Ueda, Shinshu; the town of three generations of Sanadas

Ueda is a castle town filled with the romantic ambience of the warring states period, which was home to both the resourceful general, Lord Sanada Masayuki, who achieved the exceptional feat of making the Edo shogunate, Tokugawa's large army back off twice; and the Sanada Clan, which included Sanada Yukimura who was praised as the best soldier in Japan after his brave fighting and closing in on the Tokugawa Clan at the Siege of Osaka. The Sanada Clan are popular warring states-era warlords who now feature as main characters in films, dramas, anime, and games. Surrounded by vast nature with the Sugadaira Highlands to the north and the Utsukushigahara Highlands to the south, and Japan's longest river, Chikuma River (Shinano River), flowing through its town center, Ueda also has a history of over 1200 years as the center of Shinshu (Nagano Prefecture) politics and culture, and contains many cultural properties and shrines and temples, like the three-story octagonal pagoda of Anrakuji Temple designated as national treasure. The wealth of nature and clear stream make this place ideal for sake brewing, and seven prestigious sake breweries have been produced within the city. Sample the quality sake of Ueda, Shinshu, and feel the ambience of the warring states period.