Winter

Commonly known as "Tenjin-san", this shrine offers blessings for learning and literature. Legendary poet Matsuo Basho is said to have dedicated his first collection of haiku, The Seashell Game, here, and to have prayed for good luck with his writings.

This is one of only a handful of temples in Japan to have the imperial chrysanthemum crest. On New Year’s Eve, the temple bell is rung to mark the new year, and from New Year’s Day to January 3, a Goma (Buddhist fire ritual) service is held for the first prayers of the New Year.

The shrine is known for its Yoseki Stone, which provides protection from earthquakes, a treasure hall that has been designated as a National Important Cultural Property, and the Mushigui Bell, one of the three most unusual bells in Japan. On New Year’s Eve, the bell is rung to mark the new year, and a lion dance is performed.

Samazama Plaza is located on the south side of Haitopia at the intersection of Ginza-dori and Honmachi-suji. Here, a symbolic weeping cherry tree and a haiku monument to Basho are beautifully illuminated in honor of Matsuo Basho's haiku: “How many, many things / they call to mind, / these cherry blossoms!”

The area in front of the farm (no entry fee required) is beautifully illuminated. Visitors are welcomed by a large house made of lights and adorable pig motifs lighting up the area around the large tree.

In the Yamade area of Iga, local residents who take part in the multifaceted activities of Kotengu no Satoyamade create illumination displays for everyone to see.

Wintersweet as well as red and white plum blossoms are planted on the flower terrace, and the period for enjoying the plum blossoms is rather long, running from mid-February to mid-March.

Lightopia Oyamada, a plum tree grove built on the site of Nunobiki Elementary School after its closure, is home to red and white plum blossoms that bloom beautifully every year.

The plum trees in Ueno Park bloom earlier than the cherry trees, and the weeping plum trees in front of Ueno Castle make for great photos when taken together with the castle. There are also white plum trees blooming in front of the resthouse.

Aekuni Shrine in Iga’s Ichinomiya district performs a ceremonial Shishi Kagura (Lion Dance) on January 3 (Maihatsu Festival), April 17 (Maijo Festival), and December 5 (On Festival) of every year. The Shishi Kagura (Lion Dance), a Prefectural Intangible Cultural Property, is performed for the shrine as a prayer for bountiful harvests and the safety of the family.

Regular visitors are welcome to ring the bell on December 31 starting at 23:24 and 20 seconds. Starting at midnight on January 1, Fukunokami (Deity of Good Fortune) tags are distributed to the first 300 visitors. Shushoe, a festival that heralds the arrival of spring, is held on February 11 and 12 every year.

Ring in the New Year atop Mt. Reizan. Feel free to bring your family or friends. Commemorative gifts and amazake are given out on the temple grounds.

Men dressed only in loincloths stand shoulder-to-shoulder as they vigorously push each other as part of a ritual for family safety and bountiful harvests. The only naked festival in Iga, this festival is thought to have originated in the Tensho Era (1573-1592).