Japan Heritage 'Shinobi no Sato Iga / Koga' Expands Recognition and Inheritance of Real Ninjas. Public-Private Cultural Tourism Project 'NINJA ORIGINS' Officially Launches Sales
In collaboration with the Shinobi no Sato Iga / Koga Ninja Council, Kaze no Heritage Co., Ltd. has launched 'NINJA ORIGINS', a private tour for affluent travelers to experience authentic ninja culture in the Japan Heritage site of Iga and Koga. The initiative aims to build a sustainable model that reinvests tourism revenue into the preservation of cultural properties.
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Kaze no Heritage Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, CEO: Jun Tarikino, hereinafter 'our company'), in collaboration with the Shinobi no Sato Iga Koga Ninja Council, has officially launched the project 'NINJA ORIGINS : Real Ninja Journeys & Experiences'. This initiative aims to inherit the ninja culture thriving in the Japan Heritage site 'Shinobi no Sato Iga / Koga' and to internationally broadcast its cultural value. Sales have now commenced on the official website (https://experience.shinobinosato.com/).
Following two years of demonstration under the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Japan Heritage subsidy program, this public-private partnership project has transitioned into a sustainable operational structure utilizing private-sector marketing and operational expertise starting this fiscal year. Targeting wealthy travelers primarily from Europe, North America, and Australia, we provide immersive private tours (1-night/2-day or 2-night/3-day, ranging from 200,000 to 350,000 JPY per person) based on historical facts, utilizing the tangible and intangible cultural properties of the Japan Heritage site 'Shinobi no Sato Iga / Koga'. The Shinobi no Sato Iga Koga Ninja Council acts as the project owner, while our company manages the planning, operation, and sales.
▍Background | To Preserve and Convey Authentic Ninja Culture Based on Historical Facts
To pass down rare regional culture to the next generation, securing funding to support its preservation and restoration is an urgent issue. In the Iga and Koga regions, while a globally commercialized and entertainment-focused image of ninjas is prevalent, opportunities to learn about the authentic ninja culture based on actual history remain limited. Under these circumstances, 'Shinobi no Sato Iga / Koga'—the only ninja story certified by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as a Japan Heritage—is launching a business to convey the true figure of ninjas who developed ninjutsu from their daily lives and livelihoods. In surveys conducted by European, American, and Australian inbound operators over the past two years, this 'Authenticity (authentic land and environment)' was highly evaluated as the greatest strength, confirming the potential for the essential value of ninja culture to succeed in the international market. Through this project, we will promote the establishment of a sustainable 'virtuous cycle model' that reinvests tourism revenue into the protection of cultural properties, connecting the essence of culture that Japan should be proud of to the future.
▍Toward Cultural Inheritance and Sustainable Tourism Management through Public-Private Partnership
In this project, the Shinobi no Sato Iga Koga Ninja Council is responsible for coordinating the use of cultural properties and regional resources, while the Iga Ueno DMO / Koga City Tourism Machizukuri Association is responsible for providing and operating each content. Utilizing our travel agency license, our company will comprehensively handle planning, creation, customer acquisition, sales, operation, and inquiry handling by dedicated concierges, thereby realizing a sustainable operational structure that leverages private-sector marketing and operational know-how.
Furthermore, through wide-area collaboration bridging the two municipalities of Iga City and Koga City, we will integrate scattered regional resources into a single ninja culture narrative. Based at 'NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Jokamachi'—a decentralized hotel operated by our company that preserves and utilizes historical buildings, including registered tangible cultural properties—we aim to improve the quality and continuity of cultural tourism across the entire region by functioning as a platform to aggregate and broadcast the content held by regional DMOs and tourism associations.
▍Immersive Experience in Real Ninja Life
Setting itself apart from conventional entertainment-oriented ninja depictions, this program is a 1-night/2-day or 2-night/3-day private tour that deeply immerses participants in authentic ninja culture based on historical facts, set in Iga and Koga, the birthplace of ninjas. Through dialogues with inheritors, researchers, and craftsmen, the objective is for participants to deeply understand the cultural context of the Japan Heritage and to forge a connection with the land of Iga and Koga itself.
1) Authentic Training Experience to Encounter True Ninja Philosophy
Ninjutsu is a system of life skills born from the fusion of Yamabushi (mountain ascetic) training, medicinal herb wisdom, and agricultural practices. Participants will acquire philosophy and techniques based on historical documents and traditions (such as breathing methods, mental concentration, and mountain castle training) in the very villages where ninjas actually existed.
2) Special Access to Cultural Inheritors
We provide exceptionally rare opportunities to directly converse with inheritors and cultural bearers who pass down the spirit of ninjutsu to the present day.
3) Exclusive Private Experiences in Historical Spaces Where Ninjas Truly Existed
Participants will immerse themselves deeply, accompanied by expert guides, in cultural properties where ninjas actually prayed and hid. This includes special prayers at the Aburahi Shrine, an Important Cultural Property where the Koga clan is said to have solidified their unity and prayed for success before embarking on missions during the Sengoku period.
4) Savoring Culture with Iga-yaki Pottery and Staying in a Castle Town
The locally sourced French dinner 'Banquet of Earth and Flame', served on tableware created by Mr. Kenji Kojima, a master of 'Iga-yaki' pottery born from the soil of Iga, is structured not merely as a meal but as 'time to savor culture', with the background of the pottery and the artisan's philosophy shared with every dish. It is a special dinner born from the tableware created by earth and flame and the food nurtured by the climate of Iga. Accommodation is provided at the renovated historical building, the entire-villa rental hotel 'SUITE VILLA NOZAKI' or
Following two years of demonstration under the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Japan Heritage subsidy program, this public-private partnership project has transitioned into a sustainable operational structure utilizing private-sector marketing and operational expertise starting this fiscal year. Targeting wealthy travelers primarily from Europe, North America, and Australia, we provide immersive private tours (1-night/2-day or 2-night/3-day, ranging from 200,000 to 350,000 JPY per person) based on historical facts, utilizing the tangible and intangible cultural properties of the Japan Heritage site 'Shinobi no Sato Iga / Koga'. The Shinobi no Sato Iga Koga Ninja Council acts as the project owner, while our company manages the planning, operation, and sales.
▍Background | To Preserve and Convey Authentic Ninja Culture Based on Historical Facts
To pass down rare regional culture to the next generation, securing funding to support its preservation and restoration is an urgent issue. In the Iga and Koga regions, while a globally commercialized and entertainment-focused image of ninjas is prevalent, opportunities to learn about the authentic ninja culture based on actual history remain limited. Under these circumstances, 'Shinobi no Sato Iga / Koga'—the only ninja story certified by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as a Japan Heritage—is launching a business to convey the true figure of ninjas who developed ninjutsu from their daily lives and livelihoods. In surveys conducted by European, American, and Australian inbound operators over the past two years, this 'Authenticity (authentic land and environment)' was highly evaluated as the greatest strength, confirming the potential for the essential value of ninja culture to succeed in the international market. Through this project, we will promote the establishment of a sustainable 'virtuous cycle model' that reinvests tourism revenue into the protection of cultural properties, connecting the essence of culture that Japan should be proud of to the future.
▍Toward Cultural Inheritance and Sustainable Tourism Management through Public-Private Partnership
In this project, the Shinobi no Sato Iga Koga Ninja Council is responsible for coordinating the use of cultural properties and regional resources, while the Iga Ueno DMO / Koga City Tourism Machizukuri Association is responsible for providing and operating each content. Utilizing our travel agency license, our company will comprehensively handle planning, creation, customer acquisition, sales, operation, and inquiry handling by dedicated concierges, thereby realizing a sustainable operational structure that leverages private-sector marketing and operational know-how.
Furthermore, through wide-area collaboration bridging the two municipalities of Iga City and Koga City, we will integrate scattered regional resources into a single ninja culture narrative. Based at 'NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Jokamachi'—a decentralized hotel operated by our company that preserves and utilizes historical buildings, including registered tangible cultural properties—we aim to improve the quality and continuity of cultural tourism across the entire region by functioning as a platform to aggregate and broadcast the content held by regional DMOs and tourism associations.
▍Immersive Experience in Real Ninja Life
Setting itself apart from conventional entertainment-oriented ninja depictions, this program is a 1-night/2-day or 2-night/3-day private tour that deeply immerses participants in authentic ninja culture based on historical facts, set in Iga and Koga, the birthplace of ninjas. Through dialogues with inheritors, researchers, and craftsmen, the objective is for participants to deeply understand the cultural context of the Japan Heritage and to forge a connection with the land of Iga and Koga itself.
1) Authentic Training Experience to Encounter True Ninja Philosophy
Ninjutsu is a system of life skills born from the fusion of Yamabushi (mountain ascetic) training, medicinal herb wisdom, and agricultural practices. Participants will acquire philosophy and techniques based on historical documents and traditions (such as breathing methods, mental concentration, and mountain castle training) in the very villages where ninjas actually existed.
2) Special Access to Cultural Inheritors
We provide exceptionally rare opportunities to directly converse with inheritors and cultural bearers who pass down the spirit of ninjutsu to the present day.
3) Exclusive Private Experiences in Historical Spaces Where Ninjas Truly Existed
Participants will immerse themselves deeply, accompanied by expert guides, in cultural properties where ninjas actually prayed and hid. This includes special prayers at the Aburahi Shrine, an Important Cultural Property where the Koga clan is said to have solidified their unity and prayed for success before embarking on missions during the Sengoku period.
4) Savoring Culture with Iga-yaki Pottery and Staying in a Castle Town
The locally sourced French dinner 'Banquet of Earth and Flame', served on tableware created by Mr. Kenji Kojima, a master of 'Iga-yaki' pottery born from the soil of Iga, is structured not merely as a meal but as 'time to savor culture', with the background of the pottery and the artisan's philosophy shared with every dish. It is a special dinner born from the tableware created by earth and flame and the food nurtured by the climate of Iga. Accommodation is provided at the renovated historical building, the entire-villa rental hotel 'SUITE VILLA NOZAKI' or
FAQ
How much does the NINJA ORIGINS tour cost?
It is a private tour priced between 200,000 and 350,000 JPY per person.
What experiences are included in the tour?
Historically accurate ninja training, special prayers at cultural properties, and exclusive dining using Iga-yaki pottery.
What is the purpose of this project?
To internationally promote ninja culture and build a sustainable model that funds cultural preservation through tourism revenue.