The Samurai Ninja Museum in Kyoto

Two addresses in Kyoto, more branches in Tokyo

The guided tour and the sword session start at the museum itself, 109 Horinoue-cho in Nakagyo ward, on Rokkaku-dori. The child-friendly ninja class does not. It runs on the second floor of the Utanokoji Building at 292 Higashidaimonji-cho. Read the address on the ticket, not the museum name.

The same museum brand also runs venues in Shinjuku and Asakusa in Tokyo, and the Kyoto product pages warn guests not to go there by mistake. Check that your ticket says Kyoto.

Soft armour for photos, a dojo for sword practice

On the guided hour you try on soft armour for photos and throw shuriken. The armour is a costume version, lighter than the real armour you wear on the Daimyo samurai walk.

The two-hour sword session adds practice in the dojo, first with a wooden sword and then with a metal one, before the museum tour and shuriken. Children under 7 cannot enter the dojo, and the rule includes babies. Groups can be up to 22.

How full the guided hour gets

The product page allows groups of up to 30, and reviewers mention other groups in the building at the same time. One guest who had expected a small group counted 15 to 20 people. Another found the guide hard to understand and the tour shorter than the listed hour.

All three product pages carry the label wheelchair accessible but say nothing about the entrance, a lift or the dojo floor, and the ninja class takes place on a second floor. Ask through the booking page before you rely on step-free access.

The ninja class from age 3

The child-friendly ninja class is the session with the lowest minimum age on this site. Children dress in a ninja outfit, try a blowgun and compete at shuriken throwing for two hours, in groups of up to 20. One reviewer found it aimed at children more than at adults. Older children who want more can look at the other ninja sessions in Kyoto, which start at 5.