Igaryu Ninja Museum: Authentic Ninja Experience in Japan

Written by Chad Martin

－Author's Introduction
My otaku side brought me toNagoya, Japan in 2012, but I stayed for the food, countryside towns, andgorgeous mountain scenery. I was born and raised on the east coast of theUS, but I dare say I never grew up. I never shut up about Japan.

Iga, Koga, and Fuma compromise the 3 “ninja cities”. Accessible from Kyoto, Osaka, and most easily from Nagoya, Iga is a quiet town which embraces the ninja culture and history. Here you can learn about the true role of the most mysterious aspect of the land of the rising sun.

Begin your journey at the Danjiri Museum, where you can don your ninja gear! The staff will equip you with your choice of red, blue, or black garb for your tour through Ueno Park. Leave your inhibitions at the massive gates on the facade of the museum. You’ll have much more fun dressed as a ninja warrior in this town. I certainly had my reservations about it, but the locals seemed to really get a kick out it.

A wide-eyed, older gentleman even exclaimed かっこいい！(cool!) a woman told me “a foreigner’s facial features really suit the outfit.” Don’t be surprised if other tourists, Japanese or otherwise, ask to be in pictures with you. It’s not like you’re gonna run into an ex or anything...be the ninja!

Now, as you’re certainly craving more ninjutsu, throw your arms back and do your best Naruto run toward the Igaryu Ninja Museum. At the ticket counter you may very well encounter a real ninja!

 If you’re more into the 2D type, you’re also sure to run into a large cut-out of Mai Igarashi, the adorable yet deadly anime girl mascot of Iga City. Keep in mind that traditionally, “ninja” only referred to men. These female spies and infiltrators were known as “kunoichi”. Side note for Japanese language nerds: く(ku),ノ(no), and 一(ichi) are used to write the character 女(woman)!

The first part of the Ninja Museum experience is to take a tour through a traditional-style Japanese house, led by a ninja or kunoichi. While we waited for the next tour to begin, our guide took a moment to discuss exactly what we desired.

 Ninja weapons! He brought out an old, genuine jitte (non-lethal, club-like, metal weapon with a small protrusion used for pinning an opponent’s blade and various other techniques). This weapon was typically used by police during the Edo Period (1603-1868). He also produced a ninjato (similar to a katana, but with a straight blade).

Once the tour started, they demonstrated many ways in which a ninja, who always kept their ninja side job a secret, could hide themselves and important tools, documents and weapons around their house. They also demonstrated with surprising skill how a ninja could seemingly vanish into secret spaces of their home, deploy concealed weapons, spy on intruders or escape entirely.

Through a secret passage, move from the ninja house to a museum displaying various real ninja artifacts and with monitors where you can watch actors employing various ninjutsu techniques in mock combat.

While nearly everything has English translations, some are a bit unclear. Or perhaps it’s just that they’re purposely mysterious. After all, they can’t give away all the secrets of ninjutsu, right?

Continue forward to another small museum full of ninja tools and explanations of ninja techniques, from hiding secret messages to telling the time of day by looking at the size of a cat’s pupil. 

After exiting, don’t miss the ninja show! The performers put on an amazing performance with real weapons in staged combat. This is sure to be the climax of your ninja adventure in Iga. Acrobatics, incredible precision and coordination make this a performance that will wow absolutely anyone.

Afterward, you can learn how to throw shuriken (ninja throwing stars). The technique is simple, but difficult to master. I felt really good about myself since I was the only one in my group that managed to hit the target. The shuriken are heavy and sharp, so this wouldn’t be suitable for kids, unless they’ve been trained to use ninja weapons before.

Now that the tour is over, be sure to head over to Iga Ueno Castle, also known as White Phoenix Castle, to complete your tour of Ueno Park. 

Don’t forget to return your epic ninja gear to the Danjiri Museum once you’ve taken way too many pictures of yourselves hiding around the park and attacking your friends. These are sure to be the crown jewels of any Japan photo album.

The park and museums are close to Uenoshi Station, accessible from Kyoto, Osaka, and Nagoya by train. At the main stations in these cities, you can also inquire about going by highway bus. It can be more direct and simple if you’re wary of changing trains along the way.

Igaryu Ninja Museum
Address: Mie-ken, Iga-shi, Ueno Marunouchi, 117
Fee:
Adults (high school students and older) \756
Children (4 years old to junior high) \432
Telephone Number: 0595-23-0311
https://www.iganinja.jp/?page_id=837

Danjiri Museum
Address: 518-0873 Iga-shi, Ueno Marunouchi, 122-4
Costume Fee: \1,080 / set
Telephone Number: 0595-24-4400 (Danjiri Museum)
http://www.iga-travel.jp/ja/?page_id=83