IGA,
The Birthplace of Ninja

Ninjas are a mysterious presence that continues to fascinate people to this day. A secretive group whose main missions were intelligence and counter-intelligence, these ninjas lurked in the shadows to gather information on the enemy. Iga in particular was home to a superior form of Ninjutsu, and traces of the "Iga-mono" who worked in the shadows throughout the country can still be found in the area today. Here in Iga, the culture of the ninja, which is intertwined with the history of Japan, is still alive today. Experience the world of the Iga-ryu ninja for yourself.

Ninja Museum of Igaryu

Ninja Museum of Igaryu

Experience Ninja Tricks at a Ninja House!

The only museum in Japan dedicated to the ninja, this place boasts the world's largest collection of ninja artifacts. At Ninja House, an authentic earthen-walled mansion from the late Edo Period that has been relocated, a ninja will guide you through the various tricks and traps inside. The Ninjutsu Experience Hall and Ninja Lore Hall are also full of valuable ninja-related materials, and visitors can see genuine implements and materials that were used by ninjas. You can also enjoy a breathtaking performance by the Iga ninja group Ashura or try your hand at throwing stars.

An Authentic Trick-Filled Ninja House

This house, previously located in the southern part of Iga, has been renovated and relocated to its current site. It features a variety of tricks, including rotating wall panels used by ninjas to safeguard the information they had gathered and other items from enemies. Weekday guided tours by ninjas provide explanations and demonstrations of these intriguing devices, while on weekends and holidays, visitors can try hands-on experiences to learn about these tricks firsthand. Let's explore the secrets of this authentic ninja house!

Exhibits on Display

Visitors can view implements used by ninjas, ninja gear, various techniques, and important documents. Learn how some ninja gear is used incorrectly today and other surprising facts about ninjas.

Ninjutsu Demonstration Show

A ninjutsu demonstration show performed by the Iga ninja group Ashura, which performs not only in Japan but also abroad, showcases how ninjas used the implements on display in the museum. Come witness demonstrations with authentic ninja gear that only the "Sacred Land of the Ninja" can offer.

Ninja Museum of Igaryu

Don’t miss the thrilling ninja show and the world’s largest collection of ninja artifacts!
The Ninja House, relocated from a late-Edo period local warrior’s residence, is filled with hidden traps and trick doors. A real ninja will guide you through these clever "karakuri" mechanisms.

Explore the Ninja Experience Hall and the Ninja Tradition Hall, where you can see authentic ninja tools and historical materials that reveal the true life of the ninja.

You can also enjoy a high-energy ninja performance show by the professional ninja group Ashura (additional fee) and try your hand at shuriken throwing (additional fee).
Don’t forget to check out the wide range of original ninja merchandise available at the gift shop.

Adress	117 Uenomarunouchi,Iga City,Mie
Contact	TEL：(+81)595-23-0311 HP：http://www.iganinja.jp

Ubusuna Bugei Dojo

Farmstay and Ninja Training Experiences at The Birthplace of Ishikawa Goemon

Learn self-sufficiency through a farmstay hosted by someone with a Master's degree in Ninjutsu studies from Mie University, as well as various other experiences useful in modern times, such as disaster preparedness techniques learned from Ninjutsu in the adjacent dojo.

Authentic Ninjutsu Training In a Ninja Village

Nindo is a form of Ninjutsu systemized by the Japan Ninja Council, an official ninja organization. Here, you can experience the ninja training of the olden days updated for modern times. There's a practice space for throwing stars and opportunities to experience authentic Ninjutsu training of the Iga ninja in the ruins of a medieval castle! Learn the Ninjitsu basics of "hiding, completing your mission, and returning alive no matter what", which come before the martial art itself, at this ninja village.

A Farmstay Experience to Learn About Local Production For Local Consumption

Prior to the Edo Period, ninjas engaged in agriculture work during the daytime and did training and ninja work at night. Here, you can experience the real life of a ninja. The meals include home-grown organic Kinuhikari rice cooked in earthenware pots made by the Iga Ware kiln Nagatanien.

Ubusuna Bugei Dojo

Adress	666-4 Ishikawa,Iga City,Mie
Contact	TEL：(+81)595-51-0513 HP：https://ubusuna-ninja.jp/

Murai Bankoen (Teahouse)

A Famous Shopkeeper and His Ninja Cat Welcome You

This long-established teahouse in the castle town serves aromatic Iga tea as well as superb green tea and hojicha (roasted green tea) soft-serve ice cream and is also packed full of ninja-related merchandise.

Iga Tea, Sweets, Ninja... A Long-established Teahouse Filled with Fun and Charm

This tea shop has a long history of selling Iga tea and is also famous for the fact that the predecessor studied under the last Iga-ryu ninja and even opened a ninja school. There's even a ninja area inside, which gives the shop its own unique charm.

Chacha the Ninja Mascot Cat Welcomes You

This cat usually spends its time relaxing in the store, but at the customer's request, it will change into a ninja costume.
This cat also poses for commemorative photos.

Murai Bankoen(Teahouse)

Adress	3130 Uenokodamacho,Iga City,Mie
Contact	Toll Free：0120-21-1173 HP：https://www.instagram.com/muraibankouen/

Fuji Issui (Restaurant)

Ninja Cuisine Served by The Descendant of Ninja

This traditional Japanese restaurant is run by the descendant of the Fujibayashi family, one of the three great Iga Jonin (ninja masters) who compiled the ancient ninja text Bansenshukai. At the end of your meal, you will be offered Hyorogan, the food that ninjas used as portable meals!

The Rooms Also Recreate The Wisdom of Ninja

Since ancient times, ninjas have used a wide range of implements and ingenuity to accomplish their missions. Examples of this include the famous throwing stars as well as rotating wall panels, and here you can see this ninja wisdom brought back to life. These will be introduced to you after dinner so you have something to look forward to!

Fuji Issui(Restaurant)

Adress	2352 Nishiyubune,Iga City,Mie
Contact	TEL：(+81)595-43-1089 HP：https://www.fujiissui.com/

Aekuni Shrine

The Highest Ranking Shrine In Iga and Its Deep Connections With Ninja

Iga's Ichinomiya Shrine (the heighest ranking shrine in the province) flourished in the Edo Period as the guardian deity of the “Devil’s Gate” (the northeast gate of the castle, believed to be an unlucky direction) to Iga-Ueno Castle. It is the head shrine of the Hattori family and also has deep connections to the family, and is the site where the Kurondo Festival, a festival dedicated to Ninjutsu and other martial arts, is held.

Lion Dance Dedication on January 3

The Shishi Kagura (Lion Dance) is a performance dedicated to the gods featuring a lion that wards off evil. One of the songs performed, a dance known as the Hanadaka, features a goblin known as a tengu that tries to wake a sleeping lion, drawing laughter from the audience.

Aekuni Shrine

Adress	877 Ichinomiya,Iga City,Mie
Contact	TEL：(+81)595-23-3061 HP：http://www.aekuni.jp/

Tejikara Shrine

A Shrine Associated With Fujibayashi, One of The Three Great Ninjas of Iga

This is the shrine of the Fujibayashi family, who compiled the ninja text Bansenshukai, and its main hall is home to a famously large bell cord, the heaviest in Japan at 2 tons.

The History of the Iga Ninja, Who Excelled In the Art of Gunpowder

The Fujibayashi family was skilled in the use of gunpowder and artillery and offered fireworks to the Tejikara Shrine, which still hosts fireworks shows in mid-October, the latest of the fireworks displays held in Iga.

The Massive Prayer Bells Are a Captivating Sight

In the center of the worship hall are the bells of hundreds of thousands of people who have prayed here, hung from the bell cord to convey them to the gods. The bell cord is 4 meters in circumference, 3 meters high, and weighs 2 tons, making it both the oldest and the thickest prayer cord in Japan.

The God of Longevity

The shrine has long been revered as Tejikara-san of Yubune, a shrine of great spiritual value, which enshrines the god of hands and strength as well as the god of longevity. Today, it is also known for its blessings for higher education, matchmaking, and traffic safety.

Tejikara Shrine

This small shrine is closely connected to Fujibayashi Nagatonokami, a legendary ninja master of the Fujibayashi clan.

It features what is said to be the heaviest suzu-no-o (shrine bell rope) in Japan.
The Fujibayashi clan was known for their mastery of fire-based ninja techniques, and the shrine has a tradition of offering fire as part of its rituals.

Even today, it hosts the latest fireworks festival of the year in Iga, originally handcrafted by local parishioners (ujiko).
Within the shrine grounds, you'll also find a stone lantern believed to have been donated by the fourth-generation descendant, Fujibayashi Masanao.

Adress	1025 Higashiyubune,Iga City,Mie
Contact	－

Otogi Pass

A Mountain Pass That Has Served as The Setting for Novels and Movies

Tokugawa Ieyasu is said to have traversed this mountain pass on his way back to Mikawa after the Honnoji Incident. It has appeared in numerous novels and movies.

A Spectacular View 600 Meters Above Sea Level

From November to January, the coldest months of the year, a sea of clouds enshrouds the mountains. The mountains are tinged red with the changing autumn leaves, which, when combined with the clouds below, creates a world of fantasy. The observation deck is a scenic location from which you can see the expansive beauty of the basin, and you can see the cityscape of Iga as well as the mountains of Nara Kongo.

Otogi Pass

From this scenic mountain pass, you can enjoy panoramic views of the Iga Basin.
Gozai Pass is well known as the setting for many historical novels and is famously linked to a dramatic event in Japanese history.

After the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582, it is said that Tokugawa Ieyasu fled through this very pass—guided and protected by Iga ninja—as he narrowly escaped with his life.
(Some theories suggest he took the route via Marubashira instead.)

This historic site has been featured in various films and documentaries, including “Castle of Owls” (Fukurō no Shiro) and “Sakai-ke no Shiawase”.

Adress	Nishiyama,Iga City,Mie
Contact	TEL：(+81)595-26-7788

Iga-ryu Ninja Shop

A Shop With Ninja Goods of Every Sort

A unique ninja shop in Iga-Ueno, home of the ninja. The shop is filled with ninja costumes, ninja goods, ninja T-shirts, and other items, most of which are original and unique to the Iga-ryu Ninja Store.

Products Here Used In Filming

From ninja costumes, throwing stars, and swords to stationery and knick-knacks, you can find all sorts of ninja-related items here! The shop also does business with companies in the film industry, so the product lineup has things suited for everyone from beginners to enthusiasts.