Making a ninja weapon in Kyoto

How much forging the forging class involves

The meeting point is the red postbox in front of Hieizanguchi station, about a minute up the hill. You change into a samue work jacket and a tenugui headband, and the instructor heats the steel to around 800 °C. You shape the shuriken, engrave a kanji and take the finished piece home. The class is listed at 2.5 hours; one reviewer needed three.

Reviews describe a guided workshop more than a smithy. One guest wrote that the blade was heated for them and that most of their time went into shaping it on a sanding machine. Another found the kunai, which costs extra, smaller than hoped at 13 cm and largely finished before the class began. A family with teenagers, on the other hand, valued taking part in each stage. Go in expecting to finish a weapon, not to learn smithing.

Casting tin near Demachiyanagi

Tin melts at about 230 °C, low enough for beginners and children to pour it with staff at their side. You choose a ninja weapon or a shogun mask, pour the metal, then cut and finish the piece. The piece comes in a box. Children from 5 can take part, and anyone under 15 needs a parent or guardian with them. One reviewer reports that the knife and the mask cost extra.

Bring your own drinks, as food is not allowed in the studio. The workshop is three minutes on foot from Demachiyanagi, where the Eizan railway and the Keihan line meet.

Getting it home

The forging studio states that finished weapons fly in checked baggage only, never in your cabin bag, and a tin shuriken is best packed the same way. Customs rules for throwing stars and blades differ from country to country, so look up yours before you pick a kunai. Replica swords are on sale at the forging studio, and the same luggage rule applies to them.