Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, Chūbu Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Inuyama (犬山市) is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The name of the city literally transliterates to "Dog Mountain". The name appears in historical records from 1336 AD, but its origin is unknown.

Geography Inuyama lies along the north-western edge of Aichi Prefecture, separated from neighboring Gifu Prefecture by the Kiso River.

Surrounding municipalities Aichi Prefecture • Kasugai • Komaki • Oguchi • Fuso.

Gifu Prefecture • Tajimi • Kakamigahara • Kani • Sakahogi.

History The area around Inuyama was settled from prehistoric times. During the Sengoku period, part of the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute was fought in what is now Inuyama, and the Oda clan rebuilt a pre-existing fortification into Inuyama Castle.

Under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate, Inuyama was ruled as a sub-domain of Owari Domain, entrusted to the Naruse clan, who served as senior retainers of the Nagoya-branch of the Tokugawa clan.

Late modern period Immediately following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Inuyama was established as an independent feudal han, until the 1871 abolition of the han system. With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on October 1, 1889, the town of Inuyama was created.

Contemporary history Inuyama Castle was designated as a national treasure in 1935 and again in 1952.

Inuyama merged with four neighboring villages to form the city of Inuyama on April 1, 1954.

In 2016, the Inuyama Festival was proclaimed an Intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.

Government Inuyama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 20 members. The city contributes one member to the Aichi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Aichi District 6 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.