Iga, Mie

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**Iga**
**伊賀市**
Iga's location in Mie, Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai, Tōkai
Prefecture	Mie
Physical characteristics
Area	558.17 km² (215.51 sq mi)
Population (as of April 2008)
Total	99,302
Density	178 /km² (461 /sq mi)
Location	34°46′N, 136°8′E
Symbols
Tree	Japanese Red Pine
Flower	Sasayuri (Lilium japonicum)
Bird	Green Pheasant
Flag
Iga Government Office
Mayor	Mutsuyuki Imaoka
Address	〒518-8501 116, Ueno Marunouchi, Iga-shi, Mie-ken
Phone number	0595-22-9601
Official website: Iga City

Iga Ueno Castle, Iga, Mie

Iga (伊賀市, Iga-shi^?) is a city located in Mie, Japan. It became a city on November 1, 2004 as a result of the merger of the city of Ueno; the towns of Iga, Ayama, Shimagahara and the village of Ōyamada (which were in Ayama District); and the town of Aoyama (which was in Naga District). The former towns, villages, and districts were abolished at the time of the merger. Iga has a population of 99,302 (as of April 1, 2008) and an area of 558.17 km².

Before the merger, Iga was the name of a town, which now lies within the new city. Earlier, it was the name of the province surrounding the present-day city. As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 10,768 and a density of 173.65 persons per km². The total area was 62.01 km².

Iga is known as the birth place of the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō and the home of ninja Hattori Hanzo. Two of Iga's main tourist attractions are the Iga Ueno Castle and the Iga Ninja Museum (the area around the city being the historical home of the famous Iga Ninja).