From November 25 (Mon.) to 27 (Wed.), 2024, a monitoring tour was conducted for three days to develop the “Journey to Know the Truth about Ninja” program.
This project is part of the Attractiveness Promotion Model Project in Japanese Heritage, which was solicited by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

Background and Story of the Model Project
Ninja are now widely known throughout the world. However, in many cases, recognition is limited to their entertainment and character aspects, and the true nature, history, and spirituality of the ninja are not fully understood.
Iga and Koga are known as the “home of the ninja,” but internationally, recognition of the region as a place where ninja history and culture have taken root is not sufficiently widespread. On the other hand, in recent years, with the increase in inbound (foreign tourists visiting Japan) and the growing interest in Japanese culture, the theme of ninja has been attracting more and more attention.
Under these circumstances, we believe it is important to explore the essence of the ninja, such as their historical background, spirituality, and way of life, while taking advantage of their appeal as an entertainment element, and to make efforts to utilize them in modern society. In order to establish the brand value of Iga and Koga as “sacred places of the ninja,” we developed a program to learn the truth about the ninja, and conducted a monitoring tour as a demonstration of the program.
The tour is intended to provide visitors with an opportunity to experience the cultural attractions of the region and to come into contact with the history and essence of the ninja, and is expected to contribute to the promotion of tourism and the development of the local economy by promoting regional revitalization with the ninja at its core.

Outline of the Monitoring Tour
The tour was centered on the following programs

• Through reliving the lives of the people known today as “ninja” in those days, learn how ninjutsu and ninja tools were used and get closer to the truth about the ninja.
• Experience the charm of the entire region by incorporating the traditions, lifestyles, and food culture of the Iga and Koga regions.
• Incorporate special experience programs utilizing the constituent cultural assets to create a high value-added travel product that will satisfy wealthy overseas visitors.

Contents of Implementation
November 25 (Monday)

[9:00: Pick up] Kyoto Station The four monitors are picked up at Kyoto Station. The tour will take about 40 minutes by car to Koshinzan (Koga City), the location where the first content will be held. In the car during the trip, the navigator accompanying the tour will provide an overview of the “Journey to the Truth about Ninja” in both Japanese and English.

　
[10:00: Greeting] Koshinzan Kotokuji Temple, Koga City
Upon entering Koka City and arriving at Koshinzan Koutokuji Temple, the monitors were greeted by samurai in armor. After learning that the Koga Ninja originally took on the appearance of warriors, the monitors completed their prayers for the journey at the main shrine and changed into samue, a type of Japanese warrior’s robe specially created for this tour. After a lecture on the background of the birth of the ninja in this area and the differences between the Koga and Iga ninja, they were told their mission for this tour by the Koga samurai.
The mission was to “sneak into a ninja house in Iga tomorrow night, find a scroll hidden somewhere in the house without being found by the enemy, bring it back and report to the lord. The monitors were taught breathing exercises for mental unification by the samurai as the first training, and then given instructions on the next training location.

　
BEAMS JAPAN supervised shugyogi set
The shugyogi to be worn during the various experiences were planned and developed by BEAMS Creative Inc. as part of this model project.

Set Contents

• Matsusaka cotton samue: indigo-dyed fabric by MISO Orimono with an original design
• Functional pocket T-shirt with Iga braid decoration: The upper part of the pocket is decorated with flat cords of Sasanamigumi from Matsushima Braided Cord Shop.
• Iga braided cord pouch: The body is made of braided cord fabric from Maesawa Braided Cord Shop, and the shoulder strap is made of synthetic fiber braided cord from Matsushima Braided Cord Shop.
• MOONSTAR’s special-order Jikatabi sneakers: Based on MOONSTAR’s long-selling work shoes “Oyankichi”, these sneakers are specially designed with a double knot tassel sewn on the front with Iga-gumihimo and a flat Sasanamigumi cord sewn on the heel counter.
• Matsusaka cotton drawstring: Made of the same indigo-dyed fabric as the samue.

　

　
[Ninja training (making sandals, lunch, Yin-nin training): 12:00 – 16:00] Ubusuna, a private accommodation in Iga City.
When the monitors go to the indicated location, they are greeted by a man dressed as a farmer.
As instructed by the man, they experienced farm work that at first glance had nothing to do with ninja, such as using a balance stick, splitting maki, and making sandals, before having lunch of rice balls made from Iga rice that they cooked themselves and a bowl of soup with Iga products.
In the afternoon, the monitors will experience authentic ninjutsu practices (yin-nin), such as ninja walking, hiding, and capture, at the dojo of a man who was actually a ninjutsu master. Here, the monitors realized that the movements of the morning’s farm work were the movements of the ninja themselves.

　
[16:30: Hotel check-in] NIPPONIA HOTEL, Iga City, Iga Ueno Castle Town, Former Nozaki Residence
After training at “Ubusuna”, we will head to the hotel where we will stay and check in. The hotel, NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Jokamachi Former Nozaki-tei, a decentralized hotel scattered throughout the castle town of Iga, is a 5,100 m2 former samurai residence with a circular garden and a sauna in a warehouse.Rest at the hotel for a while until the last special experience of the first day (Castle Dining).

　

　
[18:00: Castle Dining] Iga Ueno Castle Keep Plaza, Iga City
For dinner, we will go to Iga-Ueno Castle. First, enjoy an aperitif at the ruins of the Tsutsui keep, where you can admire the grandeur of the castle keep. Then, move to the plaza in front of the castle keep, where a specially prepared table offers a close-up view of the keep. The monitors enjoy a special dinner outdoors, using not only Iga beef, Iga rice, and other Iga-produced ingredients, but also ninja-inspired colors and serving styles. After the meal, we return to the hotel and end the first day.

  November 26 (Tuesday)
　
[10:00: Collection and preparation of medicinal herbs] Minakuchi Children’s Forest, Koka City
After finishing breakfast, the monitors headed for Koka City, where they found a woman in a stray coat waiting for them. In Koka, people brought back information about the land by picking medicinal herbs and selling the medicines they made to other countries. While tracing the history of this practice, the tour participants experienced the actual gathering and preparation of medicinal herbs. The monitors were amazed at the explanation of the efficacy of medicinal herbs and the know-how to incorporate them into daily life.

　
[12:00: Lunch] Nishiki Chaya, Koka City
On the way to the next planned destination, the monitors had lunch at a Japanese restaurant in Koka, popular for its medicinal herbs cuisine. Following the earlier gathering and preparation of medicinal herbs and tasting with herbal teas, they will continue to experience the benefits of beauty, appetite enhancement, and relieving fatigue through food.

　

　
[13:45: Prayer and strategy meeting] Aburahi-jinja Shrine, Koka City
Aburahi-jinja Shrine is a place where many ninja are said to have prayed for the safety of their missions. The building was reportedly erected during the Warring States period. The shrine has been used as a filming location for TV and movies, and its world view is overwhelming.
After experiencing a special visit to the shrine by a priest, the monitors will then hear a strategy from the Koga ninja about tonight’s infiltration mission in the shrine’s compound.

　

　
[17:35: Undercover Mission] Iga City Iga Ninja Museum
The monitors changed into ninja costumes and put on sandals made of “ubusuna” and tried to sneak into the mansion to find and bring back a hidden scroll.
On the day of the event, it was raining heavily, but they took advantage of the rain’s ability to muffle the sound of the rain to sneak in. The team sneaked into the mansion under the watchful eyes of the samurai standing guard in front of the gate, and checked the donjon and the hidden door. On the way to the house, the participants practice the ninjutsu they have been taught, such as quail hiding and Kannon hiding, to avoid detection by the guards who come to scout the house, and proceed deeper into the house by stealthy steps and snake walking, finally finding the scroll, only to be confronted by the guards who appear again. The monitors completed their mission by capturing the samurai with coordinated play, including eye-blindness and capture techniques, and safely left the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum.

　
[19:00: Dinner] NIPPONIA HOTEL, Iga City, Iga Ueno Castle Town, Former Nozaki Residence
After successfully completing the undercover mission, the monitors return to the hotel for dinner. The menu features a pot-au-feu, which is designed to look like a hot pot, with a lineup that is gentle on the body.

  Wednesday, November 27
　

　
[8:30: Ending] Iga Ueno Castle Keep, Iga City
\On the morning of the final day, we head to Iga-Ueno Castle to present the scroll we obtained during the previous day’s undercover mission to the Tono-sama. While waiting on the top floor, the Lord appears and sits down, smiling with satisfaction when he sees the scroll in his hand. He is given a souvenir to commemorate the results of this mission and his trip to Iga-Kouga, and ends his travel experience to learn the truth about the ninja.

　
[9:15: Breakfast].
After debriefing on the undercover mission, the monitors move to the Akai Family Residence, a registered tangible cultural property, which will be the breakfast venue for the day. While gazing at the beautiful garden of the samurai residence, they enjoy a breakfast that will take away the fatigue of the trip and energize them for the rest of the day.

　
[10:00: Stroll in the castle town] Iga-Ueno Castle Town
At the end of the trip, you and your tour navigator will take a walk around the castle town. We will also stop at a store and add to the memories of the trip the charm of the current castle town of Iga-Ueno.

Souvenirs from Iga and Kouga supervised by BEAMS JAPAN A set of souvenirs from Iga and Kouga, supervised by BEAMS JAPAN, was made available to participants as a set of specialties from Iga and Kouga, in line with the program’s objective of “half farmer, half ninja,” the true form of the ninja.
　

• Iga & Kouga Tea Set
  • Kozang Kiln Custom-made Iga Ware 5-Piece Tea Set
  • Miharu Kiln Custom-made Shigaraki ware tea set of 5 pieces

Roots Herb School Set of 6 teabags of herbal teas with various benefits (with Japanese and English recipes)

Each of the above is placed in a paulownia wood box and decorated with braided cords from Matsushima Kumihimo Shop.

• Iga & Koga Selected “Beauty and Health” Set
  • shumushumu Sake Bath Salts
  • Ayama NOSAN Tomoda no Tsudzumi 2gos.
  • HANASAKI KARIN Iga City Rice Flour Confectionary Set (6 kinds)
  • ninjaroma Hinokiaroma set
  • Minori Sangyo Kurokage Rice 100g
  • TANAKA SHUZO Kouga-ryu Shiratama Bakudama Polpolone

*The above are placed in a paper box and decorated with braided cords from Matsushima Kumihimo Shop.

  Through this monitoring tour, we were able to receive high evaluations from the participants and had the opportunity to further deepen their interest in ninja culture. In the future, by brushing up this program and making the tours a reality, we will expand awareness of ninja culture, strengthen the ninja brand centering on Iga and Koga, and promote the development of new tourism resources and products utilizing ninja culture.

The ninja is a cultural asset that Japan should be proud of. In addition to their character, they have the potential to provide new value to people in Japan and abroad by delving into and communicating their history and spirituality. We aim to use this monitoring tour as an opportunity for Iga and Koga to gain worldwide recognition as “sacred places of the ninja.


Click here to watch the video of the monitoring tour.

Implementing body Iga-Koga Ninja Council, the home of the ninja

 (Iga City, Koka City, Iga-Ueno Tourist Association, Koka City Tourism and Community Development Council, Shigaraki Town Tourism Association)

 
Contractors

Value Management Co.

Beams Creative Inc.

Ninjack Corporation

Ubusuna Mitsuhashi Genichi

Roots Herb School Take Nakajima Michiyo