Inuyama Festival in Aichi
On
7 April, 2018, I visited Inuyama in Aichi prefecture for the first
time as there is an annual big event-- Inuyama festival. Inuyama is
similar to Takayama where I have been living for 3.5 years.
Inuyama
can be easily accessed by Meitetsu train from Nagoya and it only
takes 30 minutes.
Inuyama
is famous for its castle -- Inuyama Castle, one of the national
treasure in Japan. It was built in 1537 and one of the wooden-built
castle in Japan where you can see the panoramic views overseeing the
Kiso river. I am very lucky to visit Inuyama in sunny day where the
view is so spectacular that I will never forget.
What
I like Inuyama the most is the old town where you can try a lot of
local snacks and also visiting local shops vending various kinds of
products. It seems that I was walking in old Japan!
My
favorite snack is Dengaku, the roasted tofu with sweet soya sauce.
Please try if you are visiting there.
The
highlight of the festival is the night parade while each float is lit
by 365 Japanese lanterns with the sound of the Japanese flutes and
drums. The float is carried by at least 30 young men. It is quite
scary to see how the floats turn at the corner while one side of the
men (about 20 people) need to lift the floats up one side by
themselves. It is a parade which requires a lot of labour and
energy.
How
about visiting Inuyama as a day trip from Nagoya?
I
recommend it if you would like to experience the old Japan!
Reference:
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| View from the Inuyama castle |
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| Kiso river (view from the Inuyama castle) |
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| The festive float in the night festival parading along the streets |
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| A local snack- Dengaku |
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