Yamaga Shrine : 山家神社・真田神社
Important Junction for the Sanada Ninja
Eastern Nagano
Description
One of the mountains held sacred by the Shugendo ascetic monks has historically been Mt. Azumaya above Ueda City. The pilgrimage trail to the mountaintop begins at Yamaga Shrine in Ueda’s Sanada district. Shugendo practitioners were one of the few groups of people permitted to travel across provincial borders. In the mid to late 1500s, the Sanada Clan, rulers of Ueda Castle, used their contacts among the Shugendo monks to spy on their samurai rivals in surrounding domains, with information gathering being one of the roles of ninja. According to the sign at the entrance, related documents and artifacts exist today in the Shrine’s storage.
The Sanada Clan was squeezed in between several competing warlords, with Uesugi Kenshin on the Sea of Japan side to the north, Takeda Shingen from the Mt. Fuji side to the south, and the Hojo Clan from east. Their land was stretched between Ueda City in present-day Nagano and Numata City in Gunma Prefectures, with the treacherous Torii Pass in the middle. Yamaga Shrine is situated on the walking road from Ueda Castle to Torii Pass, making it a critical junction. Finding out news of troop movements, castle construction, etc., from their ninja spies within the groups of traveling pilgrims was a matter of life or death for the Sanada Clan.
Details
10
- Entrance Price
- Free
Contact
tel : +81(0)268-72-5700
Access / Location
- By Train
- From Ueda Station(JR Hokuriku(Nagano) Shinkansen), take the Sugadaira Kogen Line Bus to Sanada Bus Stop. Then walk 2 minutes.
- By Car
- From Ueda Sugadaira IC, 12 minutes (6 km)
- Address
- 4473 Sanadamachi Osa, Ueda 386-2201
Nearby Attractions
Sightseeing Spots
- Kakuma Gorge : Mythical Ninja Training Ground – the Sarutobi Boulders
- Nonou Graveyard : The Final Resting Ground of the Lady Ninjas
- Yanagi-Machi Post Town : The Past Meets the Present in Ueda City’s Historical Post Town
- Unno-juku Post Town : Post Town with Distinctive Architecture and Beautiful Streetscape
- Uedajo Castle Ruin Park : Invincible Castle Famous for Twice Repulsing the Tokugawa Shogunate, Secrets of Ninja and Ninja Training Center
Accommodation
- Sugadaira Kogen Onsen Hotel : Sport (Ski, Rugby) and Relaxation Onsen Resort.
- Takamine Onsen "Lamp Inn" : Romantic “Oil Lamp”-themed inn located at 2000 m featuring a panoramic “Above-the-Clouds” Bath.
- Mountainside Tokiwakan in Komoro : Ride a Cable Car to an Above-The-Clouds Outdoor Onsen Bath.
- Nakadanasou in Komoro : Old-fashioned Inn, Favorite of Shimazaki Toson. A Quiet Retreat for Adults.
- Kamesei Ryokan in Onsen Town Togura-Kamiyamada : Friendly, Traditional Japanese Onsen Inn run by an American-Japanese couple.
Restaurants
- Kokuzo : Natural Yeast Artisan Bread Shop in a 150-Year Old Farmhouse.
- Cafe Levian Table & Tatami-Cafe Eboshi : Artisan Bakery in a Sake Warehouse.
- Teisyaba Garden : Tea Time in a Community Flower Garden.
- Soba Hojyo-an : Locally Grown and Milled "Homecoming Soba".
- Soba Kaya : Authentic Soba Noodles in an Edo-era Thatched Roof Building.
Activities
- Volunteer Guide Tours in Ueda : Have a Volunteer English Guide Show You Ueda's Castle Town!
- Silk Weaving Experience (Ueda Tsumugi) : Sit at a 100-Year Old Loom and Make Your Own Ueda Silk Weaving.
- Onsen-by-Cable-Car : Ride a Cable Car up to Tokiwakan’s Panorama Onsen Baths.
- Shioda Plain Temple Walk : Take in the Historical Temples around Bessho Onsen with this 1-Day Tour.
- Matsushiro-yaki Pottery Lesson : Create an Original Piece of Matsushiro-yaki, Nagano’s Premier Pottery Style.
