Inuyama Castle is located on the Kiso River in the city of Inuyama, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Inuyama is often claimed as the oldest castle in Japan, with original construction being done in 1440. That structure was heavily augmented over time, and the current donjon and towers were completed in 1537 by Oda Nobuyasu, Oda Nobunaga's uncle. Inuyama castle was unique in Japan in that it was privately owned and had national treasure status. It is the oldest of its kind extant. The castle has been recently sold to the local government by the owners. According to the Engishiki, a book from the Heian Period, the Harigane Jinja, a Shinto shrine, was moved to make way for the castle.
