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Kyoto Samurai Guide
Families

Samurai and ninja sessions in Kyoto with children

From a ninja class at 3 to sword practice at 7, with the conditions each session sets for children.

Quick picks
From 3 From 5 From 6 and 7

From 3

Child-Friendly Ninja Class at the Samurai Ninja Museum
Samurai Ninja Museum Kyoto · 2 hours Child-Friendly Ninja Class at the Samurai Ninja Museum
★ 4.9 (16) from €41
Book now

From 5

Samurai Sword Class by Experts in Traditional Arts
Samurai Kembu Theater (Ginbu) · 1.5 to 2 hours Samurai Sword Class by Experts in Traditional Arts
★ 4.9 (856) from €56
Book now
Make Your Own Ninja Weapon or Shogun Mask in a Tin Workshop
Kendo Experience (Studio NIN) · 2 to 2.5 hours Make Your Own Ninja Weapon or Shogun Mask in a Tin Workshop
★ 5.0 (162) from €96
Book now
Samurai Walk with Matcha, Calligraphy and Photoshoot
Daimyo · 1.5 hours Samurai Walk with Matcha, Calligraphy and Photoshoot
★ 5.0 (127) from €93
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From 6 and 7

Kendo and Samurai Experience with Uniform and Equipment
Kendo Experience (Studio NIN) · 2 hours Kendo and Samurai Experience with Uniform and Equipment
★ 4.8 (1,225) from €90
Book now
Sword and Zen Experience in a Historic Samurai Residence
Waraku · 2 hours Sword and Zen Experience in a Historic Samurai Residence
★ 4.9 (71) from €102
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Sword Experience in Kyoto with Museum Ticket
Samurai Ninja Museum Kyoto · 2 hours Sword Experience in Kyoto with Museum Ticket
★ 4.6 (68) from €61
Book now
Compare all options

Children are welcome at most samurai and ninja sessions in Kyoto, from age 3 at the youngest. The limits differ by session rather than by operator, and some come with conditions, such as a parent in the room or martial arts experience.

Age rules for each session

The minimum age is set per session, so one studio can welcome a 5-year-old in one room and turn them away in the next. The right-hand column has the condition that comes with the age.

SessionFrom ageCondition on the product page
Child-friendly ninja class, Samurai Ninja Museum3Under 3 may come into the building but cannot take part
Tin workshop, Kendo Experience5Under 15 only with a parent or guardian
Ninja house, Arashiyama5Exact address only after booking
Samurai walk in armour, Daimyo5The armour is heavy; babies under 1 are excluded as well
Action film session, GOATtrip5Latecomers can be turned away
Kenbu sword class, Samurai Kembu Theater5Not for children under 4; martial arts experience advised from 5 to 10, as children train with adults
Sword and zen, Waraku6Minors only with an adult
Sword basics, Kendo Experience7Not suitable for children under 7
Sword session with museum ticket7 for the dojoNo younger children in the dojo, babies included

Sessions for children from 3 and 5

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.

Child-Friendly Ninja Class at the Samurai Ninja Museum
Samurai Ninja Museum Kyoto

Child-Friendly Ninja Class at the Samurai Ninja Museum

Ninja outfit, blowgun and a shuriken contest. Open from age 3.

  • Duration: 2 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €41 ★ 4.9 (16 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full session details

Highlights

  • Ninja outfit
  • Blowgun and shuriken contest
  • Minimum age 3

About this session

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.

Where it takes place

Utanokoji Building 2F, 292 Higashidaimonji-cho.

Know before you go

  • Groups of up to 20
  • Different address from the museum tour

Details as the studio lists them on its booking page; points it leaves open are marked as not stated in our tables.

Make Your Own Ninja Weapon or Shogun Mask in a Tin Workshop
Kendo Experience (Studio NIN)

Make Your Own Ninja Weapon or Shogun Mask in a Tin Workshop

Cast a small ninja weapon of 8 to 10 cm in tin. Open from age 5.

  • Duration: 2 to 2.5 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €96 ★ 5.0 (162 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full session details

Highlights

  • Tin casting of an 8 to 10 cm ninja weapon
  • Take your piece home
  • Minimum age 5

About this session

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.

Where it takes place

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.

Ninja Experience in a Real Ninja House in Arashiyama
Viyago Japan

Ninja Experience in a Real Ninja House in Arashiyama

Blowgun and shuriken in a small group in Arashiyama, costume optional.

  • Duration: 1 hour
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €45 ★ 5.0 (74 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full session details

Highlights

  • Blowgun and shuriken
  • Ninja costume optional
  • Small group

About this session

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.

Where it takes place

Arashiyama; the exact address is sent after booking.

Know before you go

  • Minimum age 5

Details as the studio lists them on its booking page; points it leaves open are marked as not stated in our tables.

Samurai Walk with Matcha, Calligraphy and Photoshoot
Daimyo

Samurai Walk with Matcha, Calligraphy and Photoshoot

Real armour, calligraphy on a war fan and matcha, then a walk to the Kamo river for photos.

  • Duration: 1.5 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €93 ★ 5.0 (127 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full session details

Highlights

  • Real armour
  • Calligraphy on a war fan
  • Matcha
  • Photo walk to the Kamo river

About this session

Daimyo dresses you in real samurai armour in its studio on Kiyamachi near Sanjo. You write calligraphy on a war fan, drink matcha and then walk in armour to the bank of the Kamo river for photos.

There is no sword training, and the armour is heavy. Children can join from 5.

Where it takes place

Takase Building 5F, Kiyamachi near Sanjo.

Know before you go

  • No sword training
  • The armour is heavy
  • Minimum age 5

Details as the studio lists them on its booking page; points it leaves open are marked as not stated in our tables.

Samurai Sword and Kimono Action Film Experience
GOATtrip

Samurai Sword and Kimono Action Film Experience

Chambara sword fighting with professional actors in a temple dojo, and an action video of your own.

  • Duration: 1 hour
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €112 ★ 4.9 (99 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full session details

Highlights

  • Chambara with professional actors
  • Your own action video
  • Groups of up to 6

About this session

In a dojo at Myokaku-ji temple you learn chambara, the staged sword fighting of Japanese period films, with professional actors, and shoot an action scene that you keep as a video. Groups are capped at 6.

The temple is a little out of the way, and latecomers can be turned away. Children can join from 5. Damage to costumes is charged.

Where it takes place

Dojo at Myokaku-ji temple.

Know before you go

  • Be on time: latecomers can be turned away
  • Damage to costumes is charged
  • Minimum age 5

Not suitable for

  • Children under 5
  • Pregnant women
  • People with back problems or pre-existing conditions
  • People over 95

Details as the studio lists them on its booking page; points it leaves open are marked as not stated in our tables.

Samurai Sword Class by Experts in Traditional Arts
Samurai Kembu Theater (Ginbu)

Samurai Sword Class by Experts in Traditional Arts

Kenbu sword technique in costume, in a group of up to 10 near Sanjo, with a certificate at the end.

  • Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €56 ★ 4.9 (856 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full session details

Highlights

  • Costume and kenbu sword technique
  • Certificate and photos
  • Groups of up to 10
  • Optional 10- or 30-minute show

About this session

Kenbu is the sword dance of the Japanese stage. In this class at the Samurai Kembu Theater near Sanjo you put on a costume, learn kenbu sword technique and leave with a certificate and photos. Groups are capped at 10, and you can add a 10- or 30-minute show.

Kenbu is a performing art, not a martial art. Children can join from 5, though martial arts experience is recommended for ages 5 to 10.

Where it takes place

Samurai Kembu Theater, Gozan Building B1F, Sanjo (Higashiyama).

Know before you go

  • Arrive 5 to 15 minutes before the start
  • There is no waiting room, and luggage is not allowed
  • Minimum age 5; martial arts experience recommended for ages 5 to 10

Details as the studio lists them on its booking page; points it leaves open are marked as not stated in our tables.

Sessions for children from 6 and 7

Sword practice with a wooden or training sword, for school-age children who can follow an instructor for two hours.

Sword and Zen Experience in a Historic Samurai Residence
Waraku

Sword and Zen Experience in a Historic Samurai Residence

Demonstration, wooden-sword practice, a cut at a target with an iaito and zen meditation.

  • Duration: 2 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 7 days before the start
from €102 ★ 4.9 (71 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full session details

Highlights

  • Opening demonstration
  • Wooden-sword practice
  • A cut at a target with an iaito
  • Zen meditation

About this session

The session opens with a demonstration. You then practise with a wooden sword, make a cut at a target with an iaito and finish with zen meditation. The gate opens 15 minutes before the start, you change before the session, and it begins on time.

Waraku moves to a new venue on 21 October 2026, so take the address from your booking confirmation. Free cancellation ends 7 days before the start. Children can join from 6.

Where it takes place

Waraku moves to a new venue on 21 October 2026. Use the address on your booking confirmation.

Know before you go

  • Free cancellation ends 7 days before the start
  • The gate opens 15 minutes early; the session starts on time
  • Find the venue in advance: staff can do little to help on the day if you get lost
  • Minimum age 6
  • Unaccompanied minors are not admitted

Not suitable for

  • Children under 6
  • People over 95

Details as the studio lists them on its booking page; points it leaves open are marked as not stated in our tables.

Kendo and Samurai Experience with Uniform and Equipment
Kendo Experience (Studio NIN)

Kendo and Samurai Experience with Uniform and Equipment

Sword basics with training swords in an old house in Shugakuin. Despite the title, there is no kendo armour and no sparring.

  • Duration: 2 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
from €90 ★ 4.8 (1,225 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full session details

Highlights

  • Training wear and training swords provided
  • Strikes, blocks and footwork
  • Time for photos and video
  • Old house with a large gate in Shugakuin

About this session

You change into training wear and learn strikes, blocks and footwork with training swords, with time for photos and video at the end. The session takes place in an old house with a large gate in Shugakuin, in the Sakyo ward in the north of Kyoto.

The title says kendo, but the session does not include kendo armour (bogu) or sparring, and the product page lists no cutting. Children can join from 7.

Where it takes place

An old house with a large gate in Shugakuin (Sakyo ward), about 15 minutes on foot from Shugakuin station.

Know before you go

  • Minimum age 7
  • No bogu armour, no sparring and no cutting on the programme
  • Shugakuin is in the north of the city, far from Gion and Kyoto Station

Details as the studio lists them on its booking page; points it leaves open are marked as not stated in our tables.

Sword Experience in Kyoto with Museum Ticket
Samurai Ninja Museum Kyoto

Sword Experience in Kyoto with Museum Ticket

Dojo practice with a wooden and a metal sword, plus the museum tour and shuriken.

  • Duration: 2 hours
  • ✓ Free cancellation (deadline on the booking page)
from €61 ★ 4.6 (68 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full session details

Highlights

  • Dojo training with wooden and metal swords
  • Guided museum tour
  • Shuriken throwing

About this session

Two hours at the Samurai Ninja Museum: dojo training with a wooden and a metal sword, a guided museum tour and shuriken throwing. Groups can be up to 22.

Children under 7 are not allowed in the dojo, babies included.

Where it takes place

109 Horinoue-cho, Nakagyo ward (Samurai Ninja Museum).

Know before you go

  • No entry to the dojo under 7, babies included
  • Groups of up to 22

Details as the studio lists them on its booking page; points it leaves open are marked as not stated in our tables.

When a parent has to join

At the tin workshop near Demachiyanagi, children under 15 take part only with a parent or guardian, and the staff support beginners and children at each step. Waraku admits no unaccompanied minors. The kenbu class at the Samurai Kembu Theater lets only registered participants into the room, so a parent who wants to stay with a child needs to ask the organiser in advance.

Children in the kenbu class train alongside adults. That is why the theatre advises martial arts experience for ages 5 to 10, while excluding only children under 4. If your child has never held a sword, the kenbu show at the same theatre ends with a short hands-on part and asks less of them.

Sessions that give no minimum age

Five sessions name no age at all: the kendo session in bogu by Park for us, the kenbu show, the guided museum tour, the forging class and the photoshoot at Shogun Studio. That does not mean they suit every child. Park for us asks for the size of each participant so the armour fits, and the forging class works with steel at around 800 °C. One family took a 15-year-old and an 18-year-old to the forging class and wrote that both took part. Ask through the booking page before you book for a younger child.

The Shugakuin sword class with children

Kendo Experience accepts children from 7 for its sword basics session. One guest wrote that the instructor was not good with children and that they never wore the masks seen in photos. The session as listed has no kendo armour, so children practise in training wear with training swords. For armour, the Daimyo walk takes children from 5, though the armour is heavy for a small body.

Two days, two ends of the city

With younger children, keep the journey short. The ninja class, the kenbu theatre and Daimyo are all near Sanjo and Nishiki Market in the centre. The ninja house sits in Arashiyama in the west, so it pairs with a day there.

What families wrote

The one-star review comes from a family at the Shugakuin sword class, where the minimum age is 7. They found the instructor not good with children and had expected the masks shown in photos, which belong to kendo armour that this session does not use.

“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.”
Harriet · Israel · August 2026 Ninja Weapon Forging · Kendo Experience (Studio NIN)
“Saiwan was an amazing instructor. We went through all of the stages from pouring the molten tin to cutting and finishing. She was patient and worked through our lack of skills …”
Gary · United States · October 2026 Tin Workshop · Kendo Experience (Studio NIN)
“Very informative and we love the Ninja stars or shuriken activity and the opportunity to wear samurai costumes.”
Irma · United States · June 2026 Museum Guided Tour · Samurai Ninja Museum Kyoto
“Instructor is rough around the edges, not good with kids. We never got to wear the masks pictured in all the photos. Instructor plays a YouTube video mid session …”
Verified traveler · United States · August 2026 Kendo and Samurai Experience · Kendo Experience (Studio NIN)

Reviews written by guests after their session, from GetYourGuide.

FAQ

What is the youngest age for a samurai or ninja experience in Kyoto?

3, at the child-friendly ninja class run by the Samurai Ninja Museum. Children under 3 may enter the building but cannot take part.

Can a 5-year-old hold a sword?

At the kenbu class of the Samurai Kembu Theater, yes, though martial arts experience is advised for ages 5 to 10. The GOATtrip film session also starts at 5. Waraku starts at 6, and Kendo Experience and the dojo of the Samurai Ninja Museum at 7.

Do parents have to take part as well?

At the tin workshop a parent or guardian must be present for children under 15. At the kenbu class only registered participants are admitted, so ask the organiser in advance if you want to accompany a child without taking part.

Is the armour too heavy for children?

Daimyo takes children from 5 for its walk in real armour and notes that the armour is heavy. The museum tour uses soft armour for photos, which weighs much less.

Which sessions do not state a minimum age?

The kendo session by Park for us, the kenbu show, the guided museum tour, the forging class and the Shogun Studio photoshoot. Ask the operator through the booking page before booking for a young child.

Related on this site

Ninja experiences

The class from 3, the ninja house and the two weapon workshops.

Samurai Ninja Museum

Guided hour, dojo session from 7 and the second address.

Which experience fits you

Every format by what you do, with armour, sword and cutting.

Minimum ages next to format and area

The full table of samurai, kendo and ninja sessions in Kyoto.

See the comparison