Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [187]
CORMORANT FISHING
Ukai takes place close to Inuyama-yūen Station, by Twin Bridge Inuyama-bashi. Book your ticket at the tourist information office or Kisogawa Kankō (61-0057; adult/child Jul & Aug from ¥2800/1400, May-Jun & Sep-Oct from ¥2500/1250), near the cormorant-fishing pier.
Boats depart nightly at 6pm from May to August, with the show starting around 7.45pm. In September and October, boats depart at 5.30pm, with things kicking off at 7.15pm.
Festivals & Events
In addition to Inuyama Matsuri (Click here), the city also hosts the summer Nihon Rhine Festival, every 10 August on the banks of the river, culminating in fireworks.
Sleeping & Eating
Inuyama International Youth Hostel (; 61-1111; fax 61-2770; www.inuyama-iyh.com; s/d/tr ¥3300/6200/8700; ) This modern and well-kept hostel offers large, comfortable, Japanese- and Western-style rooms, friendly staff and a stone common bath (BYOT). Reservations are recommended. Meals (breakfast/dinner ¥840/1580, choice of Japanese or Western) are available with advance notice – and recommended, as there are no restaurants nearby. It’s 25 minutes’ walk northeast of Inuyama-yūen Station – access it from along the river.
Rinkō-kan (61-0977; fax 61-2505; rinkokan@triton.ocn.ne.jp; r per person with/without 2 meals from ¥12,750/6450; ) Overlooking the river, this cheery, 20-room hot-spring ryokan makes the most of its 1960s building with handsome Japanese-style accommodation with in-room bath, stone common baths including rotemburo, and jacuzzi. Dinner is served in your room.
Fū (61-6515; a-fuusan@md.ccnw.ne.jp; lunch ¥600; 8am-6pm Thu-Tue) This friendly, low-key, family-run coffee shop makes a different simple lunch daily and serves it until supplies run out. Phone (in Japanese) or email to enquire or reserve, and do not flake (bad karma). Or just enjoy coffee and cake. There’s occasional live music.
Narita (65-2447; 5-course meal from ¥2940; lunch & dinner) This is a chichi French restaurant in a traditional Japanese building with attractive garden, specialising in five-course set meals. It’s a block west of the Inuyama Miyako Hotel.
Getting There & Away
Inuyama is connected with Nagoya (¥540, 30 minutes) and Meitetsu-Gifu Station in Gifu city (¥440, 35 minutes) via the Meitetsu Inuyama line. JR travellers can connect via Gifu to Unuma (¥320, 20 minutes) and walk across the Kiso-gawa to Inuyama.
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AROUND INUYAMA
Museum Meiji-mura
Few Meiji-period buildings have survived war, earthquake or rabid development, but this open-air museum (0568-67-0314; www.meijimura.com; 1 Uchiyama; adult/elementary & junior-high-school student/student/senior ¥1600/600/1000/1200; 9.30am-5pm Mar-Oct, to 4pm Nov-Feb, closed Mon Dec-Feb) has brought together over 60 of them from all over Japan to a lakeside ‘village’. On exhibit are one-time public offices, private homes, banks and a sake brewery, as well as some forms of transport. Among them are the entryway designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel, the home of novelist Sōseki Natsume (who wrote I am a Cat and Botchan) and early Kyoto trams. Note the coming-together of Western and Japanese architectural styles, which is indicative of this era. Allow at least half a day to enjoy it at an easy pace.
A bus to Meiji-mura (¥410, 20 minutes) departs every 30 minutes from Inuyama Station’s east exit.
Ōgata-jinja
This 2000-year-old shrine (0568-67-1017) is dedicated to the female Shintō deity Izanami and draws women devotees seeking marriage or fertility. The precincts of the shrine contain rocks and other items resembling female genitals.
The popular Hime-no-Miya Grand Festival takes place here on the Sunday before 15 March (or on 15 March if it’s a Sunday). Locals pray for good harvests and prosperity by parading through the streets bearing a mikoshi (portable shrine) with replicas of female genitals.
Ōgata-jinja is a 25-minute walk southeast of Gakuden Station