Ueno City in Mie Prefecture, is a castle town well-known as the home of the Iga-ryu Ninja sect and the birthplace of the famous haiku poet, Matsuo Basho. This city of about 60,000 people is located about 95 kilometers west of Nagoya and eighty kilometres east of Osaka in a basin surrounded by the Suzuka and Murou Mountains. Since there are many places in Japan named "Ueno", this city is often called Iga Ueno in reference to the region's traditional name.
While the region has a long history, this small region surrounded by mountains came to prominence during the late 16th and early 17th century. Strategically the region was unimportant, with few mines, poor agricultural productivity due to the mountains and little to offer in the way of trade. The people of the area were independent minded, and long used to being left to their own in terms of governance. Iga had managed to avoid much of the bloodshed of the long period of civil war, especially that accompanying the steady westward expansion of Oda Nobunaga.
In 1579 Oda Nobuo, Nobunaga's second son, without consultation with his father decided to bring Iga into the control of the Oda and ordered Takigawa Kazumasu to attack and occupy the province. The failure of this attack forced Nobuo to lead a second force into Iga himself. Both invasions failed with heavy casualties due to a number of reasons, including underestimating the military prowess of the Iga samurai and ninja, and considerations such as the vulnerability to ambushes of long slow moving columns (both during the initial invasions and in re-supply). Iga was surrounded by mountains, and the local defenders knew where ambushes could be used to maximum effect. The resistance is known as the Rebellion of Tensho Iga. Although Oda Nobunaga had been opposed to the invasions, he had little alternative due to the political implications involved in the defeat other than to attempt to finish the invasion and occupation.
In October 1581, a massive Oda army believed to comprise over 40,000 men invaded Iga through a number of passes. Due to the multiple invasion routes, the defenders were unable to prevent large numbers of the enemy from penetrating deep into the province. Ambushes and continuous rearguard actions took a heavy toll on the invading force, and some 4,000 Oda warriors died. The retribution was terrible. More than half of the total population of Iga were slaughtered, especially farming communities suspected of being ninja villages. The land was scorched, and survivors fled as refugees to provinces such as Mikawa (Tokugawa Ieyasu), where they were offered refuge. Many of the refugees did not manage to escape as the invading army had difficulty distinguishing between civilian and combatant and despatched both without consideration.
The Iga Ninja, whose sect was said to have begun in the region sometime during the 12th century, managed to avoid annihilation. Despite Nobunaga's reputed ruthlessness, many were able to escape capture by remaining in the mountains or by joining the exodus to other provinces. Oda Nobunaga is said to have refrained from pursuing the ninja in part due to an aversion to further casualties amongst his troops.
The decision to allow the ninja to escape ultimately proved beneficial to Tokugawa Ieyasu. When Nobunaga was betrayed in Kyoto in 1582, Ieyasu was stuck in Osaka with just 30 or so men, far from his base in the Mikawa. Hattori Hanzo, one of Ieyasu's vassals, had family links with the Iga samurai and was able to persuade the Iga warriors to assist Ieyasu. Perhaps due in part to the refuge offered to those who had fled the invasion by Oda Nobunaga the previous year, the Iga Ninjas saved Tokugawa Ieyasu by helping him escape his enemies and escorting him through hostile territory, allowing him to return safely to Okazaki.
Later, after Tokugawa Ieyasu had taken control of the country and obtained the title of shogun, Todo Takatora was appointed as daimyo of the Iga and Ise provinces and given control of Iga Ueno Castle from Tsutsui Sadatsugu, who had originally built the structure. Todo Takatora, a great warrior also known as one of the finest castle architects of his time, expanded and converted the castle and constructed its surrounding 30 meter high walls which are said to be the highest in Japan.
The Iga Ueno Castle and the Ninja Yashiki Museum, profiling the Iga sect Ninjas, are both located in Ueno Park, the heart of the city's year-round tourist attractions. The park is located within a five-minute walk from Kintetsu Line's Ueno City station.
Also located in Ueno Park is the Basho Memorial Museum and Haikai Master's Pavilion, both dedicated to the great haiku master, Matsuo Basho was born in Ueno city in 1644 and lived there until he was 29. While the castle provides the city it's landmark and the ninja, its reputation, Matsuo Basho represents its soul. He was reportedly Japan's first great haiku poet.
Haikai Master's Pavilion, Ueno Park Statue of Matsuo Basho, Haikai Master's Pavilion Ueno Tenjin Festival Display in Danjiri Museum
The Ueno Tenjin Festival, meanwhile, is the city's annual showcase event. Held between October 23-25, the festival features a parade with an Oni-gyoretsu (demon procession) and nine elaborately decorated danjiri floats. The festival is about 400 years old and originated as an agricultural ritual. If you are not able to attend the festival itself, displays, presentations, and three of the floats used in the parade are exhibited in the Danjiri Museum located outside of Ueno Park.
Other annual events include the Ninja Festival on the first Sunday in April, the Basho Festival on August 12th, and Castle Festival between September and October which features Firelight Noh theater.
While the region has a long history, this small region surrounded by mountains came to prominence during the late 16th and early 17th century. Strategically the region was unimportant, with few mines, poor agricultural productivity due to the mountains and little to offer in the way of trade. The people of the area were independent minded, and long used to being left to their own in terms of governance. Iga had managed to avoid much of the bloodshed of the long period of civil war, especially that accompanying the steady westward expansion of Oda Nobunaga.
In 1579 Oda Nobuo, Nobunaga's second son, without consultation with his father decided to bring Iga into the control of the Oda and ordered Takigawa Kazumasu to attack and occupy the province. The failure of this attack forced Nobuo to lead a second force into Iga himself. Both invasions failed with heavy casualties due to a number of reasons, including underestimating the military prowess of the Iga samurai and ninja, and considerations such as the vulnerability to ambushes of long slow moving columns (both during the initial invasions and in re-supply). Iga was surrounded by mountains, and the local defenders knew where ambushes could be used to maximum effect. The resistance is known as the Rebellion of Tensho Iga. Although Oda Nobunaga had been opposed to the invasions, he had little alternative due to the political implications involved in the defeat other than to attempt to finish the invasion and occupation.
In October 1581, a massive Oda army believed to comprise over 40,000 men invaded Iga through a number of passes. Due to the multiple invasion routes, the defenders were unable to prevent large numbers of the enemy from penetrating deep into the province. Ambushes and continuous rearguard actions took a heavy toll on the invading force, and some 4,000 Oda warriors died. The retribution was terrible. More than half of the total population of Iga were slaughtered, especially farming communities suspected of being ninja villages. The land was scorched, and survivors fled as refugees to provinces such as Mikawa (Tokugawa Ieyasu), where they were offered refuge. Many of the refugees did not manage to escape as the invading army had difficulty distinguishing between civilian and combatant and despatched both without consideration.
The Iga Ninja, whose sect was said to have begun in the region sometime during the 12th century, managed to avoid annihilation. Despite Nobunaga's reputed ruthlessness, many were able to escape capture by remaining in the mountains or by joining the exodus to other provinces. Oda Nobunaga is said to have refrained from pursuing the ninja in part due to an aversion to further casualties amongst his troops.
The decision to allow the ninja to escape ultimately proved beneficial to Tokugawa Ieyasu. When Nobunaga was betrayed in Kyoto in 1582, Ieyasu was stuck in Osaka with just 30 or so men, far from his base in the Mikawa. Hattori Hanzo, one of Ieyasu's vassals, had family links with the Iga samurai and was able to persuade the Iga warriors to assist Ieyasu. Perhaps due in part to the refuge offered to those who had fled the invasion by Oda Nobunaga the previous year, the Iga Ninjas saved Tokugawa Ieyasu by helping him escape his enemies and escorting him through hostile territory, allowing him to return safely to Okazaki.
Later, after Tokugawa Ieyasu had taken control of the country and obtained the title of shogun, Todo Takatora was appointed as daimyo of the Iga and Ise provinces and given control of Iga Ueno Castle from Tsutsui Sadatsugu, who had originally built the structure. Todo Takatora, a great warrior also known as one of the finest castle architects of his time, expanded and converted the castle and constructed its surrounding 30 meter high walls which are said to be the highest in Japan.
The Iga Ueno Castle and the Ninja Yashiki Museum, profiling the Iga sect Ninjas, are both located in Ueno Park, the heart of the city's year-round tourist attractions. The park is located within a five-minute walk from Kintetsu Line's Ueno City station.
Also located in Ueno Park is the Basho Memorial Museum and Haikai Master's Pavilion, both dedicated to the great haiku master, Matsuo Basho was born in Ueno city in 1644 and lived there until he was 29. While the castle provides the city it's landmark and the ninja, its reputation, Matsuo Basho represents its soul. He was reportedly Japan's first great haiku poet.
Haikai Master's Pavilion, Ueno Park Statue of Matsuo Basho, Haikai Master's Pavilion Ueno Tenjin Festival Display in Danjiri Museum
The Ueno Tenjin Festival, meanwhile, is the city's annual showcase event. Held between October 23-25, the festival features a parade with an Oni-gyoretsu (demon procession) and nine elaborately decorated danjiri floats. The festival is about 400 years old and originated as an agricultural ritual. If you are not able to attend the festival itself, displays, presentations, and three of the floats used in the parade are exhibited in the Danjiri Museum located outside of Ueno Park.
Other annual events include the Ninja Festival on the first Sunday in April, the Basho Festival on August 12th, and Castle Festival between September and October which features Firelight Noh theater.