Iwamura Castle Town

Iwamura Castle Town is located in Ena City, Gifu Prefecture. The town developed beneath Iwamura Castle, constructed in 1185 at 717 meters elevation, making it one of Japan's three major mountaintop castles. The castle served ruling families through the feudal period until its dismantling in 1871. The castle town flourished as an administrative and commercial center during the Edo period (1603-1868), preserving an intact historic streetscape.

The town's 800-meter historic main street was designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1998. The street retains Edo-period merchant houses, sake breweries, and townhouses with traditional architecture including latticed windows and wooden facades. The town's elevation and position along historical trade routes enabled prosperity in sake brewing, which continues today. The castle ruins preserve stone wall foundations, gate sites, and terraced baileys, connected to the town by a hiking path.

Visitors walk the preserved historic street, explore merchant houses and museums, and hike to castle ruins. The Iwamura History Museum occupies a former merchant residence displaying artifacts related to the castle and local culture. Several sake breweries offer tasting and sell locally produced sake. The hike to Iwamura Castle ruins takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes via forest trail, reaching extensive stone wall remains with six tiers of defensive walls and views across the Tono valley.

Iwamura Castle Town is accessible from JR Ena Station on the JR Chuo Main Line. From Ena Station, the Akechi Railway operates trains to Iwamura Station in approximately 30 minutes. The historic street is 5 to 10 minutes' walk from the station. By car from the Chuo Expressway via Ena IC, the drive takes approximately 20 minutes. From Nagoya, the journey takes roughly 2 hours by train or 1.5 hours by car. There is no admission fee for the street, though museums charge ¥200 to ¥500. Castle hiking is free.