Inuyama Castle, located on a small hill along the Kiso River, was built as a military base by Oda Nobuyasu, uncle of shogun Oda Nobunaga. During the Edo period, the Naruse faction captured the castle and ruled it until the Meiji period.
Under the Meiji Period Castle Demolition Ordinance, Inuyama Castle was largely demolished, except for the tallest tower, watchtower, and gate. The remaining castle was severely damaged by the Great Chubu Earthquake of 1891. After many years, Aichi Prefecture transferred the castle to the Naruse family, the original owners, on the condition that they would “restore and maintain Inuyama Castle.” As of 2004, Inuyama Castle is the only privately owned castle in Japan.
The wooden tower at Inuyama Castle, built in 1537, is the oldest in Japan.
On the castle roof there are also 8 exorcism tiles shaped like peaches on turtle shells.
Inuyama (犬山) in Japanese means "dog mountain", Inuyama Castle is also known as "dog mountain castle".
But recently, stray cat invaders have been trying to break into the castle. Like many ancient Japanese castles, Inuyama Castle has small openings in the walls so soldiers can shoot arrows out if necessary. However, clever cats have turned it into a place to break into the castle.
Cats are very popular animals in the land of cherry blossoms. They are considered sacred animals, bringing good luck to the Japanese people. Therefore, the invasion of "dog mountain castle" by stray cats became a humorous event, attracting the attention of netizens. There has been a debate about whether cats will soon become the ruler of the castle, and then change the name to "cat mountain castle".
Tashirojima Island
In Japan, there are also many areas where the "residents" are mainly cats, such as Aoshima Island, Enoshima Island, Tashirojima Island...
