SAMURAI SWORD & NINJA TRAINING · Japan
Blunt blades, real stances, and instructors who fence for a living. These 15 sessions run from an hour of sword forms to knife-forging in Seki, priced, timed and clear about the age limits.
A 90-minute Samurai Restaurant show in Shinjuku with two drinks, neon effects, and up-close samurai-and-ninja entertainment for 18+ Tokyo nights.
“I really enjoyed the show. The energy was unmatched.”
Kyoto Samurai Experience includes kimono try-on, Bushido lessons, hands-on sword basics, and Zen meditation in a historic samurai house.
“Great experience to all family - adults and children. Highly recommended ! Attentive staff. We learnt alot.”
Guided Samurai and Ninja Museum tour in Tokyo with an English guide, real armor exhibits, shuriken throwing, and samurai dress up for $27.
“Nami our guide was fantastic and shared lots of information on samurai and ninjas and life in japan. throwing shiruken and dressing as a samurai was an added bonus.”
Practice kendo in full samurai gear in a 100-year-old Kyoto machiya, learn sword etiquette, and leave with instructor photos and videos.
“I had so much fun. It was a small group and sensei was so happy and positive that made the whole experience amazing. I learned more about the Japanese culture and try on the uniform even got to practice kendo. I will definitely come back again in the future. It was also a pleasure to meet the hime, the dojo princess.”
Learn Kyoto samurai sword basics in a 90 to 120 minute class. Practice kenbu bowing, katana movements, then dress up for photos.
“Very fun! Got to learn some basic katana strikes, dressed up and took some photos. Then there was a mini kenbu show which highlighted the art of the samurai vs the combat”
A guided, skip-the-line style visit to Kyoto’s Samurai and Ninja Museum with armor dress-up and ninja star throwing, in about an hour.
“Learning history of Samurai was good but that’s it. The costume to wear wasn’t good , old cloth and broken Katana , rush through when it’s crowded. Not recommended if you expect more.”
Train in a real Tokyo dojo with Yoshioki Sumida, learning iai sword forms, target cutting, and Japanese horseback archery at Machida.
“This is by far one of my favorite experiences I have done, in Japan and in general! I love martial arts, and learning from a true samurai descendant seemed like an amazing opportunity. Though it was a bit expensive, my boyfriend and I are so glad we did it! We are from the US, and our Japanese is not great, but he spoke basic English for us, and always made sure we understood what was going on. He explained things in detail, gave examples, and helped us correct things kindly. He was exact about what needed to be done for safety and proper form, but never harsh. In general, you…”
Train Kendo in Osaka in a real samurai dojo, suit up in armor, learn basics with a shinai, spar safely, and get photo and video souvenirs.
“Very fun experience, got taught a lot about kendo generally not just the combat aspect, the husband and wife team running this activity are humorous and informative, if you are unsure book immediately it is well worth the money.”
Ninja+Kabuki Tokyo in Shinjuku blends taiko drums, swordplay, and wordless Kabuki acting for an 80-minute night out.
“It was an enjoyable show. There was fun audience participation at the end. A free drink was a nice bonus.”
A 1-hour beginner ninja lesson in Kyoto dojo with Kuji-In meditation, ninja breathing, and hands-on sword and weapon practice for up to 6.
“The whole family had a great time at this ninja experience. We learned the whys and hows of different ninja weapons and had lots of laughs as we practiced. My kids said it was the highlight of our trip so far.”
Forge your own ninja weapon in Kyoto with real steel, kanji engraving, and a take-home box. English guidance, 150 minutes, near Hieizanguchi Station.
“Wow 🤩 Such an incredible experience! A high handed quality workshop. Highly recommended ❤️”
Skip-the-line basic ticket to Samurai Ninja Museum Tokyo with an English guide, costume dress-up, tea ritual, and shuriken games.
“Formal Assessment of Activity Discrepancies During the recent visit, the scheduled activities and stated agenda were not fully executed. The only component of the "ninja experience" that was completed was shuriken throwing. FurthermorRead more”
Dress in kimono, learn safe katana basics, then chambara sword-fight to music in an Edo-style dojo at Samurai Theater Tokyo. 1 hour.
“A wonderful, funny battle experience. Choosing your own kimono, being taught all the different styles and safety of wielding a katana. All the staff were great! Would recommend to anyone.”
Kyoto Kenbu sword dancing show with English narration, samurai stories, and a short katana lesson plus photo time after. 1 hour, $32.
“Very informative and interactive I would recommend you go and check it out”
A Tokyo night at Kanda Myojin with chicken hot pot, unlimited drinks option, and a high-energy samurai show plus photos.
“Well here we are again. This is my seventh time to visit this show and I mean the number already tells everything I guess. I would visit this show every week if I could. Amazing acting, sound effects, choreography and music makes this the best samurai show in town. I love all the characters and how cool they are. My favorite story is the Spiderwoman and the Butterfly, the Black Fox and obviously Tairo no Masakado story. You can take pictures with the actors after the show and talk to them. This a must see thing in Tokio !!!”
Pick the kind of day first. The tour comes second.
