Iga Ueno Castle
Iga Ueno Castle
4
9:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:45 PM
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Iga Ueno Castle and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
329 within 5 kms
Attractions
60 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.0
240 reviews
Excellent
51
Very good
128
Average
54
Poor
5
Terrible
2
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
MizuhoK
Hino, Japan4,104 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
Iga Castle is a beautiful white castle that is located on a hill and can be seen from Iga city. The highlight is the very high stone walls. Walking along the edge will make your legs shake. I recommend seeing it from the outside as well. This is convincing evidence that it could not be attacked. Inside the castle, the feats of Todo Takatora are explained in an easy-to-understand way. The explanations, which play on the phrase "What will Ieyasu do?", are fun. Another unexpected highlight is the wells. Iga is a city of ninjas. Wells were dug to allow ninjas to escape, and apparently they were used not only to secure water for daily life, but also for escapes. I found it very interesting.
It is surrounded by Ueno Park, and a short walk away is the Ninja House. If you visit both, you can see the main spots of Iga Ueno.
It is surrounded by Ueno Park, and a short walk away is the Ninja House. If you visit both, you can see the main spots of Iga Ueno.
Written 18 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SAMURAIABC
Japan3,166 contributions
Aug 2023 • Solo
The castle tower is a reconstructed one, but it's made of wood, so the interior has a certain charm, and the view from the top floor is great, with plenty of farmland, so you can imagine what the scenery was like during the Warring States period.
I think the best part is the stone wall, which is the tallest in Japan. Looking down from the top of the wall will make your legs tremble. There are no fences, so you need to watch your step.
I think the best part is the stone wall, which is the tallest in Japan. Looking down from the top of the wall will make your legs tremble. There are no fences, so you need to watch your step.
Written 20 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
anyamagic
Bangkok, Thailand1,840 contributions
May 2019 • Business
Castle is great, show costume about ninja and samurai. If you stand in Highest floor will see view all city.
Written 17 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IshDewyn
KL, Malaysia591 contributions
Apr 2013 • Solo
With Nara being part of my itinerary, I thought it would be worth it to see the much heard-about "ninja castle", which would require a bit of travelling out of Nara. And taken in as a whole with the Ninja Museum, the Ninja Show & hanami-time in Ueno Park, it is definitely worth a day trip out from Nara, or even Kyoto and Osaka. (Approx. 2 hours travel time, each way. Try to take Rapid or Express service trains whenever you can, this will significantly decrease your travel time.)
The Castle itself is now a museum. At the Museum, there is a show-house that will let you see some ninja stealth-tricks (like trap doors and secret hideaways) but all that will, ironically, not be available to see at the castle itself. Still, it is a great place to take awesome pictures, to see ancient Japanese architecture up close and to get a sense of the long history of the ninjas and their relationship with the community they lived in. And the view of Iga Ueno from the third level of the castle is pretty spectacular.
There are individual tickets for Ueno Castle (500 yen) and the ninja museum (700 yen), but you'll likely be offered the combined admission ticket (1400 yen) available for three attractions: Ueno Castle, Ninja Yashiki Museum and the Iga Ueno Tenjin Shrine Festival & Danjiri Hall/Museum (500 yen). All are within walking distance from each other, just ask any of the ticket booth operators for a map of the park. I went for the combined ticket, but to be honest, could've done with seeing just the museum, ninja show (additional 300 yen at the Museum) & castle only.
Another thing to do (that is the cutest thing ever!) is to rent ninja costumes for your kids to wear as they run around the park. 700 yen per children's costume for the whole day, 1400 yen for adults.
Do also try to sample the tasty treats sold around the park. On the crisp, cold spring day I was there, I especially enjoyed the fish-shaped pancakes with azuki-bean filling. Delish!
* All tickets are quoted for adult fees. General rule is half-price for kiddies.
The Castle itself is now a museum. At the Museum, there is a show-house that will let you see some ninja stealth-tricks (like trap doors and secret hideaways) but all that will, ironically, not be available to see at the castle itself. Still, it is a great place to take awesome pictures, to see ancient Japanese architecture up close and to get a sense of the long history of the ninjas and their relationship with the community they lived in. And the view of Iga Ueno from the third level of the castle is pretty spectacular.
There are individual tickets for Ueno Castle (500 yen) and the ninja museum (700 yen), but you'll likely be offered the combined admission ticket (1400 yen) available for three attractions: Ueno Castle, Ninja Yashiki Museum and the Iga Ueno Tenjin Shrine Festival & Danjiri Hall/Museum (500 yen). All are within walking distance from each other, just ask any of the ticket booth operators for a map of the park. I went for the combined ticket, but to be honest, could've done with seeing just the museum, ninja show (additional 300 yen at the Museum) & castle only.
Another thing to do (that is the cutest thing ever!) is to rent ninja costumes for your kids to wear as they run around the park. 700 yen per children's costume for the whole day, 1400 yen for adults.
Do also try to sample the tasty treats sold around the park. On the crisp, cold spring day I was there, I especially enjoyed the fish-shaped pancakes with azuki-bean filling. Delish!
* All tickets are quoted for adult fees. General rule is half-price for kiddies.
Written 9 April 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kevin M
Newtown, Pennsylvania, United States240 contributions
May 2018 • Family
Ueno Castle is a castle keep which stood briefly in the 17th century, before being rebuilt in wood - a rarity for its day - in 1935. Inside this castle is a small museum with artifacts like helmets and palanquins, but all explanations are written in Japanese. The keep has three floors; the stairs to the top level are very steep. From this top level, you can see far outside, weather permitting, but there's not much special to see. There are many other castles I would rank above this one, ones that are larger and/or have more interesting histories to them. But due to its location in the same park, this makes a suitable follow-up to visiting the Iga-Ryu Ninja Museum; consider buying a combination ticket to save a couple hundred yen.
Written 30 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew M
7,589 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
Ueno Castle is located in Iga, which is between Nagoya and Osaka. We visited this area as part of our "ninja" day on vacation, where we saw both the Koka and Iga Ninja museums.The Castle was built in the late 16th century by the feudal lord Sadatsugu. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was known as the great unifier of Japan, presented the area to Sadatsugu. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1608, which resulted in the unification of all samurai clans, the lands were confiscated from Sadatsugu and given to Todo Takatora. Todo was worried about attacks by loyalists to Hideyoshi, and sought to strengthen the defences of the castle.
The main keep of the castle was destroyed by a storm during construction and was never finished.It was rebuilt in 1935. The castle is also known as "White Phoenix Castle". The walls on the western side are 30 meters in some areas, giving it the reputation as the castle with the highest walls in Japan. The walls seem more imposing given the relatively "small" size of the castle, at three stories.The restoration of the caste was done with wood only, and this gives it an authentic feel which you will not get in many of the other castles in Japan.
The entrance fee is 500 yen for castle only, and 1,500 yen which is a combination ticket to the ninja museum area and castle.The first floor contains pottery, and samurai armour. The most important display is a seated model of Todo Takatora, and his famous hat which is on display.There are various displays of armour, swords, spears and other weapons.On the 2nd floor, there is a display of pictures of all the castles in Japan. This display was common to all the castles that we visited. The 3rd floor has a few more exhibits, and provides views of the town of Iga.
The castle may be reached from the train station, by taking a left into the underground tunnel immediately on exit from the train station. Turn left on exit from the tunnel, and at next right turn, you will see a huge gate, shaped in the form of a castle entrance gate. This is the main entrance to the park. Walk to the right of the bollards, and take a left at the "T" junction. At this junction you will see a memorial stone to the left. A few minutes walk up the path, and steps come into view. A short climb up these steps will lead to the entrance of the castle.If driving, there is a car park in Ueno Park or at the Train Station.
A visit to the castle should be done in conjunction with a visit to the ninja museum. It may be best to check the time of the performances at the ninja demonstration zone before visiting the castle to ensure that the show is not missed, as it is limited to a few performances per day. It is also pleasant to walk the park grounds around the castle
The main keep of the castle was destroyed by a storm during construction and was never finished.It was rebuilt in 1935. The castle is also known as "White Phoenix Castle". The walls on the western side are 30 meters in some areas, giving it the reputation as the castle with the highest walls in Japan. The walls seem more imposing given the relatively "small" size of the castle, at three stories.The restoration of the caste was done with wood only, and this gives it an authentic feel which you will not get in many of the other castles in Japan.
The entrance fee is 500 yen for castle only, and 1,500 yen which is a combination ticket to the ninja museum area and castle.The first floor contains pottery, and samurai armour. The most important display is a seated model of Todo Takatora, and his famous hat which is on display.There are various displays of armour, swords, spears and other weapons.On the 2nd floor, there is a display of pictures of all the castles in Japan. This display was common to all the castles that we visited. The 3rd floor has a few more exhibits, and provides views of the town of Iga.
The castle may be reached from the train station, by taking a left into the underground tunnel immediately on exit from the train station. Turn left on exit from the tunnel, and at next right turn, you will see a huge gate, shaped in the form of a castle entrance gate. This is the main entrance to the park. Walk to the right of the bollards, and take a left at the "T" junction. At this junction you will see a memorial stone to the left. A few minutes walk up the path, and steps come into view. A short climb up these steps will lead to the entrance of the castle.If driving, there is a car park in Ueno Park or at the Train Station.
A visit to the castle should be done in conjunction with a visit to the ninja museum. It may be best to check the time of the performances at the ninja demonstration zone before visiting the castle to ensure that the show is not missed, as it is limited to a few performances per day. It is also pleasant to walk the park grounds around the castle
Written 24 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hethler
Philippines365 contributions
Apr 2017 • Solo
Throughout my Japan trip, I stayed in Osaka so it was challenging going to Iga City with roughly 3-hrs travel time not to mention the 'waiting time'. Since this is Mie Prefecture, I can't tell for sure but during my trip there weren't many train schedule going to Mie, so there are waiting time roughly 30-minutes depending on your subway line. At one point, I have to buy ticket for limited express train with reserved seating going to Iga and waited for almost an hour. But, the good thing is, it's worth it. While it was raining that whole day, the beauty of the castle even from afar is just amazing! Noticeably, there are rather few tourists that day, must be the bad weather but again, it's worth it even if the hard rains tried to ruin your trip. The castle is just beautiful in any angle, and the cherry blossoms added extra beauty into it. You can actually go inside the castle up to the top-most level of it for ¥500. There are a lot of feudal items inside the castle. While I didn't enjoyed much the 'inside part' of the castle, I'll still give this a 5-star rating since I enjoyed it from the outside. Since it's raining hard and it's getting dark, Ueno Castle gave me a parting gift. I accidentally slipped and slid like 5-6 steps and luckily I only got scar on my palm and no one saw me when I tripped hahaha. Oh memories!
Side note: Funny because I keep on mentioning on my reviews that throughout my Japan trip, the weather hasn't really been that cooperative so everytime I take selfie I have to remove my umbrella then take it on again really quick. Hahaha.
Side note: Funny because I keep on mentioning on my reviews that throughout my Japan trip, the weather hasn't really been that cooperative so everytime I take selfie I have to remove my umbrella then take it on again really quick. Hahaha.
Written 26 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hunnybunx
Singapore, Singapore382 contributions
A pretty castle perched up High in the middle of Ueno Park. The interior is now a museum exhibiting ninja and samurai relics/items.
It's a cool place to visit together with the Iga Ueno ninja house just a stone's throw away. Definitely a highlight for our 'templed out' family.
It's a cool place to visit together with the Iga Ueno ninja house just a stone's throw away. Definitely a highlight for our 'templed out' family.
Written 5 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lithlith
Michigan918 contributions
June 2019 • Couples
The Ueno Castle is beautiful. You'll get some great photos are you're walking up to the castle from outside. The inside for me was just so-so and wasn't what I was expecting.
At the entrance you do have to take off your shoes. I was thinking there would be multiple rooms inside, but it is pretty much one big open space on each floor. There are three floors to visit and each floor is set up like a museum, so you're not visiting rooms in a castle, but really a museum set inside of a castle. The ceilings in the rooms were impressive. Some things were signed in English, but most was Japanese. There stairs were steep and narrow climbing from floor to floor. Your best inside photos will be of the ceiling and outside you'll get some great photos from different angles as you walk around the outside of the castle.
At the entrance you do have to take off your shoes. I was thinking there would be multiple rooms inside, but it is pretty much one big open space on each floor. There are three floors to visit and each floor is set up like a museum, so you're not visiting rooms in a castle, but really a museum set inside of a castle. The ceilings in the rooms were impressive. Some things were signed in English, but most was Japanese. There stairs were steep and narrow climbing from floor to floor. Your best inside photos will be of the ceiling and outside you'll get some great photos from different angles as you walk around the outside of the castle.
Written 19 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arianna E
Japan74 contributions
June 2019 • Family
The white is very striking. The interior design is lovely. The museum inside is worth checking out. It's better than the one at Odawara. There is a small, paid parking lot that's about a 5 minutes walk for those not using the trains. The short walk takes you passed some ruins which has a good view of the castle.
Written 19 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing