Inuyama Castle, Meiji-mura and Korankei driving guide: Seto, Toyota Museum, Obara and map

The Inuyama Castle, Meiji-mura and Korankei area runs diagonally across northern and eastern Aichi Prefecture, linking National Treasure Inuyama Castle and its castle town above the Kiso River, the lakeside Meiji-era buildings of Museum Meiji-mura, the ceramic town of Seto, the Toyota Automobile Museum in Nagakute and the Sanage Green Road to Obara—where autumn-blooming shikizakura cherries open alongside red maples—before reaching the 3,000 maples of Korankei Gorge and the highland hot spring at Michi-no-Eki Donguri-no-Sato Inabu.

This guide follows an end-to-end route from Inuyama Castle Car Park No. 1 through Urakuen, Meiji-mura, Setogura, Michi-no-Eki Seto-Shinano and the Toyota Automobile Museum, then east along the Sanage Green Road and Route 419 through Obara Shikizakura and Korankei Gorge to Michi-no-Eki Donguri-no-Sato Inabu, with post-concession Sanage Green Road tolls (collected through 22 June 2029), ETC-only Tokai-Kanjo Expressway exits, November congestion bypasses, parking tariffs and seasonal closing hours set out below.

Map of the Inuyama Castle, Meiji-mura and Korankei area

The line on the map traces "First visit: from Inuyama Castle and Meiji-mura via Seto, Toyota Automobile Museum and Obara to Korankei" below. Numbered markers show stops—green for views, heritage and nature, blue for Michi-no-Eki roadside stations. Stops 10 (Jakkoin Temple), 11 (Iwayado Park), 12 (Michi-no-Eki Machi-Terrace Nisshin) and 13 (Kuragaike Park) sit just off the main line as optional detours depending on your starting gate and pace. Tap any number to see its name.

Recommended drives

First visit: from Inuyama Castle and Meiji-mura via Seto, Toyota Automobile Museum and Obara to Korankei

Arrive from Komaki IC on the Meishin/Tomei Expressways or the Nagoya Expressway Komaki Line via Route 41 at Inuyama Castle Car Park No. 1 (1), climb the oldest surviving style of wooden castle keep in Japan—one of twelve original keeps nationwide—for views over the Kiso River, and stroll Honmachi-dori through the castle town. Step next door into Urakuen Japanese Garden (2) to see the National Treasure teahouse Joan, founded by Oda Urakusai, framed by autumn maples, then drive south to Lake Iruka for Museum Meiji-mura (3), where more than 60 Meiji-era landmarks, a steam locomotive and vintage Kyoto streetcars span a wooded hillside (if you want to explore both Inuyama and Meiji-mura in depth, allow half to a full day here alone).

Continue across the hills to Setogura Museum & Kamagaki-no-Komichi (4) and Michi-no-Eki Seto-Shinano (5) in the pottery town of Seto, then follow Prefectural Route 6 south-west to the Toyota Automobile Museum (6) in Nagakute. In the afternoon, join the Sanage Green Road at Yakusa IC, exit at Nakayama IC onto Route 419 north for Obara Shikizakura at Obara Fureai Park (7), where pale pink cherry blossoms and crimson maples bloom together in November, and loop south via Route 419 and Prefectural Route 33 (Seto-Shitara Line) to enter Korankei Gorge (8) from the east—sidestepping the heavy westbound Route 153 tailbacks from Chikaraishi IC and Toyota-Kanpachi IC while visiting Taigetsukyo Bridge, Sanshu Asuke Yashiki and the preserved merchant street of Asuke. Finish 25 km further east up Route 153 at Michi-no-Eki Donguri-no-Sato Inabu (9) and its open-air bath Donguri-no-Yu (you can also run the route in reverse from the Toyota or Nagoya side).

The drive covers about 128 km and around 2 hours 40 minutes of driving time. Distance and time are calculated from map data without traffic, museum visits or walks. The only tolled stretch on the mapped line is the Sanage Green Road (Yakusa IC–Nakayama IC: ordinary car ¥310, kei car ¥210; full length Yakusa IC–Chikaraishi IC: ordinary car ¥420, kei car ¥320); Owari Parkway and Routes 419 and 153 are toll-free.

Sanage Green Road tolls, half-interchanges and ETC-only Tokai-Kanjo Expressway exits

The Sanage Green Road (the 13.1 km tolled section of Prefectural Route 6 between Yakusa IC and Chikaraishi IC) remains an active toll road: under Aichi Road Public Corporation's October 2016 concession to Aichi Road Concession Co., Ltd., toll collection runs through 22 June 2029 (not June 2025 as shown in pre-concession schedules). Tolls apply from 6:00 to 22:00—ordinary cars pay ¥420 end to end (¥310 at Yakusa Tollgate plus ¥110 at Nishi-Hirose Tollgate) and kei cars/motorcycles pay ¥320 (¥210 plus ¥110), payable by cash or ETC—while every section is free overnight from 22:00 to 6:00, and the outer segments not crossing a tollbooth (Yakusa IC–Yakusa-Higashi IC and Shidare IC–Chikaraishi IC) are free all day. Watch the five half-interchanges (Yakusa-Higashi, Kano, Sanage, Sanage-Higashi and Nishi-Hirose): they allow entry and exit only towards Yakusa IC (Nagakute/Nagoya), so you cannot enter eastbound towards Korankei or exit from the Korankei side there. Use full-access Nakayama IC or Shidare IC for Obara Shikizakura. On the Inuyama side, both Owari Parkway (Prefectural Route 461) and the Komaki-Higashi Inter Road (Prefectural Route 49) are permanently toll-free.

If you approach Seto, Obara or Korankei via the Tokai-Kanjo Expressway, check your toll-card setup before departure. Since April 2025, Seto-Shinano IC, Seto-Akatsu IC, Toyota-Fujioka IC, Kuragaike Smart IC, Toyota-Kanpachi IC and Toyota-Matsudaira IC operate as ETC-only tollgates, so rental cars without an ETC card cannot enter or exit there. Without an ETC card, use cash-capable exits on the Tomei Expressway (Nagoya IC, Toyota IC or Komaki IC), Nagakute IC on the Nagoya-Seto Road (¥110 for ordinary and kei cars; cash, ETC and credit cards accepted) or Komaki-Higashi IC on the Chuo Expressway.

November Korankei and Obara bypass routes, plus Inuyama Castle and Meiji-mura parking and hours

During the 71st Korankei Maple Festival (1–30 November 2026, illuminated daily from sunset to 21:00), mid-to-late November weekends fill Miyamachi Car Park (200 spaces) and the Asuke Branch Office lot (120 spaces) from around 8:00, and Route 153 queues for hours eastbound from Chikaraishi IC and Toyota-Kanpachi IC. Asuke Tourism Association recommends two bypasses: from the north, leave the Sanage Green Road at Nakayama IC (or Toyota-Fujioka IC) onto Route 419 and Prefectural Route 33 via Obara to approach Korankei from the east; from the south-west, take ETC-only Toyota-Matsudaira IC onto Prefectural Route 39 (Okazaki-Asuke Line). Municipal and public car parks around Korankei charge ¥500 per entry in regular months and ¥1,000 per entry for ordinary cars throughout November (no advance-booking lots; in 2026 there is no direct Yakusa Station–Korankei park-and-bus-ride shuttle).

In Obara (30th Obara Shikizakura Festival: pre-open 14–20 November, main festival 21 November–6 December 2026, 9:00–16:00), the hillside trails inside Sakurayama and the Kakigairi footpath at Senmi Shikizakura-no-Sato (around 1,200 trees) remain closed for safety, so blossoms and maples are viewed from the base. On the Inuyama side, Inuyama Castle Car Parks No. 1 and No. 2 switch from ¥300/hour on regular days to ¥500/hour on designated peak weekends and holidays (including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays in April, May, September, October, November and January), while Museum Meiji-mura closes earlier at 16:00 on November weekdays (17:00 on November weekends/holidays, and 10:00–16:00 in December–February; last entry 30 minutes before closing). If driving the entire corridor in a single day, pick either Inuyama Castle or Meiji-mura for the morning slot.

Roads you can drive

Places to stop

Views and nature

Numbers match the map.

Roadside stations

Best seasons and crowds

Sunrise in Nagoya is at 6:26 and sunset at 16:47 on 14 November 2026, and sunrise is at 6:41 and sunset at 16:41 on 30 November. With dusk arriving around 16:45 in late November, visit Obara Shikizakura during daylight (festival stalls close at 16:00) before heading to the evening illuminations at Korankei or Iwayado Park.

Closures, suspensions and traffic restrictions checked on 14 November 2026

• The Sanage Green Road (Yakusa IC–Chikaraishi IC, 13.1 km) remains tolled through 22 June 2029 (ordinary car ¥420 full length; free 22:00–6:00), and Yakusa-Higashi, Kano, Sanage, Sanage-Higashi and Nishi-Hirose ICs are half-interchanges serving the Yakusa direction only. Owari Parkway (Prefectural Route 461) and the Komaki-Higashi Inter Road (Prefectural Route 49) in Inuyama are permanently toll-free.
• Nearby Tokai-Kanjo Expressway interchanges (Seto-Shinano IC, Seto-Akatsu IC, Toyota-Fujioka IC, Kuragaike Smart IC, Toyota-Kanpachi IC and Toyota-Matsudaira IC) are ETC-only tollgates since April 2025; cars without an ETC card cannot enter.
• At Korankei Gorge (71st Maple Festival: 1–30 November 2026, illuminated sunset–21:00), three upper hiking trails towards Mt. Iimori summit above Kojakuji Temple close overnight from sunset to morning due to wildlife activity. No direct Yakusa–Korankei park-and-bus-ride shuttle operates in 2026, and on 21–23 November (11:00–18:00) the Oiden Bus (Sanage–Asuke Line) turns back at Nishi-Nakagane.
• At Senmi Shikizakura-no-Sato in Obara, the upper Sakurayama paths and Kakigairi footpath remain closed for safety, with viewing from the base (30th Obara Shikizakura Festival: pre-open 14–20 November, main festival 21 November–6 December 2026).
• Urakuen Japanese Garden opens specially on Wednesdays 18 and 25 November 2026 for autumn foliage, and closes on 14–18 December, 29 December–1 January and 8–12 February 2027. Museum Meiji-mura observes winter closed days on 14–18 and 31 December 2026, and 1, 12–15, 19–20 and 26–27 January 2027.

Getting there and fuel

None of the three roadside stations in this corridor (Seto-Shinano, Machi-Terrace Nisshin and Donguri-no-Sato Inabu) has a petrol station. Fuel stations are plentiful along Route 41 in Inuyama, Routes 155 and 248 in Seto, and in Nagakute and central Toyota, whereas stations thin out and close early in the Obara hills and along highland Route 153 between Korankei and Inabu. Top up in Nagakute, Seto or central Toyota before joining the Sanage Green Road—especially on November weekends when slow traffic raises fuel use. EV drivers can charge at the Toyota Automobile Museum (four G-Station units), Michi-no-Eki Machi-Terrace Nisshin and Michi-no-Eki Donguri-no-Sato Inabu (Kuragaike Park has no charger, and sources differ on Seto-Shinano's unit, so verify ahead).

If you don't have a car

Arriving by Shinkansen at Nagoya Station, compare Taiko-dori and Sakura-dori exit locations and hours across 16 counters in Nagoya Station Car Rental: 16 Branches Compared. Flying into Centrair, Chubu Centrair Airport Car Rental: 5 Branches Compared covers the walk-in counters inside the Access Plaza. You can compare company rates across both gateways in Car Rental in Aichi: Nagoya Station and Centrair's 21 Branches Compared or browse pickup branches statewide—including Inuyama and Toyotashi—in the Aichi car rental directory. Because Tokai-Kanjo Expressway exits around Seto and Korankei are ETC-only, check ETC Cards for Rental Cars in Japan before booking, and see One-Way Car Rental in Japan, driving in Japan on a foreign licence and airport car rental pickup and return if combining Aichi with Hida-Takayama or Centrair drop-offs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best order for driving Inuyama Castle, Meiji-mura and Korankei?

Start at Inuyama Castle Car Park No. 1 in the morning for National Treasure Inuyama Castle, the castle town and Urakuen (or dedicate the morning to Museum Meiji-mura), head south around midday to Setogura, Michi-no-Eki Seto-Shinano and the Toyota Automobile Museum, take the Sanage Green Road to Nakayama IC and Route 419 in the afternoon for Obara Shikizakura, loop via Prefectural Route 33 into Korankei Gorge from the east, and finish with the evening illumination or a soak at Michi-no-Eki Donguri-no-Sato Inabu (Donguri-no-Yu). The full line is about 128 km and 2 hours 40 minutes of driving; split it into two days with an overnight stay if visiting both Meiji-mura and the Toyota Automobile Museum in full.

Is the Sanage Green Road toll-free, and which expressway exits require ETC?

No—the Sanage Green Road is still a toll road. Under the 2016 concession agreement, tolls remain in effect until 22 June 2029: from 6:00 to 22:00, ordinary cars pay ¥420 end to end (Yakusa ¥310 + Nishi-Hirose ¥110) and kei cars pay ¥320 (cash or ETC accepted; free 22:00–6:00). Owari Parkway and the Komaki-Higashi Inter Road in Inuyama are permanently toll-free. On the Tokai-Kanjo Expressway, Seto-Shinano, Seto-Akatsu, Toyota-Fujioka, Kuragaike Smart, Toyota-Kanpachi and Toyota-Matsudaira ICs have been ETC-only since April 2025, so drivers without an ETC card should use Tomei Expressway exits (Nagoya IC or Toyota IC) or Nagakute IC on the Nagoya-Seto Road.

What are November parking fees, illumination hours and congestion bypasses at Korankei?

The 71st Korankei Maple Festival runs from 1 to 30 November 2026, with Mt. Iimori illuminated daily from sunset until 21:00 (three upper summit trails above Kojakuji Temple close overnight for wildlife safety). Municipal and public lots such as Miyamachi Car Park (200 spaces) cost ¥500 in regular months and ¥1,000 per ordinary car throughout November (no reservation lots, and no direct Yakusa–Korankei park-and-bus-ride shuttle in 2026). To avoid heavy queues on Route 153 from Chikaraishi IC and Toyota-Kanpachi IC, approach from the north via Sanage Green Road Nakayama IC → Route 419 → Prefectural Route 33 through Obara, or from the south-west via ETC-only Toyota-Matsudaira IC → Prefectural Route 39.

When do Obara's autumn shikizakura cherry blossoms peak, and are any trails closed?

Obara's roughly 10,000 autumn-blooming shikizakura trees typically peak alongside red maples from mid-November to early December. The 30th Obara Shikizakura Festival runs a pre-opening on 14–20 November and its main period on 21 November–6 December 2026 (9:00–16:00, with a special one-night illumination at Obara Fureai Park on Saturday 28 November). At Senmi Shikizakura-no-Sato (around 1,200 trees; Kaminiki/Senmi Car Park, 36 ordinary spaces, ¥500), the upper Sakurayama trails and Kakigairi footpath remain closed for safety, so view the hillside from the base.

Do parking fees and closing hours change by season at Inuyama Castle and Meiji-mura?

Yes. Inuyama Castle Car Parks No. 1 (140 spaces) and No. 2 (123 spaces) charge ¥300/hour (max ¥1,800) on regular days and ¥500/hour (max ¥3,000) on designated peak weekends and holidays in April, May, September, October, November and January (the castle keep opens 9:00–17:00 year-round, last entry 16:30, closed 29–31 December). Museum Meiji-mura (900 ordinary spaces, ¥1,000 per entry all year) closes at 16:00 on November weekdays, 17:00 on November weekends/holidays, and runs 10:00–16:00 in December–February (last entry 30 minutes before close), with scheduled winter closed days in December and January.

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