"Never search for this place on Apple Maps! Learned this the hard way lol, but the staff was accommodating, friendly/nice, patient, and so helpful. My Husband & I had an amazing time. Please keep in mind if you pay before the class to make a Kunai you're only allowed to make one weapon not two. We paid for the upgrade to make kunai's each but we chose to make one shuriken & one kunai, then missed out on the 3,000 Yen because the company has a "no refund" policy. But totally worth it, this was a fun class I would recommend it to everyone!"
Forge It, Craft It, or Tour It · From $23
Ninja Experience in Kyoto
The ninja side of Kyoto's offering is smaller than the samurai side and more hands-on in a literal sense — the flagship is a weapon-forging workshop where you make the thing rather than swing it. 636 reviews at 4.8. Below it sit a craft workshop and the museum tour. None of it pretends ninja were what the films say, and the good guides will tell you what they actually were.
Top rated
From
$145
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.8 / 5 636+ Reviews
- ~2 hrs Lesson plus sparring
- $101 Kendo with full armour
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What This Experience Includes
From the operator's own listing.
Highlights
- Immerse yourself in a authentic blacksmithing experience using real steel
- Put the weapon you make in a beautiful box to take home and cherish
- Be introduced to a skill and have the chance to inspire a brand new passion
- It's conveniently located just a minute's walk from the nearest station.
- Capture memories with photos and videos of your crafting experience
What's Included
- Instructor
- Weapon-making class
- Uniform
- Tools
- The weapon you make to take home
How the Forging Experience Runs
Heat, tools, a blank, and your own hands — you leave with what you made.
Decide Lesson or Show First
Kyoto sells two different things under one word. The lessons — kendo, sword class, forging — put a weapon in your hand for two hours. The Kembu show sits you down to watch sword dancing with a short hands-on section at the end. The lesson is what the 1,100-review product is; the show is cheaper and shorter. Most groups want the lesson.
Put On the Armour
The kendo experience starts with a short lecture from an English-speaking instructor, then you are dressed in the full kendo armour — the helmet, the chest protector, the gauntlets. This takes longer than people expect and it is part of the experience rather than a preamble; the armour is heavy, hot and the point.
Learn the Strikes, Then Spar
Basic footwork and the main strikes with the bamboo shinai, then a match against each other in armour. This is the part every review mentions and the reason to bring a group — sparring with a stranger is fine, sparring with your brother is the story you tell afterwards.
Allow About Two Hours, and Book Ahead
The listing runs about two hours though actual practice time varies with group size. Sessions are small and the better-rated ones sell out in cherry-blossom season and autumn. Book for your whole party in one go — the operators price per person but the experience is built for groups.
Photo Gallery
In the Dojo
Blades, armour and the training floor.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Five Things Called a Samurai Experience
Same phrase, four different afternoons. The price is the giveaway.
| Feature | BOOK THIS Kendo Lesson | Sword Class | Weapon Forging | Kembu Show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | $101 | $63 | $145 | $31 |
| What You Do | Full armour, learn the strikes, then spar | Katana handling and cutting technique | Forge a ninja weapon yourself | Watch sword dancing; a short hands-on section after |
| How Long | About 2 hours | About 2 hours | Longer — you are making something | Shorter, mostly seated |
| Best For | Groups and families who want to DO it | Anyone who wants the blade more than the armour | A keepsake and a unique afternoon | A rest day, or anyone who does not want to sweat |
| Depth of Evidence | 1,147 reviews at 4.8 | 825 reviews at 4.8 | 636 reviews at 4.8 | 473 reviews at 4.5 |
| Check Availability |
Every Kyoto Option
Every Kyoto Ninja Option
Real prices, ratings and review counts from the booking platform.
SWORD CLASSKyoto: Samurai Sword Class by Experts in Traditional Arts
FORGE A WEAPONKyoto: Ninja Weapon Forging Experience
MUSEUM TOURKyoto: Samurai Ninja Museum guided tour
THE SHOWKyoto: Samurai Kenbu Traditional Sword Dancing Show
CRAFT WORKSHOPKyoto: Craft Your Own Ninja Weapon/ Shōgun Mask Workshop
What Is Actually on Offer
Three things, quite different:
- Weapon forging — $145, 636 reviews at 4.8. You forge a ninja weapon yourself with heat and tools, and keep it. The flagship of the ninja side and the thing people call unique.
- Craft workshop — $107, 133 reviews. Make your own ninja weapon or a Shōgun mask — gentler than the forge, and more suitable for younger children.
- Museum guided tour — $23, 548 reviews. The cheap entry point: a guided tour of the Samurai Ninja Museum with a short experience attached.
Note the museum sits on both lists. It is a samurai-and-ninja museum; the ninja half is a portion of the visit, not the whole.
What Ninja Actually Were
Worth knowing before you go, because the good guides will tell you and the experience is better for it.
The historical shinobi were intelligence agents, scouts and saboteurs — mostly from the Iga and Kōka regions south of Kyoto — employed by warlords for work that samurai honour codes would not allow. The black pyjamas, the throwing-star duels and the wall-running are mostly theatre and film from centuries later.
That does not make the experiences less fun. It makes them more interesting, because what you are handling — the tools, the disguises, the approach — is closer to espionage kit than to a superhero costume. The forging workshop in particular is about a real craft.
If the historical side appeals, the Iga and Kōka villages are a day trip from Kyoto; the museum tour covers the background if a day trip is too far.
Forging: What to Expect
Heat, tools, a metal blank, and your own hands over a sustained period. It is longer than the two-hour lessons because you are making something, and there are age and safety limits that are stricter than for kendo. Check the listing before booking for children.
You leave with what you made, which is the whole argument for the price.
Samurai or Ninja?
If you can only do one thing in Kyoto, do the samurai kendo lesson — it is the deeper, better-reviewed product and the city’s strength. Add the ninja side if you have a second slot, or if someone in your group specifically wants the forge.
Guest Reviews
What Guests Say
4.8/5
from 636 verified guests
"Amazing experience to use equipment and forge our own ninja weapons with the additional fun of shuriken throwing at a target! The instructors were all very knowledgeable, but entertaining at the same time! Would highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Japan!"
"Had the best time. Forging kunai in a small mountain town was worth very penny. Highly recommend."
"Nice experience with a lot of background knowledge. Everything is superbly prepared. Questions are gladly answered. The guides provide support everywhere. Unfortunately, the time is a bit tight in combination with the group size. I would have liked a little more calm here."
"It was a great activity. Everyone was attentive and friendly. It was not a group activity; people looked at things individually. One of the best souvenirs from Japan."
"This was one of the most amazing experiences and how much my son loved it makes it even better. I did have make a mistake and we ended up catching a wrong train that led us to be 5 minutes late. I had sent te instructors a message to let them know, they were understanding so I was very happy at that also. The entire experience is amazing you get to sharpen the weapon of your choosing and also get to engrave it with Kanji or your name if you want. Then you get to hammer your weapon to harden it. Then you take off oxidation with a liquid. The last step is adding some oil so it doesn't rust and then we got to bring the weapon we made home. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and they where diligently watching making sure we were doing everything safe. Definitely recommend this experience just be careful with the trains."
"So much fun and a great way to learn about Japanese culture and history. Left with my personal weapon which is the best souvenir I could hope for!"
"Fun and entertaining activity for tourists seeking a craft made collectible. Staff made the experience enjoyable for everyone."
Read all 636 verified reviews
See All ReviewsForge Your Own
The ninja weapon forging experience, rated 4.8 by 636 verified guests, from $145 — the one Kyoto samurai-and-ninja product where you make something and take it home. Starting from $145 per person.
Check AvailabilityCan't Make These Dates?
Browse More Available Options
Find a tour that fits your schedule — all with instant confirmation and free cancellation.
Ninja Experience FAQ
Forging, craft, and what ninja actually were.
The weapon-forging workshop at $145 — 636 reviews at 4.8 — because you make something real and keep it. The craft workshop at $107 is the gentler version for younger children, and the Samurai Ninja Museum guided tour at $23 is the cheap way to get the background without the heat. If you only have one slot in Kyoto, though, the samurai kendo lesson is the stronger product; add the ninja side second.
The forging workshop yes, on the strength of leaving with something you made; the museum tour is fine but is a museum. The review pattern is clear: the hands-on products rate higher and are described as unique, the seated or touring products rate slightly lower and are described as pleasant. At $145 the forge is the priciest thing on this site and the one people least regret.
Yes — as intelligence agents, scouts and saboteurs, mostly from the Iga and Kōka regions south of Kyoto, not as the black-clad acrobats of film. The historical shinobi did work that samurai honour codes forbade: spying, infiltration, sabotage. Most of the costume and the throwing-star imagery is later theatre. The better Kyoto guides say so, and the experiences are more interesting once you know what you are actually handling.
Still have questions? Email us at info@samuraiexperiencekyoto.com