NIPPONIA HOTEL Igaueno Castle Town

In Iga—the home of ninja—there are many “phantom” ingredients and remarkable traditions that have quietly remained hidden, like a ninja. These include “food” such as the legendary Iga beef, comparable in quality to Matsusaka beef yet rarely found outside the region; Iga rice, ranked Special A at the top level in taste evaluations across The whole country; and world-class Iga sake, chosen for the toast at the Ise-Shima Summit. There is also “culture,” including Iga-ryu ninja; Iga kumihimo braiding, which holds over 90% of the national market share; Iga ware pottery made from Iga clay with one of Japan’s highest fire-resistant qualities among domestically sourced ceramic clays; the danjiri festival floats of the Ueno Tenjin Festival registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage; and globally celebrated haiku and Noh theater with roots in Iga. And above all, there are the “people” who have created them. At our Hotel, we offer opportunities during your stay to discover these little-known treasures—“IGAMONO.”

In Iga, Japanese aesthetics that are fading from modern life—such as the haiku ideal of “sabi” and the Noh concept of “yugen”—have long been nurtured. At our Hotel, we invite you to visit Iga, unwind a mind and body hardened by the noise and stress of everyday life, let go of routine, and truly relax—offering time to sharpen your senses and spirit. Enjoy guest rooms where you can gaze at beautiful greenery while relaxing in a spacious all-hinoki cypress bath or on a terrace with a garden. Savor cuisine that enhances vitality through all five senses, featuring Iga beef, Iga rice, blessings from Mie’s mountains, and other ingredients lovingly raised by local producers. Through experiences such as meditative training with hands-on Iga kumihimo braiding, we bring you encounters with Iga’s celebrated gastronomy, history, and culture—and promise restorative moments to heal both body and mind in today’s ever-changing work and living environment.

NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Castle Town is a “distributed Hotel,” with Room buildings scattered throughout the town, offering a stay that feels like living there. Located near the center of the castle town’s grid-like streets, it features 3 Rooms in the KANMURI Building (which also houses the restaurant), 3 Rooms in the KOURAI Building blending into one of Iga’s most iconic streets, 4 Rooms in the MITAKE Building—a former building materials shop with charming storehouse-inspired design—plus 3 Rooms in the NOMATSU Building, a merchant house associated with Matsuo Basho. It also includes the NOZAKI Building, a suite villa with a kura sauna, and the NAIKI Building, which offers the front desk and two dog-friendly Rooms in a restored long-established fruit wholesaler founded in the Meiji era. With only a small number of Rooms per building, you can enjoy a relaxed stay with a strong sense of privacy. After checking in at the front desk building, stroll through this historic townscape on your way to your Room. The guest Rooms are created by restoring historic buildings—such as former herbal medicine wholesalers dating back to the Edo period—and combine modern comfort with original character and contemporary interiors, making your stay itself a unique cultural experience.