Discover the Ninja Towns of Koka and Iga Ueno

TRAVELING TO KOKA & IGA UENO

Koka and Iga Ueno are located in Shiga and Mie prefectures, respectively. If you have a Kansai Area Pass, a Kansai Wide Area Pass, or a nationwide JR Pass, then you can use it to travel to Koka and/or Iga Ueno.

Koka

The town of Koka is located less than an hour east of Kyoto Station. To get there, take the Tokaido-Sanyo Line to Kusatsu Station, then transfer to the Kusatsu Line and alight at either Konan or Koka stations. More on which station is better in the attractions section of this guide.

Iga Ueno

Iga Ueno is located around two hours east of Osaka. It’s less than an hour and a half south of Koka, so it’s possible to visit both towns on the same day.

If you’re coming from Koka, you can take the Kusatsu Line to Tsuge Station, then transfer to the Kansai Line to Iga-Ueno Station. From there, you can transfer to the Iga Tetsudo Line* to Uenoshi Station.

If you’re traveling from Osaka, there are many ways to get to Uenoshi Station. If you’d prefer to travel by JR trains, you can take the Osaka Loop Line to Kamo Station, then transfer to the Kansai Line to Iga-Ueno Station. From there, you can transfer to the Iga Tetsudo Line* to Uenoshi Station.

*Please note that the Iga Tetsudo Line is not a JR Line. People traveling with a Kansai (Wide) Area Pass or Japan Rail Pass will need to pay the extra fare for this leg of the trip.

HOW DID KOKA & IGA UENO BECOME THE NINJA CAPITALS OF JAPAN?

Iga Ueno produced the Iga-ryu school of ninjutsu, while Koka (sometimes written as Koga) is the birthplace of Koga-ryu. They were the two most well-known ninja schools in Japan.

During the Sengoku period of the 15th and 16th centuries, Japan was fractured into warring states¹. Because of the region’s treacherous mountain terrain, Koka and Iga were cut off from the seat of power in Japan. No powerful feudal lords emerged so local autonomy developed out of the need to govern and protect their lands².

Professor Yuji Yamada of Mie University³ theorizes that this self-reliance and political independence, coupled with the region’s difficult terrain, made Iga and Koka an ideal breeding ground for asymmetrical warfare skills like espionage and guerilla warfare. The farmers of Koka and Iga essentially became some of Japan’s first ninjas.

Sought after for their unconventional combat tactics, ninjas were often employed as mercenaries by daimyo across Japan. Because of this, history remembers and portrays them as hired assassins. But if Professor Yamada’s theory is correct, they were more like revolutionaries born from a desire for self-determination.

Over time, ninjas became legendary, and the towns of Koka and Iga were immortalized as the birthplace of ninja culture in Japan.

NINJA ATTRACTIONS IN KOKA

Koka Ninja House

Between Koka and Iga Ueno, the latter is more interesting. Iga Ueno has more to offer as a tourist destination, but in my opinion, Koka Ninja House is the most intriguing ninja-related attraction in either city.

Koka-ryu Ninjutsu Yashiki, or the Koka Ninja House, is the former residence of the Mochizuki family, one of the leading clans of the Koka school of ninjutsu. Built in the Edo period, it’s over 300 years old and is the only authentic ninja house still standing in Japan today.

Upon entering the museum, you’ll be treated to herbal tea while watching a short introductory video on the house’s history. The tea they serve you is a centuries-old recipe developed and consumed by the clan’s ninjas. It’s quite good and available for purchase at the museum’s shop.

The house museum isn’t that big but it does have interesting exhibits (with English translations) showcasing shuriken, swords, and other ninja-related items. There are also several videos detailing various features of the house and the family’s history.

Being a former ninja residence, the house is designed with secret passageways, hidden escape routes, and trap mechanisms like drop floors and hidden walls. You’re free to explore the house while learning the ways of real-life ninjas. How fun!

Anyone who’s ever fantasized about being a ninja can’t possibly leave Koka Ninja House without throwing a few stars. For a fee, you’ll get to throw real shuriken at a throwing range just outside the house.

It’s harder than it looks, but I did manage to stick a couple of stars on the outermost edges of the target’s mounting board. Ha!

How to Get There: Koka Ninja House is around a 25-minute walk south of Konan Station. If you’re traveling with luggage, please note that there are no lockers at Konan Station (as of April 2025).

Koka Ninja Village

If you’re traveling with ninja-obsessed children, then you may want to spend a few hours at Koka Ninja Village. It’s a ninja theme park nestled in a forested area on the outskirts of the city.

At the village, visitors can test their skills at a shuriken throwing range and a nine-stage obstacle course featuring classic ninja challenges like scaling stone walls, balancing on tightropes, and mastering water-crossing shoes. You can even rent costumes to make you feel like a real ninja!

The obstacle course and throwing range are the main draws at Koka Ninja Village, but the compound also features a small museum and a trick house that once belonged to the Fujibayashi ninja family.

Like the Koka Ninja House, the trick house once belonged to actual Koka ninja, but unlike the Mochizuki residence that still stands in its original location, the Fujibayashi residence was dismantled, transferred, and rebuilt in the forest for tourism purposes⁴.

How to Get There: Koka Ninja Village is around a 30-minute walk north of Koka Station. The Ninja Village provides free transportation to and from the station. You can check their website for details.

NINJA ATTRACTIONS IN IGA UENO

Iga-ryu Ninja Museum

Though I find Koka Ninja House more fascinating due to its authenticity, Iga-ryu Ninja Museum is more fun to visit, especially for families.

Located in the same park as Iga Ueno Castle, Iga-ryu Ninja Museum is an entertaining heritage attraction that features a terrific ninja museum, a trick house, a live ninja show, and a target range for throwing shuriken and shooting blow darts.

The trick house was small and unimpressive compared to Koka Ninja House, but the real gem here is the museum. It’s a well-curated museum with lots of cool exhibits and interesting information on the Igu-ryu school of ninjutsu.

The live ninja show is another highlight. To be honest, I thought it’d be cheesy but it turned out to be a lot of fun, even though the entire show was only in Japanese.

Not only was the show visually entertaining, but it was also educational. It was cool to see how many of the tools showcased in the museum were actually used by ninjas. The actors are well-trained and highly skilled, and judging from the predominantly Japanese crowd’s peals of laughter, they were funny as well.

At the end of the show, they give audience members the chance to throw ninja knives for an extra fee.

If throwing knives are a little too intimidating for you, then you can try chucking ninja stars instead, but do be advised that lines at the throwing range can get quite long. Iga-ryu Ninja Museum is more accessible and popular with families so expect bigger crowds here.

How to Get There: Iga-ryu Ninja Museum is located in Ueno Park, around a 10-minute walk from Uenoshi Station.

VISIT KOKA & IGA UENO FAQs

Are Koka and Iga Ueno worth visiting?

If you have a fascination for ninjas, then yes, absolutely. Exploring an authentic ninja house and throwing shuriken is cool as it is, but getting to do it in places with real ninja history and heritage makes it even cooler.

Can I visit Koka and Iga Ueno on a day trip from Osaka or Kyoto?

Technically yes, but it’ll be a long and tiring day. Assuming you’re traveling by train from Kyoto Station and back, it’ll take you around 10-12 hours to visit Koka Ninja House and Iga-ryu Ninja Museum. Due to its more remote location, I don’t think it’s possible to visit Koka Ninja Village on the same day trip.

Personally, I visited both cities on a larger trip through the Kansai region. I traveled to Koka (with luggage) from my hotel in Lake Biwa before continuing to Iga Ueno where I spent the night.

If I had time to visit just one city, which should I visit?

It depends. If you’re interested in authenticity and historical value, then I’d visit Koka and the Mochizuki ninja house. If you’re traveling with kids or want a more well-rounded experience, then I’d go to Iga Ueno.

Aside from Iga-ryu Ninja Museum, Iga Ueno is home to other attractions as well, like Iga Ueno Castle and the museum and memorial dedicated to celebrated Japanese poet Matsuo Basho.

THE FINAL SAY

Neither Koka nor Iga Ueno is a top tourist destination. I wouldn’t even call them secondary destinations. But if you’ve ever had an interest in the secretive world of ninjas, then they’re two of the coolest places you can visit in Japan.

Disclosure

This Koka and Iga Ueno travel guide contains affiliate links, meaning we’ll earn a small commission if you make a booking at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products and services that we use ourselves and firmly believe in. We really appreciate your support as it helps us make more of these free travel guides. Arigato gozaimasu!

References

1. Sengoku period. Wikipedia.
2. Ninja, the preservers of the regional peace. Shinobi-no-Sato Iga and Koka.
3. Strusiewicz, Cezary Jan (2024, October 18). The Real History of Ninjas. Tokyo Weekender.
4. Koka Ninja Village. Good Luck Trip. (2025, April 1).