Shuriken and blowgun in a class or a ninja house, or a weapon you make yourself in the north of the city.
The short answer
Ninja sessions in Kyoto come in two kinds: training in costume, or making a weapon to take home. Children from 3 go to the ninja class run by the Samurai Ninja Museum in the Utanokoji Building, and from 5 the ninja house in Arashiyama teaches blowgun and shuriken in an hour. Kendo Experience runs the forging class near Hieizanguchi and the tin workshop near Demachiyanagi, in the north of the city.
Pick a day, or the first and last day of your stay in Kyoto. We check the booking calendar of every session and show which ones still have places.
Type: Ninja class for children
Type: Ninja house
Type: Weapon forging
Type: Tin casting
Ninja sessions in Kyoto split into two groups. In the class at the Samurai Ninja Museum and at the ninja house in Arashiyama you wear the outfit and throw shuriken. In the two workshops of Kendo Experience you shape a weapon and carry it home in your suitcase. None of them involves a samurai sword.
Two sessions teach you to throw and hide, two have you make a weapon. The column on what you take home is the quickest way to tell them apart.
| Photo | Experience | What you actually do | You take home | Min. age | Duration | Where in Kyoto | Reviews ↕ | Price ↕ | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Ninja Weapon Forging Kendo Experience (Studio NIN) | Shape and engrave a steel shuriken | Your shuriken; a kunai costs extra | Not stated | 2.5 h | Hieizanguchi, north | ★ 4.8 (685) | $145per person | Book now |
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Ninja Weapon in a Tin Workshop Kendo Experience (Studio NIN) | Cast and finish a small weapon in tin | Your 8 to 10 cm piece, boxed | 5 | 2–2.5 h | Demachiyanagi | ★ 5.0 (177) | $107per person | Book now |
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Ninja House Experience Viyago Japan | Blowgun and shuriken training, costume optional | Nothing listed | 5 | 1 h | Arashiyama, west | ★ 5.0 (78) | $32per person | Book now |
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Child-Friendly Ninja Class Samurai Ninja Museum Kyoto | Ninja outfit, hiding techniques, blowgun, shuriken contest | Nothing listed | 3 | 2 h | Utanokoji Building, Nakagyo | ★ 4.9 (16) | $45per person | Book now |
Per-person prices are loaded from GetYourGuide and include taxes and booking fees. Paid extras such as the kunai at the forging class are not part of the price shown.
Each session with the same facts, so age limits, location and what you actually do can be read across. Tap a session to see its programme, venue and house rules.
Ninja outfit, blowgun and a shuriken contest. Open from age 3.
Children put on a ninja outfit, try the blowgun and compete at shuriken throwing. The class runs on the second floor of the Utanokoji Building, not at the museum address. Groups can be up to 20.
With a minimum age of 3 it suits the youngest guests. One reviewer found it aimed at children more than at adults.
Utanokoji Building 2F, 292 Higashidaimonji-cho.
Details as the studio lists them on its booking page; points it leaves open are marked as not stated in our tables.
Blowgun and shuriken in a small group in Arashiyama, costume optional.
A one-hour ninja session in Arashiyama, in the west of Kyoto: you try the blowgun and throw shuriken, and you can wear a ninja costume if you like. Groups are small, and the exact address follows after booking.
Children can join from 5. The hour fits easily into a day in Arashiyama.
Arashiyama; the exact address is sent after booking.
Details as the studio lists them on its booking page; points it leaves open are marked as not stated in our tables.
Forge a shuriken at around 800 °C, engrave a kanji and take it home.
At the studio by Hieizanguchi station you heat steel to around 800 °C, forge your own shuriken and engrave it with a kanji. The finished piece is yours to keep.
A kunai is available for an extra charge. Forged weapons can only travel in checked luggage, and import rules in your home country apply.
About 1 minute on foot from Hieizanguchi station (Eizan line).
Details as the studio lists them on its booking page; points it leaves open are marked as not stated in our tables.
Cast a small ninja weapon of 8 to 10 cm in tin. Open from age 5.
In the tin workshop near Demachiyanagi station you cast a small ninja weapon of 8 to 10 cm and take it home. Children can join from 5, which makes it one of the easier formats for families.
According to a review, a knife or a mask costs extra.
Studio about 3 minutes on foot from Demachiyanagi station.
Details as the studio lists them on its booking page; points it leaves open are marked as not stated in our tables.
The child-friendly ninja class is run by the Samurai Ninja Museum, but not at the museum. It takes place on the second floor of the Utanokoji Building, 292 Higashidaimonji-cho, and the address on the voucher is the one that counts. Children put on a ninja outfit, learn a few hiding techniques, try a blowgun and finish with a shuriken contest. Groups can be up to 20.
Children from 3 take part. Younger siblings may come into the building but cannot join in. One reviewer felt the class was pitched at children rather than at grown-ups. If you are travelling without children, the museum tour on Rokkaku-dori is the shorter introduction.
Viyago Japan runs a one-hour session in a ninja-themed house in Arashiyama. An English-speaking instructor teaches blowgun and shuriken, and the costume is optional. You get the exact address only after booking, so allow time to find it and arrive 5 to 10 minutes early. A rented costume can be returned the same day during opening hours, which lets you keep it on for the rest of your walk through Arashiyama.
The product page excludes children under 5. Its information on access contradicts itself, so if you use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty, ask through the booking page before you book.
Kendo Experience runs both weapon workshops, at the two ends of the main line of the Eizan railway. In the forging class near Hieizanguchi station the steel is heated to around 800 °C, you shape and engrave a shuriken and take it home. A kunai is available for an extra charge. Reviewers describe more grinding and finishing than hammering, and one found the kunai smaller than expected.
Tin melts at about 230 °C, which is why the casting workshop near Demachiyanagi takes children from 5. You pour, cut and finish a piece of 8 to 10 cm, and it comes in a box. Children under 15 need a parent or guardian with them. The page on weapon making compares the two workshops step by step.
Forged pieces may only fly in checked baggage, never in the cabin. Check the import rules of your home country for throwing stars and blades before you choose one.
A three-star guest at the ninja house found the hour made for children, with costume, photos, blowgun and shuriken and little beyond that, and a four-star guest said much the same about the museum class. At the forging class one guest had expected to hammer more and spent much of the time shaping the blade on a sanding machine, and another found the kunai small and largely finished in advance. The product page gives no size for the kunai.
“such a fun experience, we got to wear ninja outfits and take amazing photos. Soho was such a knowledgeable and fun instructor, he turned each activity I to a competition.”
“Dressing up and learning Ninja techniques. Our personal Ninja Sensei was informative, friendly, fun and accommodating. The kids and us parents loved it.”
“While obviously for tourists this was really a fantastic activity which we all enjoyed including my 15 year old daughter and 18 year old son. You really get to participate in the various stages of creating a ninja weapon which you also get to take home with you.”
“Really cool hands on experience, our mask and kunai came out extremely well. We got to take as much time as we needed too to ensure we liked our final product.”
“only for kids, 10min change clothes, photos, 15min shooting dart and 15min shoot stars. thats it! no educational value or any other entertainment”
“the samurai museum tour was great (saying this as someone who normally hates guided tours) … the ninja class was also fun but maybe a little too catered towards children. i would recommend this for families but maybe not for adults.”
“I thought we would be more hands on for this experience it wasn't really explained before booking that you don't really do any forging. … overall we used a sand machine to shape the blade for 10 minutes and hammered our weapon that was heated for us.”
“The size of the kunai is very disappointing. … what I received was an almost finished miniature kunai (measuring 13cm) with most of the forging work already completed.”
Reviews written by guests after their session, from GetYourGuide.
The child-friendly ninja class run by the Samurai Ninja Museum takes children from 3. It lasts two hours and takes place in the Utanokoji Building, not at the museum address.
In Arashiyama in the west of Kyoto. The operator sends the exact address after booking, so plan the walk from the station once you have it.
At the ninja house in Arashiyama you can rent the costume and return it the same day during opening hours. The museum class lists the outfit as part of the session.
The steel is heated to around 800 °C and you shape and engrave the shuriken. Several reviewers say most of the work is grinding and finishing rather than hammering, so expect a guided workshop more than a blacksmith apprenticeship.
Only in checked baggage. The import rules of your home country also apply.
The full table with what you do, minimum age and area.
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