Inuyama (犬山市, Inuyama-shi) is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 October 2019[update], the city had an estimated population of 73,420 in 31,276 households,[1] and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 74.90 square kilometres (28.92 sq mi). The name of the city literally translates to "Dog Mountain". The name appears in historical records from 1336 AD, but its origin is unknown.
Inuyama lies along the northwestern edge of Aichi Prefecture, separated from neighboring Gifu Prefecture by the Kiso River.
Climate
The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (Köppen climate classificationCfa). The average annual temperature in Inuyama is 15.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1910 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.4 °C.[2]
Demographics
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Inuyama has been increasing over the past 70 years.
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.
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 16th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Inuyama has ten public elementary schools and four public junior high schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Aichi Prefectural Board of Education.
Meiji Mura, an open-air architectural museum for preserving and exhibiting structures of the Meiji (1867–1912) and Taishō (1913–1926) eras. As of 2005, 67 historical buildings are preserved on an area of 1,000,000 m2. The most famous one is the main entrance and lobby of Tokyo's old Imperial Hotel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1923.
Little World Museum of Man, an amusement park with an anthropological museum contained a large number of buildings built according to the native style of over 22 countries.
Natural attractions
The Kiso River has some very picturesque rapids upstream of Inuyama Castle. These rapids and rock formations are called the Nihon Rhine after the Rhine river in Germany, and boat tours are available. Cormorant fishing on the Kiso River is nowadays almost exclusively done for tourists.
Urakuen tea garden, used for tea ceremonies. This garden contains the Jo-antea house, built in 1618 by Oda Uraku (1547–1621), younger brother of Oda Nobunaga. Tea master Oda Uraku was a student of the famous tea master Sen no Rikyū. While the Jo-an tea house was originally built in Kyoto, it was moved to its current location in 1972. The building is considered one of the finest examples of tea house architecture.
