Find The Ninjas Hidden At Uenoshi Station On The Iga Railway!

Running in Iga city in Mie prefecture, which is also known as the hometown of ninjas, the Iga Railway is an essential transportation system for both residents and tourists, and has 100 years of history to it as well. This line is well-known for its unique trains, especially the popular Ninja Trains.

Much like the train, there is also a station that itself has a variety of original features. Let's have a look at Uenoshi Station, the center of the Iga Railway.

Let's See the Cute Station Building

The Uenoshi Station building, with the cute two-tone color, was built around 1917. The distinctive triangular roof was inspired by the Mansard roof, and the 3rd floor used to be the train master's office.

Let's Discover Ninjas in the Station!

You get to the platform after you enter the ticket gate and cross the railway crossing in the building. You will soon discover a ninja hiding on a pillar. You will find another one in dark clothes when you shift your eyes forward.

Iga city is famously known as the land of ninjas in Japan. That is why Uenoshi Station has these ninja related displays all around.

These are the coin lockers inside the ticket gate, which show a lot of ninjas. If you look up to the top of the lockers...

A tall ninja is looking back down at you!

Ninjas Outside the Building

A couple of ninjas welcome you just after you exit the ticket gate. These cute characters make a great background for commemorative photos.

You can find ninjas hiding on the aluminum fence dividing the inside and outside of the ticket gate too!

Souvenirs of Iga Railway You Can Get Only at Uenoshi Station

How about some Iga Railway-limited items, available at the ticket office to remember your journey by? You can see the samples in the window on the wall, so please take your time and choose the best one for you.

These three kind of key chains are most popular around the school entrance exam season in Japan. Each of them is 500 yen (with tax). It might seem like nothing special, but inside there is the sand used to prevent trains from slipping. In Japanese, the word 'suberu' (to slip) also means 'to fail an exam', so these are really popular lucky charms for passing exams as they mean 'you won't slip up and fail your exam'. The lower one seen in the photo is a lucky charm meant to protect people when driving.

These are button badges featuring the trains. The set of three is 500 yen (with tax). There are other unique items that you can only get here such as Ninja Train hand towels (500 yen with tax) and clear file folders (200 yen with tax). Please check them out and find the best souvenirs for you.

Multilingual Service

Although it is a small station, they are trying to increase their staff who can offer multilingual support. Korean and Chinese, as well as English, are available for all the important signage. The train ticket machines are only available in Japanese at the moment, but you can also get your train ticket from the ticket office, so please ask the train attendants if you are worried or having any troubles.

There are Iga City Guides in English, Korean, and Chinese near the waiting room. You can see Fukunin, the mascot character of Iga Railway on the right hand side too.

As you see in the picture, a Fukunin train runs on the Iga Railway line in addition to the Ninja trains. It will be exciting to see which train is at Uenoshi Station when you visit there!

Let's Get Information about Iga at the Information Center Near the Station!

There is an Iga City Tourist Information Center on the 1st floor in the white building called Haitopia Iga, which is just a short walk down to the left from the station.

They have a lot of helpful and exciting information about Iga tours. It is definitely worth visiting.

In Closing

©Reiji Matsumoto

This is the pink Ninja Train coming into Uenoshi Station. It is beautifully shining in the sunset.

We have got a message from an Iga Railway staff member who cooperated for this article - "The Iga Railway, including the ninja trains, is a unique, fun, and attractive railway. We are waiting for your visit."

Fun to watch, fun to ride, and fun to take photos! You are always welcome to take part in a railway adventure along the Iga Railway.

Uenoshi Station

Uenomarunouchi, Iga City, Mie Prefecture 518-0873