Road Trip on Iga Railway (Part 1)
Japan Hour
Sub Navigation
- Undercover Asia S8
- Manufacturing Ignorance
- Singapore Budget 2021
- In The Age Of AI
- Climate For Change
- Believe
- Remember Our House
- Singapore Green Plan 2030
- There's Something About Orchard
- Singapore Perspectives 2021: Dialogue with Minister of Education Lawrence Wong
- Inside The Probation Service
- Work.Able
- Once Upon A River
- Greening The 'Net
- Remarkable Living 3
- Contact Tracers
- Game Nation
- The Great Escapade
- Ahead Of Their Time
- When Titans Clash
- From Crisis To Catalyst
- Becoming Human Again
- The Pandemic: One Year On
- A Deadly Ascent
- Strangers In My Head
- Into The Vault 2
- Business Unusual
- Beyond the Viral Video
- Wild City: River World
- Disease Hunters
- Wizards Of Tech
- Feeding A City
- Undercover Asia S3
- 23
- Belly Of A Nation 2
- For Food's Sake! 3
- Forgotten Heroes
- Kampong Konkrit
- Rising To The Challenge
- Grounded
- The Longest Day
- Survival: Developing Countries On The Frontline
- Artists Unstaged
- Corridor of Hope
- Deciphering Japan
- The Family Affair S5
- Singapore Votes 2020: The Political Debate
- In Conversation Special
- Coronavirus Pandemic
- GRIT
- National Broadcast
- Why It Matters 4
- Faith Over Fear
- Outbreak Onboard
- Slumfood Millionaire
- #COVID19: The Social Media Pandemic
- CNA Correspondent
- One Of Us
- The Mark Of Empire
- Courage
- Race Against Pandemic
- A Frame In Time
- Carbon Conundrum
- Secret Wars
- Chasing Scarcity
- Undercover Asia S7
- Stronger: The Battle Against COVID-19
- Gadg(AID)
- Food In Our Time
- Tycoons China
- Inside The Child Protective Service
- Politics Of Climate Change
- The Singapore Perspectives Conference
- Borderlands
- In Our Time
- The Next Wave
- One Day That Changed Asia
- The Year Ahead 2020
- Migrants' Diary
- Ships That Shaped Us
- We Are Gen Z
- Crime Science
- Majulah: Symbols For Singapore
- A Billion Chinese Dreams
- CyberPunk'D
- Remarkable Living S2
- China's Growing Appetite
- In Search Of The Frog Boys
- Venturepreneurs
- The Skin We Wear
- The Millennial Investor
- Show Me The City
- Jewel: After Hours
- The Islands That Made Us
- Rishi & Sharul Try…
- Why It Matters 3
- Regardless Of Generation
- The Singapore Bicentennial Conference
- The Negotiators
- Secret Delicious
- Fighting Foreign Interference
- Hawkers In Our Centre
- HT MintAsia Leadership Summit 2019
- Coded World
- For Food's Sake! 2
- The Big Boss: A 21st Century Criminal
- Belly Of A Nation
- #DontForgetMe
- #HuntingHistory
- #Wanderlust
- Aarushi – Beyond Reasonable Doubt
- Across ASEAN
- Aerial Asia
- A Big Little Murder
- Against The Elements
- Age Of Innovation
- Algorithms
- An Astronomical Journey
- Astropreneurs: To The Stars & Beyond
- ASEAN’s Next Generation Leaders (ANGeLs)
- ASEAN Spotlight
- Asia First
- Asia First Encore
- Asian Century
- Asia in the Great War
- Back to School
- Becoming Human
- Becoming Singapore
- Bridging Giants
- Blueprint For Survival
- Bronze: A Forgotten Treasure
- Butterfly Children
- Challenge Tomorrow
- Champions For Change
- Check In
- City DNA
- City of Opportunities
- China on Film
- CNA Leadership Summit: Navigating a Post-Pandemic World
- Coming Clean About Green
- Conversation With S14
- Cool Living in an Eco-city
- Correspondents' Diary
- Cram Course Asia
- Days in Pyongyang
- Days Of Rage
- Days Of Disaster
- Deciphering Indonesia
- Deciphering The Philippines
- Destiny of a Maritime Nation
- Don't Make Us Invisible
- Electric Dream
- Edible Wild 2
- Edge of Space
- Enemy Within
- Every Woman
- Facing Dementia
- Facing Depression
- Fake News
- Finding Singapore
- Fighting Fake News
- Fighting Falsehoods
- Facing Terror
- Food Heroes
- For The King
- Forums
- Futuropolis
- Gangnam Insider's Picks!
- Get Real S17
- Going Places
- Going Underground
- How To Raise A Super Baby
- In Conversation
- Into The Vault
- India on Film
- Inside the Storm 4
- Indonesia’s Game Changers
- Inside The Children's ICU
- Inside Our Factories
- Insight
- Inside The Cryptokingdom
- In Search of Umami
- In Pursuit of Magic
- I Remember The Fall Of Singapore
- Johor: A New State of Affairs
- Japan Hour
- Just Like You
- Kashmir: A War of Stones
- Land Unlimited
- Law of the Land
- Love in A Time of Change
- Life Lines
- Luxe Asia S5: The Ultimate Access
- Made in Singapore
- Market Insights
- Maverick Politicians
- Money Mind
- National Service - The Beginning
- National Service - The Transformation
- Neighbours: Singapore-Malaysia Relations
- Nepal's Child Brides
- The New Silk Road
- Once a Refugee
- On The Red Dot
- Our Tiny Superheroes
- Palu: A Month After
- Perspectives
- Parliament Specials
- Asia Tonight
- Power And Piety
- Powering the Future
- Power List Asia
- Raffles Revealed
- Raffles: An Icon Reborn
- Real Deal
- Rebellion In Marawi
- Refugee Chef
- Regardless of Class
- Regardless of Race
- Regardless of Religion
- Roar!
- Savouring The Future
- Slackers, Shockers, Suits and Superheroes
- Singapore Food Stories
- Singapore Reimagined
- Singapore Mosaic
- Game Changers Singapore
- Singapore Tonight
- Singapore on Film
- Singapore After Dark
- Smart Cities 2.0
- Specials
- Super Octogenarians
- Start-UP S6
- Talking Point
- Taking Singapore Forward
- Tapestry: The Heart of ASEAN
- The ASEAN I Know
- The Big Questions
- The Dark Web
- The Family Affair S4
- The Great Migration
- The Last Rites
- The Past Beneath Us
- The Successors
- The Terror Trail
- The Truth About Fake News
- This is What I Hear
- The Traitor Within
- This Weekend
- This Side of The Border
- Tipping Point
- To Live
- Trash Trail
- Undercover Asia S6
- Unusual Suspects
- Vanishing Foods
- Vice & Virtue: 1800s Singapore
- Walk This Way
- When We Play
- Wild City: Forest Life
- Wild City: Secret World
- Whiter Shade of Terror
- Why It Matters 1
- Why It Matters 2
- Work Is A 4-Letter Word
- Don't Call Us Poor
- Don't Call Us Beaten
Bookmark
Japan Hour:
Road Trip on Iga Railway (Part 1)
This week, we take a two-day trip along the Iga Railway Line in Mie Prefecture. Running through beautiful farmlands, it connects Iga-Kambe Station and Iga-Ueno Station in Iga City, known as the hometown of ninjas. The line has 14 stations and spans 16.6km. It opened in 1916 and was originally built to transport cattle through mountainous regions. Its “ninja train” started in 1997 as part of a town revitalisation project. The train is popular among railway fans and children too. The train cars were designed by manga artist Reiji Matsumoto, known for his works such as Galaxy Express 999.
We first buy a one-day pass which allows unlimited rides on the local line. We then take the train from Iga-Kambe Station to Uebayashi, two stops away. We want to find out about recommended spots here but are unable to find anyone to ask. So we return to the station and head to the next stop, Maruyama Station. This area is the birthplace of Momoji Sandayu, the founder of Iga ninjas. We go to Maruyama Construction to get some information. We are told about Shikibuzuka, where people sever unwanted relationships by making offerings of sharp objects like scissors and razors.
Legend has it that while Momoji Tamba, a ninja of the Civil War area, was serving the shogunate as a spy in this area, he had an affair with a lady of the court. His wife discovered this and murdered her. She then committed suicide by jumping in a well. Thus, it has been said that by making offerings of sharp objects at their burial site, one’s wish to end such relationships would be granted. Some people also believe that Momoji Tamba and Momoji Sandayu are the same person. Next, we walk to the Seiunji Temple, the site of a ninja cemetery where Momoji Sandayu's family grave is located. The oldest grave is 400 years old.
We return to Maruyama Station and head to Kuwamachi. A local here tells us about the house of Hattori Doho, who was the disciple of famous poet Matsuo Basho. Iga is in fact the birthplace of Basho, who had many disciples. The cottage where Doho stayed is called Minomushian and it was built in 1688. Among Basho’s “five hermitages” where he would stay when visiting his hometown, this is the only one which still exists.
We then go to the popular Old New Cafe for lunch. It was previously an old storage building which was later revamped into a contemporary place, which explains its name. It is famous for its fried bread rolls. We ask one of its employees about where we could stay the night. He mentions a lodge called Ito Ryokan. But when we get there, we meet Mr Ito himself, who tells us it has been closed for three years and that it is now a cultural heritage site. Mr Ito recommends we try our luck at Kunrakuso, which is also registered as a cultural heritage site. Luckily for us, it is still in business and has rooms available.
The inn was built 120 years ago. Its roofing tiles are pantiles from the 19th century and it has prominent black walls. It is too late for the inn to prepare dinner for us so the staff suggests we eat at Yokocho. It opened 40 years ago and serves Iga’s famous Dengaku, which is made of homemade local soybean paste. Besides the grilled “tree sprout Dengaku”, we also order the salt-grilled cutlass fish, which is the restaurant's main attraction. The secret of its delectable flavour lies in the way the fish’s fatty skin is braided to lock in the flavour of the fish. After dinner, we head back to Kunrakuso and retire for the night.
Tips:
1) Iga is the birthplace of Matsuo Basho and has several places linked to the famous poet
2) A must-try delicacy of Iga is Dengaku, which is made of local soybean paste