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.
The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). 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]
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Inuyama has been increasing over the past 70 years.
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.
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.
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.
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 is twinned with:[4]
Davis (California, United States of America)
Haman (South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea)
Xiangyang (Hubei, China)
Sankt Goarshausen (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany)
Tateyama (Toyama Prefecture, Chūbu region)Nichinan (Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyūshū region)Kakamigahara (Gifu Prefecture, Chūbu region)Tamba-Sasayama (Hyōgo Prefecture, Kansai region)
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.
Inuyama travel guide from Wikivoyage
