Iga Ueno
Town of History and Culture
Iga City sits almost at the center of the area which is located in the northwestern part of Mie Prefecture, surrounded by mountains. The famous samurai lord, Takatora Todo, maintained this region and established a town in the neighborhood of the castle in the Edo period (1603-1868). Similar to Kyoto, the town of Iga followed the grid pattern. Visitors who have visited Kyoto will feel some essence of the old capital here. Probably, Iga Ueno is best known as the birthplace of Iga Ninja and its arts. It is also where Basho Matsuo, a famous poet and traveler in the Edo period who produced a number of fine travel essays and poems during his travels, was born.
Sightseeing Highlights in Iga Ueno
Iga Ninja Museum
Secret of Iga Ninja and their Ninja art are exhibited.
Ueno Castle
The 30-meter high-raised stone wall is one of the best examples of its kind. The castle is also known as Hakuho Castle.
Haisei-den
A wooden building in a unique design dedicated to Basho Matsuo, Japan’s greatest poet and traveler.
Important Annual Events in Iga Ueno
Castle Festival (Takigi Noh Theatre)
Takigi Noh" is one of the events of the Castle Festival held every year from September to November, during the harvest moon of mid-autumn.
A special stage is set up in the Honmaru Square of Ueno Castle for one night only, where visitors can enjoy Noh and Kyogen performances.
Basho Festival
This event is held on October 12, the anniversary of the death of haiku master Matsuo Basho, to honor his achievements and remember his legacy.
The event includes a ceremony, a national haiku contest, and a visit to the ruins of O. Basho.
The Iga-yaki statue of Basho enshrined in the Haiseiden is open to the public only on October 12.
Ueno Tenjin Festival
The Ueno Tenjin Festival is designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan as well as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. A massive Danjiri float parade and demon procession showcase the 400 year history of the festival.
Traditional Crafts of Iga Ueno
Iga Kumihimo Braiding
A sophisticated color combination of traditional Japanese kumihimo braiding is incorporated into modern items such as ties, straps for mobile phones, and more.
Iga-yaki Ceramics
Mainly focusing on tea ceremony utensils, Iga-yaki ceramics are natural, bold and highly resistant to fires and heat.
Food & Specialties of Iga Ueno
Iga Beef
Blessed with a natural environment and good water, cattle raised in Iga Ueno are highly valued as tasty beef.
Tofu Dengaku
Slices of skewered and lightly grilled tofu are eaten with a miso based sauce and some spice.
Katayaki Cookie
It is said that Iga Ninja carried these extremely hard cookies with them. Every piece is baked by hand. Their crispy aroma, sweet flavor and hard texture makes these traditional cookies of Iga famous.
- Access
- Ueno-shi Station on the Iga Tetsudo train. Ueno Higashi I.C. on the Meihan Highway
- Contact
- Iga Ueno Tourism Association
- TEL：0595-26-7788 / FAX：0595-26-7799
- E-mail： iga-ueno@ict.ne.jp
- URL： http://www.igaueno.net/