Free Train Rides For Ninjas In Mie Prefecture

Mainichi reports on some cool ninja-related news:

IGA, Mie — Passengers dressed in ninja costumes will be given free travel along the Iga Tetsudo line from April 1 to May 6 to mark the city’s popular ninja festival, railroad officials said.

Iga Tetsudo, which took over the running of the old Kintetsu Iga Line in October last year, is making the offer as part of the Iga Ueno Ninja Festa, a festival that celebrates the Mie Prefecture city’s links with the ancient stealth art of ninjutsu.

Each year, the festival is held centered on Iga’s main districts, with ninja being the focus. Most events have a ninja theme, including the chance to try out ninja shuriken throwing stars. One of the more popular attractions at the festival is the practice of lending out ninja costumes and it is quite common to see families with everyone walking around the streets in ninja garb during the festival period.

If you’ve read this article and plan to grab your ninja gear and head out to Mie Prefecture for the festivities, don’t forget to visit the Iga-Ryu Ninja Museum. Iga City’s English language homepage also has some sightseeing maps.