Tokyo

Samurai Sword Experience + History Tour SAMURAI MUSEUM TOKYO

Tokyo, Japan

Samurai Sword Experience Tameshigiri at Samurai and Ninja Museum Kyoto

1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

What's Included

Posing with swords in front of a studio or samura-themed backgrounds
Wearing a Hakama
Feel like a real samurai
Free tour of the samurai and ninja museum offered by a tour guides
Convenient location and costs a fraction of similar experiences
Use a real samurai sword
Slicing a tatami mat with a samurai sword

Transportation to/from attractions

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

SAMURAI NINJA MUSEUM TOKYO
1 Chome-8-13, Nishi Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0035, １丁目-８西浅草台東区東京都 111-0035, Japan

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps

Infant seats available
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Minimum age 18 (There is no height requirement for those older than 18 years of age. You must be at least 150 cm tall to participate in this experience and parental supervision is necessary.)
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

143 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 143 reviews

Recommend for rich experience.

Hessa_A, Apr 2024

It was a great experience, we wore the formal clothing and were instructed on the proper way to cut using a 200 year old katana. Highly recommend for friends, couples, solo or family.

Samurai 3, 2, 1 go! Absolute blast!

Brian_F, Apr 2024

Fun, kind and informative staff. Experience was amazing especially the samurai sword class. Pictures and videos turned out amazing too!

Following instructor pays off.

Ruth_W, Apr 2024

The outfits are awesome, puts you in the mood. The Samurai is very serious but also has an excellent sense of humor! The practice with the wooden samurai was very helpful. The real sword is very heavy but even so I managed to cut my target as he wished on the first try.👍😊 Not so my over zealous husband!🤣😂

Nice!

Ajit_P, Apr 2024

The cutting with the katana part was sensational! The rest was good too. There was a bit of confusion about the location though.

Live out your childhood samurai dreams

Erin_E, Mar 2024

My husband continues to talk about this experience! He absolutely loved being able to cut the mat, and act as if he were a real samurai! The location is way away from most other things would be the only downside.

A cut above tourism!

Kregg_J, Mar 2024

A truly enjoyable and educational experience! Do yourself a favor and have some fun. Sign up for the experience at the Samurai Ninja Museum in Asakusa, Tokyo!

Would not book

Kathryn_G, Feb 2024

We were advised to get there early which we did and the venue wasn't even open. We didn't get a tour as mentioned on the add. The experience was more stressful than fun. Not something I would recommend

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for your review. Regarding your concerns: Opening hours: We assure you that the venue was open at 9:30 am when you arrived, and we're sorry if there was any confusion. I remember seeing your group drinking their coffee in front of the building around that time. We were wondering why they were waiting outside even though the gate was open. Tour availability: We understand you didn't have time for the history tour after the ninja experience. We offered an earlier arrival time to ensure everyone could participate in both activities. After all 13 members (actually our venue is the only one who can accommodate this large group) I have approached you personally and I asked you if you wanted to join the history tour, I remember your saying that you had to leave because of the time constraints. Guest experience: While we're surprised by the overall tone of your review, we appreciate the feedback from some members of your group who enjoyed the tour and the complimentary both samurai experience and the ninja experience. Seeing everyone smiling and taking pictures with the samurai master brought us joy, and we strive to replicate that experience for all our guests. Moving forward: We are always looking for ways to improve, and we appreciate your feedback. We encourage you to contact us directly if you'd like to discuss your experience in more detail. This will allow us to understand your concerns better and see how we can improve our communication and service in the future. Thank you for your understanding.

Fun samurai experience

Fabricio_C, Nov 2023

Very exciting experience would recommend for anyone guidelines prevent you from gwtting harmed if you follow instructions and the museum ia great

Not recommended

Vanessa_L, Nov 2023

It is overpriced compared to the experience given. We had only 3 minutes of teaching and 2 try for the sword cutting. The instructor seems to be misogynist for women participating to this session.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

We appreciate your feedback, although we're surprised by your experience as it starkly contrasts with other reviews highlighting the value and duration of our sessions. Our standard sword cutting experience spans 90 minutes, encompassing a 30-minute history tour, followed by 30 minutes of comprehensive training on sword techniques and safety, and concluding with 30 minutes for the cutting itself. It's important to note that every participant is allocated a minimum of two cutting attempts, with the FREE OPTION OF MORE CUTS at the session's conclusion. Additionally, the process of donning the traditional hakama and engaging in our complimentary ninja and samurai services typically takes at least 40-50 minutes. Regarding your concern about the instructor's behavior, we are deeply troubled as a predominantly female-run business with a team where 65% are women. Upholding a respectful and inclusive environment is paramount to us. We take these allegations seriously and will conduct a thorough investigation. We encourage you to peruse past customer photos and reviews, many of which commend our instructors for their kindness and professionalism. We apologize for your disappointing experience and assure you that we're committed to addressing these issues to ensure every guest feels welcome and receives the full value of our offerings.

Great Sword session plus some odd additional extras

Bruce_H, Nov 2023

There are quite a few elements to this experience, but the exciting heart of it is the class session with a samurai sword instructor that all feels very authentic and serious. You will certainly be told if you are not grasping, moving or holding the weapon correctly, because everything is building to the spine-tingling moment when you get to hold an actual 400 year old sword and have 2 attempts at trying to slice open a tatami mat. I failed, but that did make this element of the experience any less intense or enjoyable. Then in a separate area you can dress up as a helmeted samurai warrior but the costume is modern plastic and uses clips to fit together; I was expecting something more authentic and did consider deducting a star for this, but on reflection that feels a little childish and unfair to the main event. You also then get a tour of the separate small, 4-roomed samurai museum which the guides make extremely entertaining. Finally there is an opportunity to throw plastic ninja stars at polystyrene targets, which is a bit silly but still enjoyable. Crucially though, that core sword lesson experience is great and has a real frission about it.

Disappointment

Ye_L, Oct 2023

My son was so looking forward to the samurai museum and was expecting this experience with excitement. When we arrived at the venue, they told us that only 18year old person is eligible of attending this experience with Katana. I could totally understand this policy to guarantee customers' safety, but it should be mentioned during the booking process. I've booked this trip through the help of Viator's agent, none of them has ever mentioned about this. I've input my son's age from the beginning since we also enjoyed the reduced price as child for other tours. It was such a disappointment.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

We're genuinely sorry to hear about the disappointment you and your son experienced during your visit. We understand how much anticipation was involved, and we regret any inconvenience caused by the age restriction for our Katana experience. We completely empathize with your frustration regarding the lack of clarity on the age limit during the booking process. At our end, we've made concerted efforts to communicate this requirement prominently on our website to ensure all potential visitors are well-informed before booking. However, we acknowledge that external booking platforms like Viator may not always relay all specific details as thoroughly as we'd expect. We're sorry if this crucial information was not adequately communicated by their agents, leading to this unfortunate situation. Your feedback is invaluable, and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We sincerely hope that, despite this setback, you and your family can visit us again in the future to explore the other aspects of our museum that cater to all age groups. We kindly request a reconsideration of your review, as we strive to ensure all guests have a fulfilling experience while visiting us.

Do it!

Julia_P, Oct 2023

Loved this activity. The staff explained everything fantastically and went in depth into the history of the Samurai. Definitely recommend attending

Not worth the money

Nathalie_C, Oct 2023

The tour in the museum was fine, but there was no small group, we were with at least 40 persons in the museum and 25 with the swordcutting. And you have to get in queue for cutting, everybody is watching, what doesnt make it a nice experience and definitely not a 100 euro worth experience.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

We appreciate your feedback regarding your experience at our museum. We've taken your comments seriously and HAVE MOVED TO A BETTER VENUE!!. Also our experience costs approximately HALF of what other samurai activities. Differnet from anywhere else we also offer free a history tour, access to artifacts, a ninja experience, the opportunity to dress as a samurai, and the use of an authentic Edo period katana. Regarding the group size, we acknowledge that during peak seasons or rainy days, there might have been larger groups. However, we've recently relocated to a more spacious outdoor setting and have significantly increased the number of tours to accommodate smaller groups. These changes are aimed at ensuring a more intimate and enjoyable experience for all participants. We genuinely value your input, and we hope that these improvements address the concerns you've raised. We invite you to revisit us and experience the enhancements we've made firsthand. Your satisfaction is our priority, and we're committed to delivering a more fulfilling and immersive experience.

Fantastic experience

Ryan_L, Sep 2023

This experience was very informative of the history of the samurai and how to properly use a katana. The speaker that led us through the history was very well spoken and funny. We also got use some ninja stars, although only plastic to prevent serious injury. The katana slicing was extremely fun and the teacher did a very good job of demonstrating how to use one. I would definitely recommend this experience for people interested in the samurai history and slicing things with a real samurai sword!

Samurai experience review

Dominic_C, Sep 2023

The guide (Santo I think his name was, apologies if I've got his name wrong), made the tour very enjoyable. Enjoyed the sword and shuriken throwing as well as the history. Highly recommend it to anyone thinking of doing it.

It was great and all...

Majed_E, Aug 2023

It was great and all instructors were awesome at what they do. Recommend this for couples and group of people that have not tried the experience before

Underwhelming

Aissam_j, May 2023

Simply underwhelming. The activities took place in 3 differents locations and took more than 4 hours instead of 1.5h. Not fault to the teacher of course but the organisation was lacking. We missed a reservation at a restaurant because of that. Also, way more people than the 15 they said so it took even longer. The bamboo cutting was cool but everything felt rushed.

Response from Host, May 2023

We appreciate your positive feedback regarding the bamboo cutting activity, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused by the organizational issues. Our aim is to offer unique and engaging experiences to our guests, and we regret that these issues overshadowed the positive aspects of your visit. We would like to provide some additional clarification. While we understand that the overall duration exceeded the expected time, we would like to remind you that it probably was because of our free complimentary services such as the free history tour, free ninja star throw experiences, and free samurai armor trial. These experiences are provided without any charge and can be opted out, allowing guests the flexibility to choose the activities that align with their time constraints. We apologize if this was not clearly communicated to you during your visit. Additionally, as the only venue offering a free samurai history tour, we often experience high demand (especially on rainy days, like the day you have visited us). We understand that this popularity may lead to larger group sizes, which can impact the overall pace of the activities on rainy days. We are constantly working to improve our crowd management strategies to ensure a more seamless experience for all guests. We are delighted to inform you that our venue has undergone renovations and expansion to accommodate our growing number of visitors. Moving forward, we will proactively inform guests about the option to skip the free services if they are short on time, allowing them to complete their desired activities within a shorter duration. Thank you once again for sharing your feedback with us. We value your input, and it helps us improve our services. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future and provide you with an enhanced and memorable experience. Best regards,

Absolute must - fantastic experience

Andrew_M, Dec 2019

Brilliant, fun, mesmerising, once in a lifetime experience. So highly recommended. Not only educational every staff member was friendly and looked after you. A special thanks to the Grand Master Sensai who was very patient with us and took care in ensuring tradition was followed and we were taught the correct technique with the Samarui swords. It was a privilege bestowed on to us with care and trust. Amazing experience, highly highly recommended- Worth it!

Exciting and fun

tinab12019, Oct 2019

This was one of the best activities we have done in Japan. We learnt a great deal about the history of the samurai and ninja, but then we really got to have fun with dressing up, throwing stars, blow guns and swords. The sensei was very patient with us all and we got to use a 300 year old sword. Afterwards, he showed us how it's really done. An experience we will remember forever and perfect with teenagers.

Top, aber sehr teuer!

Dustin_B, Oct 2023

Das Erlebnis war top und die Leute haben sich wirklich Mühe gegeben! Die Führung durch das Museum war klasse und man merkte, dass der Erzähler Ahnung von dem hat, was er sagt. Aber für zwei Hiebe am Bambus auch mit Museum ist 200 Euro (circa 2-2,5 std) ein wenig teuer!