Ueno Tenjin Festival

What Is the Ueno Tenjin Festival?

The Ueno Tenjin Festival is the grand annual festival of Sugawara Shrine (Ueno Tenjin-gū) in Iga, Mie Prefecture, held each autumn. Known for its procession of gorgeous floats (danjiri) and its "demon procession" of people dressed as ogres and supernatural beings, it is a spirited and distinctive festival representative of the Iga region. Designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, it is also inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list as one of the "Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals." It is a festival rich in history and tradition that adorns the autumn of the castle town of Iga-Ueno.

History and Origins

The Ueno Tenjin Festival developed in Iga-Ueno, the castle town of the Tōdō domain, as the festival of Sugawara Shrine, which enshrines Sugawara no Michizane. Its origins are said to date back to the early Edo period, when the townspeople of the castle town vied in wealth and skill to build floats and assemble the distinctive demon procession. With a history of some 400 years, the festival preserves to this day the floats and the demon masks and costumes handed down by each neighborhood, carefully protected as a source of pride for the people of Iga.

Highlights

The greatest attractions are the procession of resplendent floats and the "demon procession" reminiscent of the night parade of one hundred demons. The floats that each neighborhood takes pride in are adorned with intricate carvings and decorations and parade through the castle town to festival music. In the demon procession, meanwhile, people dressed as hyorotsuki ogres and En no Gyōja delight the crowds with their distinctive movements. The scenes in which the demons frighten children along the route are a famous feature unique to this festival. The interplay of floats and demons unfolding against the historic townscape draws onlookers into a fantastical world.

When It Takes Place

The festival is typically held in autumn (October) at Sugawara Shrine and throughout the castle town of Iga-Ueno in Iga, Mie Prefecture. As an autumn grand festival, its season is autumn. Because the dates and routes of the float and demon processions vary from year to year, visitors are advised to confirm details through official announcements from Iga City and the organizers of the Ueno Tenjin Festival.

Access

Iga-Ueno is most conveniently reached via Uenoshi Station on the Iga Railway. Located midway between Osaka and Nagoya, it is accessible by transferring to the Iga Railway from the Kintetsu or JR lines. By car, routes such as the Meihan National Highway are available, but because traffic restrictions are imposed throughout the castle town during the festival, public transport is recommended.

Around the Area

Iga is famed as the home of Ueno Castle (Hakuhō Castle), built by Tōdō Takatora, and as a land of ninja. At the Iga-ryū Ninja Museum, visitors can see demonstrations of ninja techniques and tour a house full of hidden tricks, and the area is also known as the birthplace of the poet Matsuo Bashō. Iga ware pottery, Iga beef, and local sake are among the food culture distinctive to the castle town. It is an area where one can savor a journey unique to Iga, enjoying history, ninja culture, and the autumn festival all at once.

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