Iga Ueno Castle Audio Guide
Famed for Todo Takatora’s dramatic high stone walls—about 30 meters tall.
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Overview
Overview
Iga Ueno Castle was originally built by Tsutsui Sadatsugu in 1585, and later heavily expanded by master castle builder Todo Takatora from 1608.
The standout feature is the western stone wall: about 30 meters high—ranked among the tallest in Japan alongside Osaka Castle. Up close, it feels almost unreal for an era built by hand.
The grand five-story keep planned in the early Edo period collapsed in a storm in 1612 before completion. Today’s elegant white three-story keep is a wooden reconstruction completed in 1935 with private funding by local politician Kawasaki Katsu, and the castle is also nicknamed “Hakuhō-jō” (White Phoenix Castle).
Access
Access
About an 8–10 minute walk from Uenoshi Station (Iga Railway). The castle sits inside Ueno Park.
By car, it is roughly 10 minutes from Ueno-Higashi IC on the Meihan Expressway.
Parking
Parking
City-run parking lots are available around Ueno Park (e.g., Hakuhōmon Parking, Ueno Park No.1, and Danjiri Kaikan Parking).
For standard cars, the fee is typically 600 yen per entry per day. In busy seasons, follow staff guidance to available spaces.
Highlights
Highlights
Highlights include the towering stone wall and the striking white wooden reconstructed keep. The top floor offers great views over the castle town.
Inside the keep, you can see displays such as armor and historical items. Right next door is the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum—perfect for pairing with the castle visit.
Near the keep is the “Shinobi Well.” According to local tradition, it was dug under Tokugawa Ieyasu’s secret orders as a contingency stronghold if the Osaka campaign went badly.
Looking ahead, many visitors daydream about a historically faithful wooden reconstruction of the lost five-story keep. In 2025, the castle marked the 90th anniversary of the 1935 reconstruction with commemorative events (including Oct 18 and Nov 1).
