1-Day Itinerary: Experience Ninja History and Culture in Iga

Iga is a former castle town known for its rich history, including its association with the famous Iga-ryu ninja clans. Since ancient times, it has been called Iga no Kuni, which means “The Land of Iga”. The city is home to numerous attractions related to ninja history and culture. Most of the popular tourist attractions such as the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum, Iga Ueno Castle and the Danjiri Museum can be found around Ueno Park, once the grounds of Iga Ueno Castle. Other attractions are only a short walk from Ueno Park, making the city a compact and easy place to explore on foot. The following route is recommended for visitors looking to spend a day in interesting Iga.
Written by John Asano

-Table of Contents-
・Danjiri Museum
・Ueno Tenjingu Shrine
・Lunch at Nikaku Shokudo
・Iga-ryu Ninja Museum
・Iga Ueno Castle
・Kumi no Sato
・Katayaki Cookies
・Wrap Up

Danjiri Museum

Start your day of sightseeing in Iga at the Danjiri Museum located only a short 5-minute walk northeast of Uenoshi Station. This fascinating museum is dedicated to the festival floats of the Ueno Tenjin Festival. During the festival, which is held annually for three days, on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday preceding October 25, nine exquisitely decorated danjiri floats are paraded around the town to the accompaniment of flutes and drums. Three danjiri festival floats are permanently displayed in the museum along with life-sized figures, recreating the festival’s amazing atmosphere.

The festival is also home to a procession of around a hundred demons, which is a rarity in Japan. Visitors can see some of the demon costumes in the exhibition room. I found the various facial expressions of the demons particularly frightening.

Visitors can also transform themselves into a ninja at the Danjiri Museum. This should be your first stop to change into your ninja costume ready to go out for a stroll around the town and a day of sightseeing. This ninja costume service is available for ¥1500 per costume from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

I was glad they had a short-sleeved ninja costume for summer, as Iga can get pretty hot during the warmer months. The costumes are available for rent in several colors depending on size. Of course, I had to go with the traditional black of the shadow warriors.

Ueno Tenjingu Shrine

An 8-minute walk from the Danjiri Museum is Ueno Tenjingu Shrine, also known as Sugawara Shrine. This Shinto shrine is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the god of learning and is affectionately called Tenjin-san by the local residents.

The Ueno Tenjin Festival, which has a history of over 400 years, is dedicated to this shrine every October. The festival is said to be one of the three major autumn festivals of the Kansai region of Japan.

Lunch at Nikaku Shokudo

Discover one of the hidden secrets of the ninja city, Iga Beef at Nikaku Shokudo. Iga is known by the locals for its tasty cuisine which includes Iga Beef, a type of wagyu. This holy grail to ninja is just a 5-minute walk back to the Danjiri Museum from the shrine.

Entering the restaurant is a trick in itself with a revolving ninja wall panel acting as the door. Inside, the eatery is full of ninja paraphernalia including weapons and items related to ninja culture. I had the Iga Beef Steak Set which came with grilled Iga Beef, a variety of side dishes, wild rice and miso soup. A tasty lunch to refuel for the afternoon ahead.

Iga-ryu Ninja Museum

This museum is small but worth the visit and it is only a short 10-minute walk from Nikaku Shokudo. It consists of a ninja residence, two exhibition halls showcasing ninja weaponry and important knowledge about the history of ninja in Iga, and a stage that hosts ninja shows.

Ninja Trick House

Explore all the hidden traps and ingenuity of the Iga-ryu ninja at this ninja house. It may look ordinary from the outside but is full of surprises with revolving walls, trap doors and hidden compartments for stashing weapons. I was really surprised at how simple but effective everything was. Ninja could seemingly vanish into a secret hiding space, spy on intruders from within the walls, or escape without a trace. Definitely one of the highlights of Iga for me. The guided tours around the house, given on weekdays, will carefully show you all its little secrets and tricks in both Japanese and English. On weekends and holidays, visitors can experience these tricks hands-on.

Ninja Performance

Sit back and enjoy the entertaining and thrilling ninja performance from the Ashura group of Iga-ryu ninja. The combat show features a variety of ninja weapons including swords, shuriken throwing stars and kusarigama (sickle with chain). The weapons are real, the ninja skills are authentic, and the performance is not to be missed. I really enjoyed the humor in the show and the fact that they also dispelled some of the false information about ninjas. Ashura performs 2-4 times a day at the Ninja Museum.

Throwing Shuriken

Experience one of the most well-known acts of the ninja, throwing shuriken (ninja stars). Here visitors can practice throwing shuriken at a target.
Admission to the museum is ¥1,000 with a ¥600 entry fee for the ninja performance.

Iga Ueno Castle

Just a 5-minute walk from the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum takes you to the stronghold of Iga Ueno Castle, in Ueno Park. This beautiful castle was once built by master castle architect, Todo Takatora (1556-1630) in the late 16th century. Takatora rose from humble beginnings to become a daimyo lord and the most influential castle designer in samurai history.

Today, it is home to a wooden reconstructed main tower and some of the highest castle walls in Japan. It is free to walk around the castle grounds with admission to the main tower for ¥600.

Kumi no Sato

Wrap up your day by visiting Kumi no Sato (The Village of Skilled Artisans) for a traditional braid-making experience. This charming workshop is only around 10 minutes from the castle. Visitors can try their hand at making a bracelet, phone strap or key ring using a braiding method called kumihimo, where dyed silk thread is weaved using wooden marudai stands. In the past, these braids were used for samurai armor among other things. Today, they are used for decorating kimono sashes. I was a little overwhelmed at the start, but the simple repeating process is easy to pick up and the helpful instructors are there at every step to guide you, so there is no chance of messing up.

Simply start by choosing the stand with your favorite thread colors and then follow the instructions. In around 30 minutes I was able to learn an ancient craft and make my own cool souvenir to take home. I’m not usually a craft type of person, but I totally surprised myself. It was actually quite relaxing to switch off and just forget about everything while concentrating on the braiding.

Katayaki Cookies

Before you go, don’t forget to pick up some katayaki cookies. These rock-hard cookies were the portable food for ninjas while they were away on a secret mission. They were easy to carry and would last a long time. You can find a variety of different ones at the souvenir shop of the Danjiri Museum.

Wrap Up

If you are looking for a fantastic place to learn all about ninja history and culture, Iga is the perfect place to jump right in and discover the secrets of these once-feared shadow warriors.