October

Haiku enthusiasts and admirers of haiku master Matsuo Basho come from all over Japan to take part in this annual autumn event, a fitting event for the culturally rich historical town of Iga-Ueno. A seated statue of Basho made of Iga Ware enshrined in Haiseiden is open for public viewing only on October 12 during the Basho Festival.

Behold the enchanting atmosphere of Iga-Ueno Castle Town illuminated by an array of lights.

During the festival period, you can transform into a ninja at the Ninja Henshin Dokoro (Ninja Transformation Spot). In addition to the ninja trick art in the Iga castle town, which is full of ninjas, there're trick arts exclusive to this festival. The events held at the plaza feature a variety of ninja experiences that let you enjoy this town of ninjas to the fullest.

The Hijiki Cosmos Festival has been held in mid-October every year since 1992. At this cosmos field in Iga's Hijiki District, a carpet of red, white, and pink cosmos flowers covers the landscape, attracting throngs of visitors.

One of the best-known folk performing arts of Mie Prefecture is Kanko Odori, a dance in which performers wear Kanko drums on their chests. It has been performed since ancient times as a fertility dance, with Dengaku (traditional Japanese music)-style Kanko drums slung over their shoulders and prayers offered to ward off evil spirits and pray for rain. It is thought that, over time, it became a Shinto ritual to pray for bountiful harvests and peace within the village.

Every year on October 17, the Annual Festival Dedication Fireworks Display is held at Tejikara Shrine in Higashiyubune, Iga. Commonly known as Tejikara-san's Seventeenth Night, it is the latest of the fireworks displays held in the Iga region, with approximately 250 fireworks lighting up the night sky in autumn. On the night of the fireworks, the temple grounds bustle with visitors and shop stalls.

The Ueno Tenjin Festival is an autumn festival held at Ueno Tenjingu Shrine and the largest autumn festival in Iga with a history of about 400 years. Its highlights include a parade of portable shrines accompanied by more than one hundred demons and nine gorgeously decorated Danjiri floats. The Danjiri procession of the Ueno Tenjin Festival was designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in February 2002, and it was also registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in November 2016 under the name “Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan”.

This autumn festival is a rare traditional event passed down at Tanao Shrine since antiquity. The Shishi Kagura (Lion Dance) dates back to Aekuni Shrine in the mid-Edo Period (1603-1867) and is designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of Iga. Said to be one of the more unusual festivals in Iga, this festival features boat-shaped Danjiri floats, particularly rare in mountainous areas, as well as bamboo crosses adorned with sheets to form a sail known as kotatsuki, as well as horseback riding, which attracts throngs of visitors to the festival every year.