Ueno Tenjin Shrine

Ueno Tenjin Shrine in Iga is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, the deified kami of learning known as Tenjin. It also has a personal connection to the haiku master Matsuo Basho, who was born in Iga under the name Matsuo Munefusa. At age twenty-nine, Basho dedicated his first published work, a commentary on 30 pairs of haiku called Seashell Game, to this shrine before leaving for Edo to pursue poetry professionally. It was the only work he published under his birth name. People visit to pray for success in learning and writing, and the shrine holds festivals and ceremonies throughout the year as the main Shinto sanctuary of Iga.