The Samurai Kembu Theater near Sanjo

Finding the theatre

The address is 35-7 Sanchome, Higashi-iru Sanjo-hanamikoji, Higashiyama ward, Gozan Building B1F. Sanjo Keihan station on the Tozai subway line is a 4-minute walk away, Sanjo station on the Keihan line 5 minutes. Daimyo, which runs the samurai walk in armour, is on Kiyamachi on the other side of the river, so the two fit into one morning.

The sword class step by step

The class opens with a four-minute film on samurai basics. You change into a samurai outfit, learn to bow, draw the sword and sheathe it, and then practise stylised strikes under the instructor. A demonstration of kenbu with commentary is part of the class; depending on the option you book, it lasts 10 or 30 minutes and comes before or at the start of the lesson. Photos in costume, a bow to the teacher and a certificate end the session, and you keep a tenugui cloth.

Groups are capped at 10, though several groups can share the room. Reviewers mention that the shorter option leaves little practice time, and two critical reviews found the English of their instructor hard to follow.

House rules worth reading before you arrive

• Arrive 5 to 15 minutes before the start; there is no waiting room for people without a booking.
• Large luggage and travel bags cannot be stored, so drop them at your hotel or a station locker first.
• Wear clothes you can move in. Hoodies and tights get in the way of the costume.
• Only registered participants are admitted to the class. A parent who wants to stay with a child should ask in advance.
• No alcohol before the session, and no photos or video during the show.

Cancellations go through the booking platform, free of charge up to 24 hours before the start for both the class and the show. What the show itself looks like is described on the samurai show page.