Host family in front of the Inuyama Castle in Inuyama Yuen, Japan.

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The history of Inuyama Castle
Inuyama Castle was built in its present location in 1537 and Yojiro-Nobuyasu Oda became the first lord of the castle. After that, several warriors took up its post by turns. In 1617 Hayatonosho-Masanari Naruse won the lordship and the post has been succeeded by the Naruse family since then.
When the country was divided into prefectures and daimyo's fiefs were abolished in 1871 the Naruse family lost the castle and everything except the donjon was destroyed.
In 1891 a part of the castle was destroyed by the Great Nobi Earthquake. In 1895 the ownership of the castle was returned to the Naruse family under the condition that they repair the castle. Today, this is the only privately owned castle in Japan.
The castle was designated a National Treasure on May 13, 1935 and again in 1952 after the Cultural Asset Protection Law was rewritten.
The donjon was under restoration from April 1961 to March 1965.