[Iga Ueno] What is a dispersed hotel where you can stay secretly in the castle town? Couple’s trip staying at small luxury “NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Castle Town”

Article production / Mie Travel Ambassador Kaneko Yuki

▼Table of contents

• What is “NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Castle Town”?
• Spend a luxurious time surrounded by silence in a rented guest room
• check-in
• New building room 402 <VGM Grand>
• New building room 403 <VGM Premier>
• dinner and breakfast
• check out
• Recommended spots nearby
• Iga Traditional Tradition Museum Iga Kumihimo Craftsman's Village
• Iga-Yaki Nagaseen
• Dengakuza Wakaya
• 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗜 𝗖𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗
• Iga Ueno Castle
• NinjaMUSEUMofIgaryu and Ninja Show
• Former Oda Elementary School main building
• lastly

What is “NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Castle Town”?

NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Jokamachi in Mie Prefecture is a decentralized hotel that will offer 13 guest rooms in four buildings as of March 2024, having restored historical buildings that are over 150 years old, as well as storehouses and old houses from the Edo to Meiji periods.

This distributed hotel has an interesting concept in which each building scattered around the town has a function such as a reception, guest room, restaurant, etc., making the whole town a single accommodation space.

This is a completely new type of hotel where you can become ``not just a tourist, but a resident of the town for a night'' and rediscover a new charm of travel.

Spend a luxurious time surrounded by silence in a rented guest room

check-in

It's about 80 minutes by car from Osaka and about 90 minutes from Nagoya. By train, it's about 90 minutes from Osaka and about 2 hours from Nagoya, so it's just the right distance to get away from your daily routine. It's been a while since we last went on a short trip, so we had a great time talking in the car, and before we knew it, we arrived at the castle town of Iga Ueno, where our hotel was located.

For check-in, which starts at 3:00 p.m., we first headed to "KANMURI," the reception and restaurant building of the former Eirakukan, a registered tangible cultural property, which is a six-minute walk from the new building where we will be staying. All guests will stop by here first.

When I checked in, I received a map from the front desk to help me walk around the city, and this hand-drawn map was very easy to read and was very useful for my sightseeing.

New building room 402 <VGM Grand>

After checking in, we drove to the new building. The parking lot had a wide entrance and a large parking space. It was very convenient because we could park right next to our room.
When we arrived at the new building, the manager, Mr. Kurita, welcomed us. Since I had applied for an interview this time, I was also given a special opportunity to see room 402, which is next to the guest room where we would be staying.

In the photo above, the room we were given a special tour of is room 402. And directly in front of us is the entrance to room 403, where we will be staying tonight.

Now let's go inside room 402.

Room 402 is a maisonette type with a capacity of two people, and has a living room and bathroom on the first floor. The foundation stones on the floor under the large glass window, the old wood of the pillars, and part of the plaster wall are all original materials that were used here. They are a stylish accent to the modern Western-style room.

The view from the window on a rainy day was filled with calm and serenity. My wife, who was standing next to me looking outside, smiled mischievously and said, ``I'm really a rain girl. It's always raining when I go on trips that I look forward to.''

Now let's take a look at the bathroom.

The bath is a semi-open-air cypress bath with a view of the garden. It looks like you can enjoy a luxurious bath time without any worries while feeling the outside air. This bath is so beautiful.

Next, I will take you up the stairs and take you to the second floor.

The newly built room 402 is a maisonette type, so there is a staircase leading to the second floor. I heard that the plaster on the wall halfway up the stairs is a part of the old wall.
All of the art displayed in the building is the work of local artists.

When we went up to the second floor, we found a lovely bedroom with high ceilings, bright and open. My wife couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh, how cute!" Room 402 is elegant and modern, decorated with art, and is perfect for a young couple.
Room 402 in the new building had a semi-open-air Japanese cypress bath with a view of the garden, and was a bright, modern space with impressive old materials, old plaster, and exposed foundation stone.

New building room 403 <VGM Premier>

Next, I would like to introduce you to the premier room, room 403, where we stayed.
This building was originally a warehouse for a soy sauce brewery, but it has been renovated. Looking up, you can see huge pine beams. The structure makes use of the large old warehouse and inside it they built a 54m2 single-story house, like a movie set.

Now, I'll show you around the building.

Go up the front door, open the large glass door at the entrance, and go inside.

Upon entering the room, I was taken aback by the luxurious and sophisticated interior that caught my eye.

A sense of openness and chic color unity. The moment you see it, you can be sure that you will be able to truly relax here. A simple and high-quality space where you can feel the warmth of wood is very nice. The design has a low center of gravity, giving it a visually spacious and luxurious feel.

There are no televisions or clocks in the room, allowing you to spend some quiet time relaxing.

The beds, blankets, yukatas, etc. were top-notch brands. It was a cold day outside, but I was able to stay very comfortable in the room.

Now, let me show you to the bathroom.

There is a bathroom behind a heavy wooden glass door next to the bed.

The bathroom is a spacious space surrounded by cypress wood, and the red Iga-Yaki tiles on the sink caught my eye.

The bath amenities are SILMORE® body and hair care products made from high-quality cocoons handcrafted by silkworm farmers in Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture. The main ingredient, silk, has excellent moisturizing and antioxidant properties, and is said to give skin and hair firmness and moisture.

The bath was a cypress bath with a fully automatic water heater. The fresh cypress looks beautiful. And the relaxing effect of the cypress scent is wonderful. It's clearly different from a normal bath. It warms your body from the inside out and was the best bath I've ever taken while traveling.

Now, please take a look at some photos taken in the room.

The first thing we do when we get to our room is a toast. This sparkling wine is free! NIPPONIA HOTEL has a system called "Best Rate Guarantee", which allows you to receive various benefits when you make a reservation through their official website. This sparkling wine is one of those benefits, so it's a system you should definitely take advantage of.

A photo of the interior from the courtyard. You can spend a quiet time in the rooms rented as a whole building.

The moss-covered stone in the courtyard was very impressive. This stone has a mechanism that allows water to constantly drip from above, so you can see the moss growing over the years. It was a very quiet space and I was able to relax from the bottom of my heart.

The welcome sweets were Kusokoromochi from Iseya and Hanasaka Karin from Hanasaka Karin, which are a few minutes walk from the hotel. Both were delicious and I bought them as souvenirs. These two are great souvenirs.
I took them out of the refrigerator and set them out on the table to take a photo, but there is no additional charge for these drinks, and you can drink them as you like. That's a nice service.

dinner and breakfast

Dinner and breakfast are served at "LE UN," a restaurant located in a restored inn adjacent to "KANMURI," where the front desk is located.

For dinner, you can enjoy a full course French meal using local ingredients such as Mie Prefecture's seafood and land delicacies served on Iga-Yaki and Shigaraki-yaki ware, as well as the legendary and renowned "Iga beef" beef, which has a long history dating back to the Kamakura period. Breakfast is a healthy Japanese meal made with plenty of local ingredients.

Usually, when we travel somewhere, my husband and I go to a restaurant in town instead of staying at a hotel, but here I definitely recommend the plan with two meals. The reason is simple. You can try all the ingredients from Iga Ueno, Mie Prefecture at "LE UN". And the food is high quality and delicious. And because it's a restaurant at the NIPPONIA HOTEL, the concept is consistent. If you're staying overnight, I think the plan with two meals is the only choice.

Spring Menu B (dinner menu for this day)

• A little treat from the chef
• Marinated Iga spring vegetables and seafood
• Firefly squid with squid ink frit and fresh onions
• Today's fresh fish with vermouth and kinome aroma (Upgrade fish dish for Extra + 3,300 yen) ★Roasted spiny lobster from Mie prefecture with butter sauce with the aroma of spiny seaweed
• Grilled Iga beef loin with sake lees and potato puree (optional extra + 1,000 yen/per person) Dashi ochazuke as a final dish
• Sake jelly and seasonal fruits
• Spring strawberry fresier
• bread
• coffee or tea

At the time, there were three other groups of customers besides us, and the male staff member spoke fluent English to a foreign customer who arrived later. All the customers were calm and relaxed, and we were able to enjoy our meal in a very pleasant atmosphere.

We had breakfast at the same restaurant as dinner, "LE UN." In this hotel, you can see hand-drawn illustrated menus and maps, which are apparently written by the staff. This hospitality is heartfelt and wonderful.

The details are shown in the illustration above, but I'd like to introduce the breakfast served on this day in the castle town of Iga-Jo, which made generous use of local ingredients.

• Sugar-free “Good Morning Amazake” from the nearby Nakamura Koji store
• Iga-Yaki rice cooked in Igayaki Hasen's oven
• Hanzo sake lees soup (optional spiny lobster soup)
• Miyazakiya's liver pickles
• Iga beef stew
• Iga-Etsuzan butterbur tsukudani, homemade yuzu pickles, simmered taro and Iga-grown shiitake mushrooms
• Iga's local cuisine Tofu Dengaku
• Grilled red fish Yuan (on this day we changed to seasonal horse mackerel, mackerel from Mie prefecture is very delicious), fried green seaweed seaweed from Mie prefecture
• ouchiyama yogurt and berries from local farmer Sarai

What do you think? You can eat breakfast made with all these local all-star ingredients in one place. And it's delicious. If you stay at NIPPONIA HOTEL, be sure to enjoy the breakfast.

check out

Check-out is at 12:00, but we decided to leave after 10:00 because we were going sightseeing. In that case, just call the front desk with your internal smartphone. In many inns, the landlady and all the staff will see you off, but this is not the case here. Rather, I thought it would be better to lock the door and leave by myself without being seen off, as it would give me the feeling of being a "resident of this house for one night".

The Nipponia Hotel Iga Ueno Castle Town is not your average old-style hotel. It carefully inherits the original stories of the land and weaves a story from them, allowing guests to experience the culture and history of the town and the lives of the local people.
Trying out a stay at a hostel can give you a whole new experience of the enjoyment of traveling, so why not visit with a loved one or a close friend and become "an overnight resident, rather than just an overnight tourist"?

NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Castle Town

Recommended spots nearby

Now, let me introduce the surrounding spots that my husband and I visited during our two-day, one-night trip to NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Castle Town. I think that by experiencing the historical architecture, experiencing the culture, and learning about the "IGAMONO" that has been secretly cultivated in the ninja village, the memories of your trip will be two or even three times as great, so please enjoy.

Iga Traditional Tradition Museum Iga Kumihimo Craftsman's Village

Kumihimo, which gained attention in the movie "Your Name," is known as a traditional Iga craft. Here, you can experience braiding beautiful braids by hand using round and square stands. At first, my wife didn't know what kumihimo was, but when I explained that it was the same string that appeared in "Your Name," she became very interested. Under the guidance of a staff member who was good at giving compliments, she quickly put it together.

Individual experiences are accepted at any time. You can choose from a key chain, cell phone strap, or bracelet. I'm sure you'll end up with something better than you ever imagined. It's recommended as a memento of your trip. The cost is 1,500 yen (entrance is free).

Iga Kumihimo Kumiko no Sato

Iga-Yaki Nagaseen

Hasegawa, the Iga-Yaki pottery manufacturer, is located about 20 minutes from the hotel, but you will have to drive there. This clay pot is very popular because it does not require heat adjustment and can cook delicious rice over a direct gas flame without overflowing. By the way, the clay pot in the photo is the one I actually purchased. I have used it many times since returning home, and I am very satisfied with how delicious the rice it cooks.

This is the "16-chambered Former Climbing Kiln," which was registered as a national tangible cultural property in 2011. It is a huge climbing kiln with a depth of 34m and a width of 6.7m. It was built at the end of the Edo period and was actually used until the 1960s. It was a spectacular sight to see up close.

In front of the climbing kiln, there is an unmanned cafe called "Taishokan" that is also a registered tangible cultural property. A cup costs 400 yen and includes an Iga-Yaki cup. The coffee is from a vending machine, but it was delicious. It was cold and rainy outside that day, but it was warm inside the cafe, and it also serves as an Iga-Yaki museum, so I was able to take a break with a delicious coffee while looking around. I had a great time.

Iga-Yaki Nagaseen

Dengakuza Wakaya

For lunch, I had the specialty tofu dengaku at the popular restaurant "Wakaya." If you come to Iga, this is a restaurant you can't miss. The taste of the dengaku and the personality of the owner were very elegant, and I felt the depth of the restaurant's 170 years of history. By the way, the recommended way to eat this restaurant is to remove the dengaku from the skewer and place it on top of rice. The rice and dengaku miso went well together and were very delicious.

Dengakuza Wakaya

𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗜 𝗖𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗

𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗜 𝗖𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗 is located just a few minutes walk from the new wing of the NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Castle Town where we stayed. I love coffee and I can't resist this kind of shop. I ordered a latte and my wife ordered a hot coffee. The atmosphere of the shop was great and the drinks were very delicious. There are many types of fried bread, which are made with non-glutinous rice (from Iga) and glutinous rice (from Iga), giving them a chewy texture. This also looked good and was very delicious. It's a popular shop, so if you're in Iga Ueno, be sure to stop by.

𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗜 𝗖𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗

Iga Ueno Castle

It goes without saying that this is a classic spot among classics, but on this day, just when it seemed that the cold rain from the previous day had stopped, a cold north wind started blowing and it became unbearably cold. If the weather had been better, I would have liked to climb the castle, but I gave up. However, Ueno Castle's stone walls are 30 meters high, making them one of the tallest in Japan, so I thought it was worth seeing, and I asked my wife to stand there and take a commemorative photo. There are no fences on the stone walls, so you can go right up to the edge and see below, but it's quite scary. Be sure to go here as a conversation piece.

In spring, you can enjoy the collaboration of Hakuho Castle and cherry blossoms. When we visited, the cherry blossoms were still in bud, but the lighting fixtures were already prepared. The combination of the white castle and Somei-Yoshino cherry blossoms must be beautiful. It would be great to stay at NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Castle Town when the cherry blossoms bloom.

Iga Ueno Castle

NinjaMUSEUMofIgaryu (Trick Ninja House) and Ninja Demonstration Show

As a resident of Mie Prefecture, NinjaMUSEUMofIgaryu 's Karakuri Ninja House is a classic "outing spot" for me, and I have been there many times since I was little, on family trips and children's club trips.

It had been a while since I last visited, but the Karakuri Ninja House was as fun as ever. It was also my first time seeing a live ninja show, but it was really interesting. I think it's the best entertainment we can be proud of in the world!

NinjaMUSEUMofIgaryu 's Karakuri Ninja House and Ninja Show are recommended for people of all ages.

Ninjas are now known all over the world, and there is a growing demand from foreign tourists to visit Iga, the home of the ninjas, in Mie Prefecture when they come to Japan.
Both the ninja demonstration show and the ninja house had explanations in English, so they were well-equipped to cater to inbound tourists.

Iga Ninja Museum

Former Oda Elementary School main building

This building was built in 1881 and is said to be the oldest existing elementary school building in Mie Prefecture. On the map it appears to be right next to Ueno Castle, but in reality there is a moat so you have to walk a little, which may make it a hidden gem. This was my first visit and I was very surprised to find a place like this in Mie Prefecture, as the building felt like it was in Meiji Village.

"Morning. Morning. Bright morning." Some of you may have vague memories of this phrase from a Japanese textbook from 1972 (Showa 47).

There are many exhibits in the main building of the former Oda Elementary School that you can actually touch, such as organs and desks, which will make you feel even more nostalgic. The second floor is a museum, so it's a good idea to take your time and look around.

Former Oda Elementary School main building

lastly

lastly

What did you think?

When I hear Iga Ueno, I have a strong image of ninjas, but when I visited for the first time in a while, I was surprised to find that there are many other ways to enjoy the area besides ninjas. I'm embarrassed to say this, but I've lived in Mie Prefecture for decades and this was the first time I'd even heard the word "IGAMONO." I think this is also because I learned how to enjoy Iga Ueno by staying at the NIPPONIA HOTEL IGAUENO Jokamachi. I hope that everyone who reads this report will consider staying at the NIPPONIA HOTEL IGAUENO Jokamachi for an overnight trip.