🗺️ Kōga Ninja Village甲賀の里 忍術村

Kōka is surrounded by the beautiful nature of the Suzuka Mountains, making it a tranquil mountain village known for its once-thriving Tōkaidō post town and as the birthplace of Kōka ninjutsu. Separated by a mountain, Iga is also a historically significant ninja hometown, and together with Kōka, it is recognized as a Japanese heritage site under the name "Hometown of Ninjas: Iga and Kōka." The area is dotted with ancient castles, residences, and training grounds, showcasing various cultural properties. Kōka Ninja Village is a ninja-themed park that features a variety of buildings, including a ninjutsu museum. The expansive park, set in the mountains and forests, is filled with various facilities where visitors can immerse themselves in the world of Kōka ninjas through learning, games, and experiences. Opened in 1983 (Showa 58), the "Kōka Ninjutsu Museum" is one of the main facilities of Kōka Ninja Village, aimed at exploring the true nature and history of Kōka ninjas. The museum is housed in a reconstructed old residence with a thatched roof, showcasing a rich array of materials related to ninjas. Among the collection are precious items such as letters from the last shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Yoshihide, requesting assistance from Kōka warriors, and "Bansenshukai," one of the three great secret texts of ninjutsu. These materials allow for research into Kōka ninjutsu and its relationship with the warlords of the Warring States period. Additionally, visitors should not miss the "Kōka-ryū Ninja Yashiki" within the park, a house of mechanisms. It was constructed by dismantling and relocating the old residence of the real Kōka ninja descendants, the Fujibayashi family. In the ninja house, one can experience thrilling escape mechanisms such as concealed revolving doors, hidden rope ladders, and deep pits beneath the hearth.

Located in the hometown of ninjas, Kōka, it authentically recreates the world of ninjas. In the expansive area surrounded by mountains and forests, various ninja-related facilities are distributed throughout. The "Kōka-ryū Ninja Mansion," a recommended facility, is a real building that has been relocated from the ruins of a ninja house.