Iga Ueno Castle: You Can Enjoy Castle and 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 Ueno Castle, also known as White Phoenix Castle, stands atop massive fortifications overlooking the city. Its walls are among the tallest in Japan. A whopping 30 meters down to the rocks and water of the moat below. You can walk right up to the edges and if you’re braver than I, stand on the ancient stones still wedged together and gaze across the lands once watched over by feudal lords hundreds of years ago.

Before approaching the keep, be sure to head to the Danjiri Museum just outside Ueno Park. There you can get properly equipped for your journey. The staff will give you a choice of a red, blue, or black ninja outfit to wear during your time in the park. Do this for yourself. I was so embarrassed at first, but was only met with amazed stares and compliments from locals and other park visitors during my visit. Be not just a ninja, but a ninja celebrity for a day!

After you get dressed, peruse the Danjiri Museum to learn about the Ueno Tenjin Festival. Every year in late October, demons take to the streets in this traditional parade of sorts. The museum is chock full of multimedia displays that whisk you away to the days of yore in old Iga.

Now that you’re in proper ninja attire and the right state of mind, toss a smoke bomb and head over to the castle grounds in Ueno Park, just a few minutes shinobi dash from the Danjiri Museum. 

I visited in the early morning. With hardly anyone around except a local man sketching at his easel, the quiet beauty of the landscape seemed to be trapped in a bubble of time. Although jarring to see the modern sprawl filling in gaps between mountains in the distance, the contrast is a great representation of Japan. 

This is a professional and an optical illusion. Climbing the old walls is forbidden.

All the annex buildings to the castle, guard posts, etc are long gone. Only the thick stone walls remain. As a matter of fact, the original castle was destroyed by winds in a storm in 1612. The one you see today was faithfully reconstructed in 1935, but you wouldn’t realize it. 

Compared to other modern reconstructed castles like Nagoya Castle, Iga Ueno feels old and genuine. With it’s massive wooden timbers, tile roofs, and lack of modern amenities, you get an historically accurate glimpse into what was happening there over 400 years ago.

Wooden slats of the ceiling inside Iga Ueno Castle

As you head inside the castle, you’ll see that it’s very much a museum inside. On the first floor you’ll find a large assortment of artwork, authentic artifacts from the area, armor and helmets, some of which have even seen battle. For me, the most memorable was a large pot that was actually used by soldiers on a centuries-old battlefield.

The wild designs on the helmets designated their wearers as generals. They certainly were impossible to miss, even in the chaos of feudal era warfare.

“Taigaa”, the mascot of Iga Ueno Castle. Everything has its own mascot!

On the second floor, you’ll find some daily life articles that feudal lords used back in the day, such as lacquer dishes and the like. 

You’ll also come across a common feature of castles across Japan: a gallery of photos depicting other Japanese castles. I can’t help but go along the line and mentally check off the ones I’ve visited. Ranking them and planning where to go next. How many can you see in one trip to Japan? There are those who feel that if you’ve seen one castle in Japan, you’ve seen them all. Philistines, I say! 

Each is unique in its displays, and each bears a uniqueness stamped on it from the culture of the surrounding area. The clans of the feudal area had unique traits still visible through their architecture, artifacts, and what skills they were known for.

Each castle also has a very unique view from the top of the castle keep, which is the finale of your visit to Iga Ueno Castle.

In the foreground, weathered ceramic tiles and dragons. In the distance, a wavy, mountainous horizon.

Iga Ueno Castle is a short walk from 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.

Here, you can find more information about both the Danjiri Museum and Iga Ueno Castle:

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
https://www.igaueno.net/?p=99

Iga Ueno Castle: http://igaueno-castle.jp/?page_id=196