama Castle Town.  

And stopped by for sweets before heading to our next stop Meiji-mura. 

Meiji-mura is an open-air architectural museum. It is one of the largest theme parks in Japan at 100 hectares (Yes, we did a lot of walking!)

The museum showcases historic buildings from Japan's Meiji, Taishō, and early Shōwa periods.  The museum allows guests to experience life during the Meiji period (1868-1912). They have shops where you can rent Meiji period kimonos.  

It is amazing what they have done here at Meiji Mura.  There are so many historic buildings. We were really in awe, they managed to save so many. 

They currently have 67 buildings at Meiji Mura, 10 of which are designated "important cultural assets".  

Our mode of transport inside the Meiji Mura - bus (that circles the park).

We had a worthwhile time at Inuyama. If you have the luxury of time, I recommend at a day each at the Inuyama Town Castle, then another day at Meiji Mura for better appreciation.

We left Inuyama at around 4pm and arrived at Nagoya Station at around 530pm.  

Tonight's dinner is at Maruya Honten Meiekiten for some authentic charcoal grilled eel rice (another of Nagoya's pride cuisine).

Good night, Nagoya!   We are temporarily leaving Nagoya City, for the 2nd leg of our Japan holiday.  We are off to Kyoto tomorrow.

If you missed our Day 1, 2 and please clink the links below:

Day 1 & 2 - Nagoya, Takayama and Shirakawa-go

Day 3 - Nagoya City