What kind of place is Iga City?

Facts & Figures

Location: north-west of Mie Prefecture, adjacent to Kyoto, Nara and Shiga Prefectures.
Population: approx. 80 000 inhabitants.
Features: home of the Iga-style ninja, birthplace of Matsuo Basho, rich natural and historical townscape.

The region has a wealth of tourist facilities, including Iga-Ueno Castle and the Iga School Ninja Museum.
There are also traditional handicrafts such as Iga braided cord and Iga pottery, and a number of nationally renowned food cultures such as Iga rice, Iga beef and Iga sake.

What kind of place is Koka City?

Facts & Figures

Location: south-eastern Shiga Prefecture, close to Kyoto and Mie Prefectures.
Population: approx. 70 000 inhabitants.
Features: ninja history and culture, Shigaraki ware tradition, rich nature.

Koka, Shiga Prefecture, is located in the south-east of Shiga Prefecture and has long been famous as the home of the Koka Ninja.
It also has other nationally known features such as Shigaraki ware and an inn on the 53rd leg of the Tokaido Highway.
Agriculture is particularly active in the prefecture, with rice and tea production being the mainstays.
In particular, Asamiya tea is one of the five best teas in Japan and has even been presented to the Imperial Court.