MUSÉE DE IGA NINJA
This museum located in Iga, the cradle of Ninja culture, is conducive to the discovery of this culture that fascinates far beyond borders and is often subject to misinterpretation. In popular culture, the ninja is often seen as a warrior, ready to face hordes of enemies. But the reality was quite different. The term ninja refers to a category of spy, until the Edo period, whose function was to spy, sabotage, infiltrate and kill. Strategy and discretion were the daily life of ninjas. The Iga Ninja Museum thus allows us to break the clichés and offer an educational journey into this universe, starting with a visit to a real residence of a former ninja, a man named Taroujirou. From the outside, this house looks like a farmer's house, while its walls hold many secrets. We then visit it, from room to room, to discover the various traps, tricks and hiding places. Thus the dondengaeshi (swivelling wall) was used to hide very quickly, the kakushido (hidden door) to escape discreetly and the katanakakushi (sword hiding place) to grab his weapon with the enemy's beard. The visit continues with a museum exhibiting objects, outfits and weapons that belonged to ninjas and presenting, in the form of panels, the life of these shadowy beings. And for ¥500 more, it is possible to end the visit with a ninja show to observe the art of combat and the techniques used.
