Iga (Mie)｜Birthplace of Ninja Culture & Iga Ueno Castle

Ninja Museum

It’s located within the castle.
Iga Ueno City is famous for its ninjas, Iga Ueno Castle, and as the birthplace of the poet Matsuo Basho.

You can see ninja figures (dolls) all around the town.

Iga Ueno City is accessible by JR train. From JR Nara Station, transfer at JR Kamo Station to reach JR Iga-Ueno Station. From there, take the Iga Railway (Ninja Train) and get off at Ueno-shi Station (also known as Ninja-shi Station).

At the top center is JR and Iga Railway’s Iga-Ueno Station.

In the middle is Ueno-shi Station on the Iga Railway. Ueno Park, where the castle and Ninja Museum are located, is nearby.

Toward the bottom is the city center, with Teramachi Street (a street lined with temples) on the right.

In 1608, Todo Takatora became the lord of Ise and Iga provinces and built the castle’s main tower and high stone walls.

High stone walls

These are among the tallest stone walls in Japan. The stones are beautifully arranged.

Haisei-den

Built in 1942 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Matsuo Basho’s birth.
This structure was designed to reflect Basho’s travel appearance.

In 1821, the 10th lord of the Todo clan built this to educate the children of the clan’s samurai.

Seven Temples of Temple Town

Kagiya no Tsuji

This is the famous Kagiya no Tsuji, known for being one of Japan’s Three Great Revenge Stories.
It is where Ishikawa Kazuma, a samurai from the Okayama domain, successfully took revenge with the help of his brother-in-law, Araki Mataemon.
Known as the “Blood Battle at Kagiya no Tsuji,” this event became a popular topic in plays and stories.

Koroku-zaka Bamboo Grove

Sugawara Shrine (Ueno Tenmangu)

At the age of 29, Matsuo Basho resolved to journey to Tokyo and dedicated his first collection of poems, “Kaiohohi” to Sugawara Shrine.

Throughout the town, there are various danjiri warehouses.
The danjiri festival of Ueno Tenjin Matsuri is also registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

There are photos of danjiris from information boards seen around the town.

Ginza Street

It’s clean and clear, with no utility poles.