Iga-Ueno is an area of Iga City in Mie Prefecture famous for being the homeland of real Ninja. The Iga School of Ninjutsu (the art of stealth), was one of Japan`s leading Ninja School and Iga Ninja trained themselves in the local forests. The most famous among them was Hattori Hanzo, the protector of the Tokugawa Clan and famous for saving Tokugawa Ieyasu`s life. You can visit the Iga Ninja Museum, where you can learn about the real life of Ninja, their skills, costumes and weapons. Moreover, Iga-Ueno is also renowned for being the birthplace of Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), the most famous Haiku Poet in the Edo Period (1603-1868) in Japan and nowadays you can visit Basho Memorial Museum and Basho`s Birth House. Another important sightseeing spot is Iga-Ueno Castle built in 1585 and famous for both its three layered structure and the panoramic view of Iga.

Koka (or Koga if translated in English) is a city located in southern Shiga Prefecture and nowadays is known for being, together with Iga, the birthplace of Ninja. The city lies in a strategic and important area, the ancient Tokaido Road, the main route connecting Kyoto to Edo (the modern Tokyo), moreover in the past it was said that the Koka area was filled with hidden ninja villages throughout the mountains. Today you can explore both an original ninja house where a family of Ninja lived as well as one of those secret villages and enjoy the world of Ninja at Koka Ninja Village. Koka is also known for agriculture and for its production of ceramics also called Shigaraki featuring raccoon dog figurines. The Koka clan consisted of 53 families with one head family and many subordinates, it is also said that they fought in battles across Japan using their excellent techniques.