About Iga-ryū Ninja Museum
The Iga-ryu Ninja Museum, located in Ueno Park where Ueno Castle is located in Iga City, Mie Prefecture, Japan, is a museum about learning about Iga-ryu ninja and Ninjutsu. Ninjutsu originated in the Iga region at the end of the Heian period and was a technique used in Japan for espionage, including fighting, creating chaos and gathering information. Training in Ninjutsu includes camouflage, escape, concealment, fighting, geography, medicine and demolition, and is generally used for military purposes. Ninjutsu can be divided into several schools such as Iga-ryu, Koga-ryu, Negara-ryu, Zasiga-ryu, and Nitori-ryu, and currently Koga-ryu and Iga-ryu are ranked as the most powerful schools of Ninjutsu.
At first glance, the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum looks like an ordinary farmhouse, but inside, there are many clever designs and mechanisms such as dark rooms, flipping walls, hidden doors, and sword hiding places, and more than 400 props such as swords used by real ninja are on display. Visitors to the museum can also experience the use of the sword, flip and other ninjutsu techniques, and learn how they are used in modern society. Outside the museum, there are stores selling items used by ninjas, and visitors can purchase them at these stores if they are interested.
How to get there
Train/approx. 7 min. walk from “Ueno City Station” of Iga Railway
Car: Approx. 10 minutes from the Ueno-higashi Interchange on the Meihan National Highway
Tips
Video recording was prohibited in the ninja house, but photos were allowed. There were about two ninjas who explained the tricks. The highlight of this place is the show! The actors make the onlookers laugh and were very good at dealing with foreign visitors! They also seem to be working hard on YouTube and I wanted to support them! I went with my 4 and 6 year olds and they all enjoyed it.
Website
https://www.iganinja.jp/?page_id=837
