NINJA HERITAGE
Kishiwada City
Kishiwada City, Osaka Prefecture
Kishiwada, a Place Associated with Ninjas
In Namimatsu Town, there was an area called Shinobicho,
on the Ipponhama side of the Kishu Road, where Kouka Ninja houses lined.
It has become known that 50 Kouka Ninjas were hired
and called Oshinobi Yakunin (intelligence official).
This Ninja group, called “Kouka 50,” lived as farmers,
while training in gunnery and making gunpowder.
During time of emergency, they became guards for the lord.
ACCESS
Osaka Prefecture
About 1h total
TrainAbout 1h
Kishiwada Castle
Kishiwada Castle has a long history and many places of interest, including the stone walls that take you back in time and the castle keep with an exhibition room. According to the legend, it was built by Wada Takaie, who was a member of the Kusunoki Masashige family during the Kenmu Restoration period (1333-1336). Okabe Nobukatsu took over the castle in 1640. The Kishiwada Domain was governed by the Okabe clan for 13 generations thereafter until the Meiji Restoration (1868-1889).
National Site of Scenic Beauty
Kishiwada Castle Garden (Hachijin Garden)
Kishiwada Castle Garden (Hachijin Garden) was created by landscape designer Shigemori Mirei. It’s a unique garden intended to offer a variety of perspectives that unfold not only horizontally, but also vertically, and drew attention within and from outside of Japan. It was designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty because its artistic value and academic value in the history of modern Japanese gardens are high.
Daiitokuji Temple
It’s a temple built on Mt. Ushitaki, which is famous for its beautiful maple trees. It is now a Tendai temple, but practiced both Tendai and Shingon Buddhism before the early modern period. It has been passed on that it was founded by En no Gyoja, and has been worshipped as a sacred Katsuragi Shugendo training site since ancient times. The tahoto pagoda that stands within the temple grounds is designated as a national important cultural property. At Daiitokuji Temple, there is also the 10th kyozuka sutra mound located along the “Katsuragi Shugen” pilgrimage route, which was certified as a Japan Heritage in 2020.
Kishiwada Danjiri Kaikan
This is a facility where you can learn everything about the Danjiri Festival, which boasts 300 years of tradition. The exhibition rooms allow visitors to inherit and enjoy the traditions and cultures of the Danjiri Festival by utilizing the latest video technology, exhibits that enable visitors to learn about the Danjiri Festival through experiences, existing Danjiri floats, musical instruments, decorations, mini-Danjiri and other exhibits.
Lord that Employed 50 Kouka Ninjas
“Provided by Kishiwada City Board of Education”
Okabe Nobukatsu
Okabe Nobukatsu became the lord of the Kishiwada Domain in 1640, at the beginning of the Edo Period. He was the first of the Okabe clan to become the lord of the domain, a situation that continued for 13 generations, or approximately 230 years. He was one of Fudai Daimyos, who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa clan, because his grandfather Masatsuna had gained the status.