Inuyama Castle Town Showa Alley—also known as Showa Yokocho—is a nostalgic, retro-themed shopping street nestled between Inuyama Station and Inuyama Castle in Aichi Prefecture. This charming alleyway transports visitors back to Japan’s Showa era (1926–1989), blending vintage aesthetics with traditional flavors and local hospitality.
First, we walked into a food alley to see if there is anything nice place where we could have our lunch.
The name of the below museum is Donden, which refers to the way that when a float changes direction during the Inuyama Festival, the Teko-shu who pull the float lift one side of the float and make a 180-degree turn while shouting. This museum displays four floats that are pulled during the Inuyama Festival, which is designated as an important intangible folk cultural property of the country and is held on the first Saturday and Sunday of April every year.
We then walked into an alley where stores were selling all sorts of sweet dessert.
We bought a Matcha Crepe that seems quite popular here.
Next, we entered The Former Isobe Residence (旧磯部家住宅), which is a meticulously restored historic merchant house located in Inuyama Castle Town, Aichi Prefecture. Built between 1865 and the Taisho era (1912–1926), it exemplifies the architectural style of the late Edo period. The Isobe family operated a kimono fabric business called "Kashiwaya Magobei" from the Edo period until World War II, after which they focused on selling tea.
The main house features a distinctive rounded roof (mukuri yane), a design popular among the merchant class during the Edo period. The Isobe Residence is the only building of its kind in Inuyama that still has this architectural feature.
The property is significantly larger than the narrow, 6.8-meter-wide front suggests. Beyond the main house, the 58-meter-long complex includes a detached back parlor as accommodation for guests, a courtyard, and several storehouses. This configuration was chosen because property taxes in the Edo period were based on the width of street frontage.
In 2004, the Isobe family donated the residence to the city of Inuyama. The city conducted comprehensive repairs from 2004 to 2005, restoring the property to its late-1800s appearance.
Visitors can explore the residence's various rooms and features, including traditional tatami rooms, a Goemon bath, and historical artifacts. The residence offers a unique glimpse into the daily life and architectural ingenuity of a merchant family during Japan's Edo period.
Showa Alley is lined with old-fashioned wooden buildings adorned with retro signage, lanterns, and nostalgic decor. The atmosphere evokes a post-war Japanese townscape, offering a unique backdrop for photos and leisurely exploration. We immersed ourselves in the ambiance of a bygone era while enjoying the various shops and eateries that populate the street. At this point, we had a glimpse of the main tower of Inuyama Castle.
There were so many interesting snacks along the street, and we could not resist them.
The weather was pretty warm, and we went into an indoor Cocotomo Farm store to enjoy the air conditioner.
It even provided water, green tea and barley tea free for all visitors.
Other than the main street, there are many alleys on both sides with specialty stores.
At the end of the main walking street in Inuyama Castle Town, we arrived at the entrances of multiple shrines.
To reach Inuyama Castle, we had to walk up the stairs through these shrines.
The below photo reminds us of
Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto.
After passing through the Torii Gates, we continued to walk up the steps, passed by another shrine, and finally arrived the entrance to Inuyama Castle.
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