Minimum of 2 participants needed to reserve for this experience.
Want to know the world of ninja who used to be active in Kyoto long ago? A friendly private guide full of knowledge of Kyoto will guide you.
This tour is arranged by Kyoto Samurai & Ninja Museum. Kyoto’s ninja districts and spots are listed below.
The ninja used to live in this castle. However, there was a risk of infiltration by other ninja spies. Special floors were constructed by Tokugawa Shogun. When people walk on the floors there is a squeaking noise. This was done to detect the enemy’s spy ninjas.
2, Nanzenji Temple
During the 16th century there was a famous ninja whose name was Ishikawa Goemon. His philosophy was just like Robin Hood: steal from the rich people and give everything to poor people. However he was caught by the Shogun Toyotomi. He was boiled alive in a giant pot. The incident took place in front of the Nanzenji Temple in 1594.
3, Enryakuji Temple in Mount Hiei
Mount Heiei is where the ninja tradition was born. In 1571, Oda Nobunaga burned the temple and hundreds of monks died during the raid. After the Enryakuji incidednt there was a big fight between the ninja and Oda Nobunaga in Iga.
4, Nijo Jinya
(not available) Many ninja also lived near Nijo castle. One of the famous ninja buildings was Nijo-jinya. This house was also used as an inn and a center where people traded rice. The house has an architecture that is convenient for the ninja. Sometimes there are tours in Japanese. For daily tours in English please visit the samura and ninja museum Kyoto.
Samurai and Ninja Museum Japan Kyoto
This is the only ninja place in Kyoto where you can everything about ninja and have a ninja training class. The history of Ninja goes back to the Shugendo tradition that was born more than 1000 years ago. The museum has explanations about Tokagureryu and the teaining techniques of the ninja. You can do all these inside the museum a) Ninja star throw b) ninja wall climbing c) ninja outfit d) ninja lesson. The museum also has a ninja gift shop that sells ninja tabi socks and ninja stars.
It’s a must visit if you’re in Kyoto. The guides are absolutely amazing and speak good English. They even have a fully... fledged samurai which gives you a brief show with his katana!read more
This was a great experience for my family and I. We got to wear armor, play with weapons, and learn alot about Japanese... history. Everything was in English. Our tour guide Yuko was enthusiastic and awesome. I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Kyoto as a tourist.read more
An excellent experience I would recommend. Not just for those with interest in samurai and ninja but to learn about... Japan's history with the samurai in general! Trying on the armour was an IG-worthy moment and I actually learnt a lot about ninja and samurai! 2 thumbs up!read more
Worth every penny!!! My partner and I did the value pack. First, we were dressed in traditional Japanese attire... (kimono), then we attended a traditional tea ceremony. After that, we were dressed in samurai gear, learned about their history, and then learned about ninjas and threw ninja stars. At the end, we observed a professional swordsman. Everyone was extremely knowledgeable, entertaining and funny, and hospitable. Our favorite part was the tea ceremony. The hostess was absolutely incredible. Book your visit online ahead of time, and make sure you know if you need to go to the museum or the tea ceremony first. They're only about 5 min apart by walk. Be careful- the museum is mixed in with a large, lively market. We actually showed up a few minutes late because we didn't fully prepare to find the place in all the hustle. Both places have maps to help you get to the other location. Please don't pass this up!read more
Loved this experience! Great balance of information and history, dressing up as samurai was fun and trying to throw... ninja stars and blow darts was awesome. Reasonably priced and we didn't have to wait at all. Took about an hour all up.read more
Great place to learn about the history of the samurai & ninja. A great place to entertain the kids too as we got to... dress up and practice throwing ninja stars and blow darts. We were also lucky to see a martial arts demonstration. Spent a couple of hours here.Glad we came here before visiting the palace.read more
My husband and I had so much fun here. We chose the tatami mat cutting package. Sensei was patient and encouraging in... teaching us how to use a katana and some basic techniques. The rest of the staff were really friendly and informative in samurai history as they walked us through the artifacts. It was just a great experience.read more
The guide was fantastic and we had a great time. It was really informative. Throwing shuriken, blowing darts and... dressing as a samurai was a blast. Would recommend.read more
An incredible experience! Got to witness proper samurai fighting and even attempt to try on samurai gear ourselves! We... got to throw ninja stars and try blow darts too! The history tour was also very educating and entertaining. Also the staff was very friendly!read more
Doesn't look like much from the outside, don't be fooled. This place is awesome and worth every penny. I paid extra to... cut tatami mat with a real sword. It was a legit 300 year old samurai sword. They are also extremely English friendly.read more
A lighthearted introduction to Japan's alluring history of samurai and ninjas. As well as sorting the fact from the... fiction using a combination of written and spoken guides. The lovely guide we had also introduced the group to some of the lesser known elements of Japanese feudal history before we were all treated to a display from a samurai and then hands on ninja lessons (including throwing stars and blowpipes!) A tongue-in-cheek experience, but genuinely interesting for kids and adults alike - a great rainy day experience.read more
The Samurai & Ninja Museum Kyoto is one of the leading samurai museums in Japan, with a wide range of displays from all throughout Japan’s rich history. We are the only experience-based museum that specializes in providing in-depth and immersive activities that provide our visitors with new perspectives on Japanese history.We have displays ranging from armors and weapons of the great samurai warriors and the mystical ninjas to everyday tools and artifacts from medieval and ancient Japan. Our souvenir gift shop features replica swords, tabi socks, and tabi shoes. We provide guided tours every day, lead by friendly staff who are fluent in English and Japanese. Join us as you explore the glorious history of the legendary samurais and the mysterious ninjas!
