Ueda, Castle town in Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Ueda sits in Nagano Prefecture along the Chikuma River, surrounded by forested hills that mark the transition between highland and valley. The settlement spreads across both riverbanks and includes residential neighborhoods, commercial districts, and temple precincts that occupy quiet corners throughout the urban grid.
During the 16th century the Sanada clan built a castle here and defended it twice against attacks by Tokugawa armies. The settlement grew as a castle town throughout the Edo period and remained a trading center in the Shinano region.
The Ueda Sanada Festival features period-costumed processions and taiko drumming performances near the castle grounds, celebrating the region's samurai heritage.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen line connects Ueda Station directly to Tokyo and Nagano, making it a workable starting point for exploring the prefecture. Several local bus routes run to nearby hot spring villages and hiking trails in the surrounding mountains.
Anraku-ji temple holds the only surviving octagonal three-tiered pagoda in Japan, a medieval structure of rare form. Visitors can examine the finely carved wooden supports and curved roof up close, which differs from the usual four- or six-sided pagodas.
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