Inuyama

Inuyama (犬山) is a city in Aichi, near Nagoya, Japan.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site with integrated machine translation.

By train
Inuyama is the terminal station on the Meitetsu Inuyama Line. From Meitetsu Nagoya station (located beside Nagoya station), Inuyama can be reached in 30-35 minutes at a cost of \540.

There are two other stops in the area served by Meitetsu. Inuyama-guchi (犬山口) station, to the south of the city, is served only by local trains, while Inuyama-yuen (犬山遊園) station, to the east of Inuyama Castle, is served by local trains, a number of express trains, and μSKY trains departing from Centrair Airport for Shin-Unuma.

The closest JR station to Inuyama is Unuma (鵜沼), on the Takayama Line from Gifu. The station is in Kakamigahara city in Gifu Prefecture, just over the border, across the Kiso River. From Nagoya it takes about 30 minutes to reach Unuma via the Limited Express Wide View Hida train. From Unuma Station it's a 15-minute walk over the bridge to reach Inuyama Castle or Inuyama-Yuen Station. You can see the castle quite easily as you approach the bridge.

Get around
There a bus from the Inuyama Train station  to the nearby Japan Monkey Park (see below).

See

 * The Japan Monkey Center (日本モンキーセンター) is a few minutes way from Inuyama station on bus, 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. It's open Mar-Nov 09:30-17:00, until Jul-Aug: 09:30-18:00, and Dec-Feb 11 09:30-16:30. The center is closed for the rest of February. Admission is &yen;1500 for adults and &yen;800 for kids.
 * The Japan Monkey Park (日本モンキーパーク) is an amusement park next door to the Japan Monkey Center, with rides intended for human beings. (Monkeys are exclusively of the cartoon variety here.) Dual admission tickets can be purchased for both locations.
 * The Japan Monkey Park (日本モンキーパーク) is an amusement park next door to the Japan Monkey Center, with rides intended for human beings. (Monkeys are exclusively of the cartoon variety here.) Dual admission tickets can be purchased for both locations.

Do
Over a hundred years ago, one of the first European visitors to the region remarked upon the Kiso River&apos;s resemblance to the Rhine. Today, you'll find rather more power lines, steel spans and vending machines than the comparison was intended to support, but the Kiso River still makes for a lovely walk in either direction. Cormorant fishing, known locally as ukai (鵜飼), takes place on summer nights. Fishermen using fire, nets and trained birds make for an exciting spectacle.

Eat
There are very few restaurants in the station area. The Japan Monkey Center, close to the station, has a restaurant/cafeteria.

Drink
Hyakumandoru (百万ドル, meaning "Million Dollar"), somewhat less grand than the name suggests, serves drinks. It's a couple doors down from Inuyama station, toward the river.

Sleep

 * Minshuku Yayoi is on a side street close to the station. It has a rather small capacity, though, and the staff can be less than helpful. Rooms are &yen;6000 per person, and meals are available.
 * Minshuku Yayoi is on a side street close to the station. It has a rather small capacity, though, and the staff can be less than helpful. Rooms are &yen;6000 per person, and meals are available.

Go next

 * Nagoya is the closest major city. While not long on attractions of its own, it does serve as a major transportation hub for many of the sights throughout the region.
 * There are some pretty temples in the eastern hills, including the two famous fertility shrines in Komaki, a town about halfway between Inuyama and Nagoya.
 * Kakamigahara
 * Gifu
 * Konan
 * Kasugai
 * Minokamo
 * Kani
 * Tajimi