Know Your Trains: Kintetsu Limited Express

A lineup of Kintetsu limited-express trains, including the 50000-series "Shimakaze" (left), at Kashihara Jingu-mae Station.
By foooomio (Blue Red Yellow) [CC BY 2.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

Previously on Sekai Ichi, we went to Iga City.  As described in my introduction to Iga, there are two ways to get there by train: via the JR lines, which I used, or via the Kintetsu network.  Kintetsu, short for Kinki Japan Railway (where "Kinki" (近畿) is an alternate name for the Kansai region), is the largest non-JR railway network in Japan, with a combined 500km (300 mi.) of tracks connecting Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, and more.  To get where you're going in speed and style, Kintetsu has a wide array of Limited Express trains supplementing their regular services.

Name	Start Station(s)	End Station(s)	Time	Max. Frequency*
Limited Express	Osaka-Namba	Kintetsu-Nara	35 minutes	1-2 per hour, mornings/evenings**
Limited Express	Osaka-Namba	Kintetsu-Nagoya	140 minutes	1 per hour
Urban Liner	Osaka-Namba	Kintetsu-Nagoya	130 minutes	1 per hour
Limited Express	Osaka-Namba	Kashikojima	150 minutes	1 per hour
Shimakaze	Osaka-Namba	Kashikojima	140 minutes	1 per day
Limited Express	Osaka-Abenobashi	Yoshino	75 minutes	1-2 per hour
Blue Symphony	Osaka-Abenobashi	Yoshino	75 minutes	2 per day
Limited Express	Kyoto	Kintetsu-Nara	35 minutes	2 per hour
Limited Express	Kyoto	Kashikojima	175 minutes	3 per day
Shimakaze	Kyoto	Kashikojima	165 minutes	1 per day
Limited Express	Kintetsu-Nagoya	Kashikojima	60 minutes	1 per hour
Shimakaze	Kintetsu-Nagoya	Kashikojima	100 minutes	1 per day

*Based on August 2018 schedules.
**Mornings to Osaka-Namba, evenings to Kintetsu-Nara.

A 21020-series "Urban Liner" train at Yamato-Yagi Station.
By Rsa (Rsaが大和八木で撮影) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Like the Romancecar article, this is gonna be another big one, so I'll sort these trains by departure station.  First on the lineup is Osaka-Namba.  (Osaka-Uehommachi is the official start of this line, but most services start from and end at Osaka-Namba.)  From here, trains depart for Kintetsu's stations in Nara, Nagoya, and the Ise-Shima Peninsula.  There are also limited-express services between Osaka-Namba and Kintetsu-Nara, but they mostly run for commuters in the morning (to Osaka) and evening (to Nara), and cheaper express trains are not much slower besides.  To Nagoya, regular limited-express services alternate with the Urban Liner, which makes fewer stops and has a Deluxe seating car.  To Ise-Shima, there is one round-trip per day of the Shimakaze, a premium excursion train with deluxe seating, salon cabins, and a cafe car.

No.	Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Line	Limited  Express	Limited  Express	Urban  Liner	Limited  Express	Shimakaze
A01	Osaka-Namba	大阪難波	Kintetsu Nara (A)	X	X	X	X	X
A03	Osaka-Uehommachi	大阪上本町		X	X	X	X	X
A04	Tsuruhashi	鶴橋		X	X	X	X	X
A17	Ikoma	生駒		X	I	I	I	I
A20	Gakuemmae	学園前		X	I	I	I	I
A26	Yamato-Saidaiji	大和西大寺		X	I	I	I	I
A28	Kintetsu-Nara	近鉄奈良		X	I	I	I	I
D25	Yamato-Takada	大和高田	Kintetsu Osaka (D)	I	I	I	X	O
D39	Yamato-Yagi	大和八木		I	X	O	X	X
D45	Haibara	榛原		I	I	I	X	I
D49	Nabari	名張		I	X	I	X	I
D52	Iga-Kambe	伊賀神戸		I	O	I	X	I
D57	Sakakibara-Onsenguchi	榊原温泉口		I	I	I	O	I
			Kintetsu Nagoya (E)
E39	Tsu	津		I	O	I	I	I
E31	Shiroko	白子		I	O	I	I	I
E21	Kintetsu-Yokkaichi	近鉄四日市		I	O	I	I	I
E13	Kuwana	桑名		I	O	I	I	I
E01	Kintetsu-Nagoya	近鉄名古屋		I	X	X	I	I
M61	Ise-Nakagawa	伊勢中川	Kintetsu Yamada / Toba / Shima (M)	I	I	I	X	I
M64	Matsusaka	松阪		I	I	I	X	I
M73	Ise-shi	伊勢市		I	I	I	X	X
M74	Uji-Yamada	宇治山田		I	I	I	X	X
M75	Isuzugawa	五十鈴川		I	I	I	X	I
M78	Toba	鳥羽		I	I	I	X	X
M88	Shima-Isobe	志摩磯部		I	I	I	X	I
M91	Ugata	鵜方		I	I	I	X	I
M93	Kashikojima	賢島		I	I	I	X	X

Legend:
X: All trains stop at this station.
O: Some trains stop at this station.
I: No trains stop at this station.

A 26000-series "Sakura Liner" train at Kashihara Jingu-mae Station.
By TRJN [CC BY-SA 4.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons

Osaka-Abenobashi, a separate station in Osaka, serves as the terminus of the Minami-Osaka line.  Some services are branded as "Sakura Liner"; these include deluxe seating in some cars.  The Blue Symphony, a retro-themed premium excursion train, makes two round-trips daily.  The Sakura Liner and Blue Symphony make the same stops as normal limited-expresses.

No.	Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Line	Limited  Express
F01	Osaka-Abenobashi	大阪阿部野橋	Kintetsu Minami-Osaka / Yoshino (F)	X
F16	Furuichi	古市		O
F23	Shakudo	尺土		X
F24	Takadashi	高田市		X
F42	Kashihara Jingu-mae	橿原神宮前		X
F44	Asuka	飛鳥		X
F45	Tsubosakayama	壺阪山		X
F48	Yoshinoguchi	吉野口		X
F50	Fukugami	福神		X
F52	Shimoichiguchi	下市口		X
F54	Muda	六田		X
F55	Yamato-Kamiichi	大和上市		X
F56	Yoshino-jingu	吉野神宮		X
F57	Yoshino	吉野		X

Legend:
X: All trains stop at this station.
O: Some trains stop at this station.
I: No trains stop at this station.

A 50000-series "Shimakaze" train.
By Oka21000 [CC BY-SA 3.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons

Next are the remaining services starting from Kyoto and Kintetsu-Nagoya.  The Shimakaze also makes one round-trip journey per day from both of these termini to Ise-Shima.

No.	Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Line	Limited  Express	Limited  Express	Shimakaze	Limited  Express	Shimakaze
B01	Kyoto	京都	Kintetsu Kyoto (B)	X	X	X	I	I
B07	Kintetsu-Tambabashi	近鉄丹波橋		X	X	X	I	I
B26	Yamato-Saidaiji	大和西大寺		X	X	X	I	I
			Kintetsu Nara (A)
A28	Kintetsu-Nara	近鉄奈良		X	I	I	I	I
D39	Yamato-Yagi	大和八木	Kintetsu Osaka (D)	I	X	X	I	I
D49	Nabari	名張		I	X	I	I	I
E01	Kintetsu-Nagoya	近鉄名古屋	Kintetsu Nagoya (E)	I	I	I	X	X
E13	Kuwana	桑名		I	I	I	X	I
E21	Kintetsu-Yokkaichi	近鉄四日市		I	I	I	X	X
E31	Shiroko	白子		I	I	I	X	I
E39	Tsu	津		I	I	I	X	I
E42	Hisai	久居		I	I	I	O	I
M61	Ise-Nakagawa	伊勢中川		I	X	I	X	I
			Kintetsu Yamada / Toba / Shima (M)
M64	Matsusaka	松阪		I	X	I	X	I
M73	Ise-shi	伊勢市		I	X	X	X	X
M74	Uji-Yamada	宇治山田		I	X	X	X	X
M75	Isuzugawa	五十鈴川		I	X	I	X	I
M78	Toba	鳥羽		I	X	X	X	X
M88	Shima-Isobe	志摩磯部		I	X	I	X	I
M91	Ugata	鵜方		I	X	I	X	X
M93	Kashikojima	賢島		I	X	X	X	X

Legend:
X: All trains stop at this station.
O: Some trains stop at this station.
I: No trains stop at this station.

Premium excursion trains like the Shimakaze and Blue Symphony (pictured) carry only Deluxe seating.
By Things in information [CC BY-SA 4.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons

Onboard accomodations vary among the different limited-express trains.  The basic cabins for all trains have 2+2 seating arrangements, and seat pitch lengths no less than 100cm (39 in.).  Certain types of trains -- the Urban Liner, Ise-Shima Liner, and Sakura Liner -- also have Deluxe seats, arranged 2+1 with seat pitches of 105cm (41 in.).  The special excursion trains -- the Shimakaze and Blue Symphony -- only have Deluxe seating, resulting in premium ticket prices, but an above-and-beyond seat pitch of 125cm (49 in.).  In addition, some trains also have salon-room seating for groups of 4 or so passengers.

Service	Total Cars	Reserved Cars	Deluxe/Salon Cars	Cafe/Other Cars
Limited Express	6	6	0	0
Ise-Shima / Sakura Liner	6	4 (Cars #1-4)	2 (Cars #5-6)	0
Urban Liner	6	5 (Cars #2-6)	1 (Car #1)	0
Shimakaze	6	0	4 (Cars #1-2, 5-6)	2 (Cars #3-4)
Blue Symphony	3	0	2 (Cars #1, 3)	1 (Car #2

Tips

• The Kintetsu Rail Pass, available in 1, 2, or 5-day varieties, covers base fare but not limited-express fees within their respective coverage areas.  For more information, read my article about rail passes of the Kansai region.
• Passengers may purchase limited-express tickets online through Kintetsu's website.  Upon buying an "e-Ticket" online, you will need to print out the confirmation, bring it to the station, purchase the base fare, and show both tickets to the gate attendant.  More information: (English) (Japanese)
• The Shimakaze, Blue Symphony, and during the cherry blossom season, other express trains to Yoshino are some of the most difficult trains to get tickets for in Japan, so reserve as early as possible.

Trivia

• The Minami-Osaka / Yoshino line, which is separated from Kintetsu's other lines, uses narrow-gauge tracks (1,067mm / 3' 6" between rails) as opposed to the standard-gauge (1,435mm / 4' 8½") favoured by the rest of the network.  This is because that line was built and operated by a separate company, before being merged into (what would later become) Kintetsu in 1943.
• Multiple Kintetsu trainsets have won the Blue Ribbon Award for the best in Japanese train design.  The most recent recipient, in 2014, was the 50000-series train used for Shimakaze services.
• The name Shimakaze, written in Hiragana as しまかぜ, means "island wind" in English.  It has also been used to christen some destroyer ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy before/during World War II, and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force afterwards.

Danjiri Museum

This article is based on a visit made on Sunday, 13 May 2018.

Edit 10 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I visited the ninja museum and castle in Iga City.  Afterwards, I wrapped up our excursion with a museum we passed on the way back to the train station.  That would be the Danjiri Museum (だんじり会館, Danjiri Kaikan), which is dedicated to the local Ueno Tenjin Festival.

The Ueno Tenjin Festival (上野天神祭, Ueno Tenjin Matsuri) is held annually on 23-25 October, and dates back over 400 years.  The parade procession starts from and ends at the nearby Ueno Tenman Shrine (上野天満宮, Ueno Tenman-gu), on the east side of town.  This shrine is one of over 10,000 Tenman shrines in Japan, all of which are dedicated to the soul of the 9th-century scholar Sugawara no Michizane (菅原 道真, 845-903), posthumously deified as the god Tenjin (天神, lit. 'sky god').  In between festivals, its nine shrine floats are put on display at this museum.  A video depicting and explaining the festival plays on the screens in the back of the hall every half-hour.  It is narrated in Japanese without subtitles, but if you ask the staff, you can get a headset device to listen to it in English, and possibly other languages.

"Floats" used in Japanese festival parades are called mikoshi (神輿, lit. 'divine palanquin') or o-mikoshi (お神輿).  During festivals, the kami (for the uninitiated, a Shinto god) of a particular shrine is transferred into one of these mikoshi, effectively making them portable shrines.

Smaller mikoshi can be lifted and supported by the shoulders of carriers.

Larger mikoshi, on the other hand, need to be pulled by their supporters.

Lanterns are common decorations for mikoshi, and pretty much everywhere else, come festival time.

The Ueno Tenjin procession also includes a hundred paraders dressed in costumes with oni masks.  Oni (鬼) are demons in Japanese folklore.  They serve as the bad guys in many folktales, but for festivals, they instead protect the town from bad luck by scaring away evil spirits... and children, most likely.

Speaking of costumes, the Danjiri Kaikan is also the place where you can rent ninja costumes to dress up in for the day!  This service is available from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and costs ¥1,080 per person.  The colours available include black, blue, red, and pink, so historical accuracy is not as important here as is the simple fun of dressing up, which has its merit I'll admit.  It's popular with the kids, although I'm sure there are adult sizes available as well.

I would have been willing to try on a ninja costume, but it was late, it was rainy, and I had a bus to catch.  So, in contrast to the complicated train journey we took on the way up, the bus was a one-shot, ninety-minute (actually two hours with highway traffic) hop back to Kyoto Station.  With barely anybody else on board, it was just what I needed to dry off and relax as we drove through the other ninja town, Koka, and on the Meishin Expressway back to Kyoto.  Indeed I would have taken a bus into Iga-Ueno also, but A) its only viable departure time wouldn't have worked out as well, and B) I had a Japan Rail Pass and wanted to use it.  Bit of a short day, but I've got lots more coming on Kyoto itself.  All this and a new Know Your Trains, next time on Sekai Ichi!

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Hours: Open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  Admission ends 30 minutes before closing time.  Closed on one day in the 2nd or 3rd weekend in April, 23-25 October, and 29 December-1 January.

Costs: ¥600.

Address: 122-4 Ueno Marunouchi, Iga-shi, Mie-ken 〒518-0873

Access: Danjiri Kaikan is five minutes on foot from Ueno-shi Station.

Directions: From the exit of Ueno-shi Station, head across the parking lot, turn left, and cross the tracks.  The museum is at the corner of the second traffic light, on the right side.

Website: (Japanese)

Ueno Castle

This article is based on a visit made on Sunday, 13 May 2018.

Edit 10 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I visited the Iga-Ryu Ninja Museum in Iga City.  Nestled in the northern end of Ueno Park, the museum is a virtual stone's throw away from Iga-Ueno Castle (伊賀上野城, Iga Ueno-jō).  Also known as Ueno Castle for short, or as the "White Phoenix Castle" (白鳳城, Hakuhō-jō), this white-clad keep is practically a scaled-down version of the great Himeji Castle.

Ueno Castle was constructed in 1585 under the command of Sadatsugu Tsutsui (筒井 定次, 1562-1615), who occupied it until he was overthrown by the Tokugawa shogunate in 1608.  It was then picked up by Todo Takatora (藤堂高虎, Tōdō Takatora, 1556-1630), whose likeness is shown above on the left.  Todo's renovations included building 30-meter (99-foot) foundation walls, the tallest of their kind in Japan, at the base of the castle.  On the right is the castle's mascot, Tiger-kun (た伊賀ーくん, Taigā-kun).  He is a tiger because the kanji for "tiger" (虎) is present in lord Todo's name. The "iga" sound in Tiger-kun's name is also spelled with the kanji for its hometown of Iga (伊賀).

After peace broke out, the Tokugawa shogunate placed restrictions on building new castles.  When Ueno Castle's keep was felled by a typhoon in 1612, no one bothered to have it rebuilt.  And so it was for centuries until 1935, when Katsu Kawasaki (川崎 克, Kawasaki Katsu, 1880-1949), a Iga-born Diet representative, raised funds to have the castle finally rebuilt.  Mr. Kawasaki also funded construction of the Haisenden, the nearby monument hall to the poet Bashō, in 1942.

Pretty much all descriptive signs throughout the museum are written in Japanese only.  The artifacts on display throughout the castle museum includes this set of helmets.  Japanese helmets, which come in multiple styles collectively known as kabuto (兜 / 冑), were frequently adorned with distinctive, often hornlike crests on the front, top, or sides; these are called tatemono (立物).

Also on display was an example of a norimono (乗り物, lit. 'vehicle'), or palanquin.  These sorts of vehicles became widespread among nobility and royalty of the Edo period, because A) the growing population in Japan meant that less space was available for raising horses, and B) there was a new law, called "Sankin-kōtai" (参勤交代, lit. 'alternate attendance'), which forced regional lords to travel to and from Edo and spend half the year there.

One can look at a few quirky artistic interpretations of the castle.  These images, of the castle on the left and Haisenden on the right, are made out of postage stamps.  Personally, I also got a kick out of looking at photos of most of Japan's other castles, lining the upper walls of the second floor, and seeing how many I recognised.

In its current form, Ueno Castle was rebuilt exclusively in wood, as opposed to other 20th-century reconstructions which favoured concrete and other materials.  Considering the decision to rebuild castles in their traditional style is becoming a more common decision in recent days -- Nagoya Castle is currently undergoing such a process -- Kawasaki-san was ahead of his time.

The keep's interior has three floors, and from the top, there are windows to look out in all four directions.  The ceiling on the third floor is lined with paintings and calligraphy from various 20th-century Japanese artists.  Note that the stairs from the second to third floors are very steep.

Honestly, there aren't that many landmarks to look out upon, especially in this weather.  If I have recalled (and researched) this correctly, this is the view looking to the south.  Ueno-shi Station should be somewhere off to the left.

Of course, it wouldn't be Iga if there weren't ninjas involved somehow.  To that end, it should be pretty easy to spot a couple of ninja mannequins hiding in the rafters of Ueno Castle.  At least, I think they were mannequins.  There are actually places in town where one can rent ninja costumes, so I can't be sure...  Find out where that could be... I mean, where I could be going to after this, next time on Sekai Ichi!

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Hours: Open 9:00 AM to 4:45 PM.  Closed on 29-31 December.

Costs: ¥600.

Address: 106 Ueno Marunouchi, Iga-shi, Mie-ken 〒518-0873

Access: Ueno Castle is a 10-15 minutes' walk from Ueno-shi station.

Directions: From the exit of Ueno-shi Station, head across the parking lot, turn left, and cross the tracks.  Turn left at the second traffic light, then the next right, and you will be at the entrance of Ueno Park.  In the park, head straight uphill for 150m (500 ft.), until you reach a clearing.  Following signs for the tenshukaku (天守閣), turn left.  At the top of the hill, turn left, head down the stairs, then turn right.  Continue across the clearing to reach the castle entrance.

Website: (English) (Japanese)

Iga-Ryu Ninja Museum

This article is based on a visit made on Sunday, 13 May 2018.

Edit 10 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I introduced Iga City, and on day 5 of my voyage, I took my grandmother and myself there.  The journey was complicated; as described in that last article, getting there from Kyoto required multiple train transfers.  But I stuck it out in order to reach my destination, because Iga is one of the best places to learn the true story behind one of the most famous things ever associated with Japan -- the ninja.

But it was worth it to catch the special "ninja train" on the last leg, the Iga Railway.  They have three of these trains making multiple trips each day, in liveries of blue, pink, or (shown above) green.  The interiors of these ninja trains have retro, faux-wooden decor, wood-carving decorations above the doors, and a couple of ninja mannequins perched on the storage shelves.

So, what were the ninja, really?  Ninjas were spies employed on a mercenary basis by shogun lords and their rivals, primarily during the feudal era, for missions involving infiltration, gathering information, sabotage, and assassination.  Their collected knowledge of stealth, survival, and combat techniques is known today as ninjutsu (忍術, lit. 'secret arts').  During their prime in the Warring States period (15th-16th centuries AD), the two biggest schools of ninjutsu were based in Iga, where we are now, and in Koka, not that far away in modern-day Shiga Prefecture.  Today, there are ninja-related museums in both Iga and Koka where their knowledge is preserved and shared.

The Iga-Ryu Ninja Museum is located in the back of Ueno Park in Iga City (not to be confused with the Ueno Park in Tokyo).  Due to the rain, I managed to get a taxi from Ueno-shi Station, but it only went as far as the entrance to the park, leaving my grandmother and me to walk the rest of the way, only about five minutes.  There were several of these signs with this pink ninja girl, or Kunoichi (くノ一).  They had instructions in Japanese, English, French, German, and Italian, all languages of the G7 member nations.  Their summit in 2016 was held 80 kilometres (50 miles) away, in Ise-Shima.

The museum visit starts with a guided tour around a ninja's house.  The guide narrates in Japanese, but he also rolls down English descriptions for the rest of us to follow along with.  Besides, most of his demonstrations, like using a drop-down ladder in a hall alcove to reach a hidden compartment above, speak for themselves.

Other secret compartments were designed for holding smaller objects like weapons or scrolls.  The boards covering them were designed in a way that they could not even be removed until the door alongside them was slid back far enough.

If worst cane to worst, the ninja would have to escape the house without detection.  To that end, another hidden door led outside, and could only be opened by slipping something thin underneath its latches.  Something like... a pair of leaves, for instance.  But you wouldn't have figured that out on your own, right?

After the tour, which lasts maybe ten minutes, you get to explore the rest of the museum at your own pace.  It goes into detail about the equipment and techniques employed by ninja, with equal descriptions in Japanese and English.

What is your mental image of a ninja?  Do you imagine them wearing black clothes, to blend into the shadows of the night?  In reality, the shinobi shozoku (忍び装束, lit. 'ninja dress') was a dark blue or grey.  In the ages before light pollution was a thing, the night sky had a lot more colour to it, so pure black would have contrasted more so than other lighter, neutral shades.  The idea of black ninja clothes may have been spread from kabuki-theatre stage hands, who wore black and worked in front of solid-black backgrounds to stay hidden from the audience.  That, or simplicity just catches on.

In daytime, a ninja was more likely to hide in plain sight, collecting information while posing as someone unimportant.  The seven disguises employed by ninjas include commoners, merchants, street performers, and Buddhist priests.

It was not often in a ninja's best interest to fight, but when they had to, they had many ways to stun, surprise, and otherwise misdirect opponents.  One of the most famous ninja weapons is the throwing star, or shuriken (手裏剣, lit. 'hidden hand blade').  As seen above, shuriken come in many shapes, and there are seven ways to throw them.  On their own, shuriken are not all that lethal, but their edges could be coated in poison for extra damage.  Another famous, and famously-misunderstood ninja tool is the kunai.  Although commonly depicted as a throwing knife, this flat blade (seen a few pictures up) was more often used as a handhold for climbing walls, poking holes into other walls to create a listening spot, or simply for digging into the ground to collect rainwater.  Once you learn how many uses a kunai has, the translation of its name (苦無) as "no worry" makes sense.

Ninjas also employed the use of explosives and firearms, having been made available in Japan after introduction by Portuguese and Chinese merchants.  Weapons like firecrackers and smoke bombs were great tools for disorienting opponents.  Perhaps its is these unconventional weapons and tactics, and the mystery building from centuries of ninjas no longer being an active thing, which gave ninjas and ninjutsu such a magical reputation.  After all, as Clarke's Third Law goes, "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic".

Ninjas had many more skills and techniques not related to combat.  For example, they learned how to tell the time of day by looking at the dilated pupils of a cat's eyes.  They developed a secret system of communication called goshikimai (五色米, lit. 'five-coloured rice'), where they used combinations of multi-coloured grains of dried rice to spell out messages in the Japanese syllable-alphabet.

For my sign-off selfie, here I am trying out a pair of mizugumo (水蜘蛛, lit. 'water spider').  This buoyant pair of footwear could allegedly be used to walk on water.  Although that particular function may not be true -- it was busted on MythBusters, no less -- they would be more effective for skating across something a bit denser, like mud.

To be honest, I knew quite a lot about ninjas going in.  To that, I would like to thank Gaijin Goomba, a YouTuber who does videos analysing the hidden culture behind today's video games and anime.  He's done so many videos relating to ninjas and ninjutsu in particular, that he has a separate series, "Which Ninja", dedicated to breaking down various ninja characters and how their abilities reflect real ninja techniques... or not.  It helps that the guy behind it actually spent a couple of years teaching English in Japan, and in Mie Prefecture no less, so he was able to come to this very museum and get primary-source knowledge for himself.  I very much recommend going over to check out his channel.

If you find yourself in the real Iga-Ryu Ninja Museum, don't forget to watch the Ninja Show, a demonstration of ninja weaponry and fighting techniques held every one to two hours.  It costs an extra ¥500 to get in, and photography is forbidden, but it's a brilliant extension of what you can learn at this museum.  Or, for a separate fee, you could try your hand at throwing shuriken at the museum's own target range.  While you're here, you may also wish to explore other historic attractions around the park, like the Ueno Castle.  I did just that, in fact, so find out more next time on Sekai Ichi!

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Hours: Open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  Admission ends 30 minutes before closing time.  Closed from 29 December to 1 January.

Costs: ¥800.  The ninja show costs an extra ¥500, and the shuriken-throwing experience costs ¥300 for five throws.

Address: 117 Ueno Marunouchi, Iga-shi, Mie-ken 〒518-0873

Access: Iga-Ryu Ninja Museum is ten minutes on foot from Ueno-shi Station.

Directions: From the exit of Ueno-shi Station, head across the parking lot, turn left, and cross the tracks.  Turn left at the second traffic light, then the next right, and you will be at the entrance of Ueno Park.  In the park, head straight uphill for 250m / 800 ft., until you reach the museum's ticket office on your left.

Website: (English) (Japanese)

Introduction To: Iga-Ueno

Edit 10 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

Iga City (伊賀市, Iga-shi), formerly known as Iga-Ueno (伊賀上野), is a small city located in the eastern Kansai region.  Its claim to fame is being one of the home bases of the ninja, the spies employed by the shoguns and their rivals in the feudal eras.  Today, their traditions are preserved and demonstrated at the excellent Iga-ryu Ninja Museum.  Iga City is also the home of the Ueno Castle, and multiple monuments to the haiku poet Basho (松尾 芭蕉, Matsuo Bashō, 1644-1694), who was born in this city.

Main Attractions

1) Iga-ryu Ninja Museum: A comprehensive museum of the Iga ninja, with live demonstration shows.

No machine-readable author provided. Outside147~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

2) Haiseiden: A hat-shaped monument to Bashō, where a haiku festival is held every October.

3) Ueno Castle: A feudal castle, traditionally rebuilt in the 1930s.

4) Basho Memorial Museum: A small museum devoted to Bashō's poems and travels.

5) Danjiri Kaikan: A museum about the local Ueno Tenjin Festival (23-25 October), housing some of its floats.

By Yanajin33 [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

6) Basho Birth House: The home which Bashō grew up in, preserved and opened to the public.

By Opqr [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

7) Sukodo Former School: A rebuilt and preserved Edo-period school for samurai children.

Orientation

Most of the city's attractions are within 15 minutes' walking distance of Ueno-shi Station, on the Iga Railway line.  The Ninja Museum, Ueno Castle, Danjiri Festival Museum, and Basho Museum all lie in or around Ueno Park, the entrance of which is 250m (850ft.) north of the station.

Access

Iga can be accessed in about two hours from Osaka, Kyoto, or Nagoya, by either the JR or Kintetsu railway networks, followed by a shorter ride on the Iga Railway.  Multiple transfers are required when going by train; for example, part of JR's Kansai Main Line has not been electrified, so you will need to switch between electric and diesel trains for different sections.  Direct highway buses are also available between the above cities, although their service can be infrequent depending on where you are departing from.

From Osaka, take the JR Yamatoji (Q) line from Osaka or JR-Namba to Kamo Station (Q39, 65 minutes), continue on the Kansai Main Line (V) to Iga-Ueno Station (35 minutes, total ¥1,520), then take the Iga Railway to Ueno-shi (7 minutes, ¥260).  The Japan Rail Pass is valid on all but the Iga Railway section.  Alternately, take the Kintetsu Osaka (D) line from Osaka-Uehommachi to Iga-Kambe (D52, 90 minutes, ¥1,160), then take the Iga Railway to Ueno-shi (25 minutes, ¥370).  Limited-express trains can shave up to half an hour off the time, but cost ¥920 extra, and most trains require transferring to a local train at Nabari Station (D49).  Additionally, on weekends and holidays only, there are four buses per day between Ueno-shi and Osaka (80 minutes, ¥1,800) or Shin-Osaka (100 minutes, ¥1,800) stations.  More information: (Japanese).

From Kyoto, take the JR Nara (D) line from Kyoto to Kizu Station (D19, Local: 40-60 minutes), transfer on the Yamatoji line to Kamo (5 minutes), and continue on the Kansai Main Line to Iga-Ueno Station (35 minutes, total ¥1,170), then take the Iga Railway to Ueno-shi.  Alternately, take the JR Biwako (A) line from Kyoto to Kusatsu Station (A24, 20-25 minutes), the Kusatsu (C) line to Tsuge (45 minutes), and the Kansai Main Line to Iga-Ueno (15 minutes, total ¥1,170), then take the Iga Railway to Ueno-shi.  Again, the Japan Rail Pass is valid on all but the Iga Railway.  As of 2019, there are no longer any direct buses between Iga and Kyoto.

From Nagoya, take the JR Kansai Rapid (CJ) line from Nagoya to Kameyama Station (CJ17, 60 minutes), continue on the Kansai Main Line to Iga-Ueno Station (45 minutes, total ¥1,690), then take the Iga Railway to Ueno-shi (7 minutes, ¥260).  Again, the Japan Rail Pass is valid on all but the Iga Railway.  Alternately, take the Kintetsu Nagoya (E) line from Kintetsu-Nagoya to Ise-Nakagawa (E61, 80 minutes), then the Kintetsu Osaka line to Iga-Kambe (35 minutes, ¥1,590), and then take the Iga Railway to Ueno-shi.  Limited-express trains can shave up to half an hour off the time, but cost an extra ¥920 (to Ise-Nakagawa) to ¥1,340 (full trip).  Additionally, there are eight buses per day between Ueno-shi and the Meitetsu Bus Centre at Nagoya Station (100 minutes, ¥2,000).  More information: (Japanese).

A discount ticket introduced in 2019, the Iga Ninja Liner Ticket, includes bus fare from Nagoya to Iga-Ueno, and admission to the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum and Danjiri Museum.  The one-way version costs ¥3,000, and the round-trip version costs ¥4,600.  It may be purchased from the Meitetsu Bus Centre at Nagoya Station, or at Chubu Centrair Airport.  More information: (Japanese)

Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo

This article is based on a visit made on Saturday, 12 May 2018.

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I wrapped up a long day in Hakone and moved on to Kyoto for a few nights.  The place we stayed at was the Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo (ホテルグレイスリー京都三条, Hoteru Gureisurī Kyōto Sanjo), located in Kyoto's centre-city area.

Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo consists of the North and South towers, the South annex having been opened only in May 2017.  The entrance hallway to the South lobby has a Kabuki theme, and I will explain why in a minute.

I've seen these helper robots elsewhere in Japan; this one was stationed in front of the breakfast restaurant.  When you check in, be sure of which annex, North or South, you'll be staying at, and check in at the appropriate one.  The staff will point you to the correct one if you try to check in at the other, but knowing ahead saves time, if nothing else.  As a hint, the South tower has most of the twin rooms.

So, what attracted me to Hotel Gracery in the first place?  That would be their concept rooms: the two vivid Kabuki Rooms and the subtly refined Kyoto Room.  I checked into the twin Kabuki room, also known as the Matsu-no-Ma (松の間, lit. 'pine room'). They also have a double Kabuki room called the Sakura-no-Ma (桜の間, lit. 'cherry blossom room').  The twin Kabuki room was inspired by the play Kanadehon Chūshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵, lit. 'Treasury of Loyal Retainers').  This story, adapted into bunraku and kabuki productions, was in turn inspired by the Akō incident of 1703, where a band of forty-seven rōnin tracked down and murdered the man who made their old master commit suicide.  This room sticks to the more pleasant details, with a major inspiration being the (real-life) Kyoto teahouse from act 7, and patterns on the ceiling and bedsheets are based on costumes from the play.

The fun starts as soon as you insert your keycard into the holder by the front door.  The lights turn on, as expected, but then a sound cue plays: a series of woodblock-drum hits, and an announcer calling out some name or command which eludes my memory.  The curtain in front of the mirror has the same black-red-green striped pattern as is used in kabuki theatres nationwide.  When you start to pull it aside, a hidden motor triggers to pull it the rest of the way automatically, and another sound cue plays.

The beds lie on a raised, tatami-laden section of the room, so do be careful not to stub your foot on the ledge, or to leave your shoes on the mats.  The bedside console has the usual array of unmarked light switches, plus a pair of unmarked buttons, one on each side.  Press it, and another sound cue plays.  Quite the surprise if you press it at night, and you'll be tempted to because these buttons are lit, and there's no way to turn them off.  If even small lights are enough to keep you awake, I suggest bringing a mask or something else to cover your eyes with.

The bathroom arrangement is similar to that of most modern Japanese homes, except that the door and shower walls are decorated with examples of Kabuki actors' face-paint patterns.  In addition to the toilet being in a separate room, the bath room itself has two separate faucets, one for filling the tub, and one outside for washing yourself, similar to an onsen.  I tried to take a bath once, but the faucet didn't fill the tub very quickly, perhaps due to it being on the upper floor, so I was fine with just using the shower.

The hotel's surroundings are densely urban, but since the Kabuki rooms are on the hotel's top (9th) floor, there are a nice selection of roofs to look down upon.

Hotel Gracery stands along a covered shopping arcade named Teramachi-dori (寺町通, lit. 'temple-town street').  You could call this place a mini-Akihabara, since it has branches of the dojinshi comic stores Toranoana, Melonbooks, and Lashinbang, plus a movie theatre and a game centre.  There are also restaurants serving everything from churros to crepes.

There's even a branch of the crab restaurant Kani Doraku, with a scaled-down version of the famous crab sign from its Osaka store.

Staying in the Kabuki Twin room cost us an average of US$250 a night, over par for twin rooms in Japan, but not by too much.  For some reason, this and the other concept rooms at the Hotel Gracery cannot be booked through their own website, but are instead available from third-party booking sites like Orbitz, Priceline, or Booking.com.  For all its quirks, or despite some of them, staying at the Kabuki room was an enjoyable, whimsical experience.  I can think of more convenient locations if you'll be going in and out of Kyoto Station a lot, but the neighbourhood is a nice one to get lost in.  Find out where I'll be using this place as a base to travel to, next time on Sekai Ichi!

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Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo South

Address: 420 Rokkaku-dōri, Sakuranochō, Nagakyō-ku, Kyōto-shi, Kyōto-fu 〒604-8035

Access: From Kyoto Station, take bus #4, 5, 17, or 205 to Kawaramachi Sanjo (15 minutes, ¥230).  Bus 104 is faster (12 minutes), but runs more frequently on weekends & holidays (4 per hour) than weekdays (1 per hour).  Alternately, take the Karasuma (K) subway line to Karasuma Oike (K08, 5 minutes), then the Tozai (T) line to Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae (T12, 2 minutes, ¥260).

Directions: From the Kawaramachi Sanjo bus stop, head south down Kawaramachi-dori, and turn right at the traffic light, onto Rokkaku-dori.  The hotel is 2 minutes ahead, just before the end of the road, with the North tower on the right and the South tower on the left.

From Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae station, take exit 1 and turn around.  Cross the street, turn right at Kawaramachi-dori, and continue to the second traffic light in 4 minutes.  Turn right onto Rokkaku-dori as above.

Alternately, when you emerge from the station, stay on Oike-dori, find the entrance to the Teramachi covered shopping arcade (it has signs in Japanese and English), and head down it.  Walk down for two blocks, bear right at the fork in the road, and turn left at the next block after that.  It is next-door to the Tully's Coffee on the corner.

Website: (English) (Japanese)