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Odawara Castle Exploration: Insights into Ninja and Samurai History with Expert Guide
5.0
10 Ratings
Odawara
Uncover the secrets of the ninja and samurai at Odawara Castle. Join a leading ninja expert and bilingual guide for a tour, museum visits, and hands-on ninja training.
Uncover the secrets of the ninja and samurai at Odawara Castle. Join a leading ninja expert and bilingual guide for a tour, museum visits, and hands-on ninja training.
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Odawara Castle History Museum, Ninja-kan - Meet at the entrance of the Ninja Museum in Odawara Castle Park. This is where the tour will start.
- Odawara Castle Park - The experience will start with a guided walking in Odawara Castle Park by a local bilingual expert. The grounds of Odawara Castle have been preserved and retain original forms…
- Odawara Castle History Museum, Ninja-kan - Meet at the entrance of the Ninja Museum in Odawara Castle Park. This is where the tour will start.
- Odawara Castle Park - The experience will start with a guided walking in Odawara Castle Park by a local bilingual expert. The grounds of Odawara Castle have been preserved and retain original forms and architecture that give insight into the past history and techniques to castle building.
- Tokiwakimon Samurai Museum - You will stop by the Samurai Museum, which displays a selection of genuine samurai armor and swords within the castle grounds. The collection gives visitors the chance to see and experience craftsmanship and artistry from the past. Feel and learn about the extraordinary part of Japanese history.
- Odawara Castle History Museum, Ninja-kan - You will then move through the Ninja Museum and will learn and practice some of the fundamental techniques together with the ninja expert, such as breathing, meditation, movement, real tools and weapons used by ninja, ending with the iconic ninja hand gestures. The experience is held outside of business hours of the Ninja Museum, so the venue is reserved for exclusive use. This is where the tour will end.
What's Included
- Hands-on ninja experience with provided wooden swords and ninja attire.
- Included entrance tickets to the Ninja Museum, Samurai Museum, and Odawara Castle.
- Hands-on ninja experience with provided wooden swords and ninja attire.
- Included entrance tickets to the Ninja Museum, Samurai Museum, and Odawara Castle.
Additional Information
Hosted by a renowned ninja expert from Japan and a bilingual local guide, this experience offers the opportunity to meet and learn from a ninja scholar. Participants will tour the Odawara Castle grounds and practice essential ninja techniques.
The adventure begins with a guided walking tour of Odawara Castle, led by a local bilingual expert. Visitors…
Hosted by a renowned ninja expert from Japan and a bilingual local guide, this experience offers the opportunity to meet and learn from a ninja scholar. Participants will tour the Odawara Castle grounds and practice essential ninja techniques.
The adventure begins with a guided walking tour of Odawara Castle, led by a local bilingual expert. Visitors will explore the Samurai Museum and the castle grounds, viewing authentic artifacts and gaining insights into their historical significance and culture. The journey continues through the Ninja Museum, where participants will learn and practice techniques with the ninja expert, including meditation, movement, and the use of real tools and weapons. Odawara serves as the gateway to Hakone, promising an unforgettable experience in Japan.
3:30pm: Meet at the Ninja Museum in Odawara Castle Park
3:30pm: English guided tour in Odawara Castle Park
5:00pm: Ninja training experience at the Ninja Museum
6:00pm: Experience concludes
Location
3-71 Jōnai
Meeting place is the entrance of the Ninja Museum in Odawara Castle Park, which is a short 10 minute walk from the East Gate of Odawara Station.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(10 Ratings)
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Nath_rouz
Mar 25, 2025
A MUST for a family afternoon! - Between fun activities and discovering Japanese history, this activity is a MUST for families traveling to Odawara and Hakone.
We had a wonderful time with our family thanks to our guide and our Ninja-sensei 😊 We would gladly do it again during a next trip to Odawara.
ありがとうございました。
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Freedom62722440397
Feb 25, 2025
Experience the world of samurai and ninja - First it was amazing!
I was alone on this day, so I was lucky and had a private guide tour and lesson with the sensai.
I learned so much about the Samurai way of life and their history. I got to see the armour and weapons they use, and I even found out their rank level!
I also learned about the clans and the three great unifiers of Japan.
This is something you can learn about in an exemplar, but on this tour, you'll get to experience it first-hand and learn about the name behind it.
Who says this phrase?
What do you do if a bird won't sing?
Kill it!
It won't sing? Then wait until it will!
It won't sing? Then let us make it!
In the Castle is a Museum where you can learn all about the Castle.
And now, let's dive into the world of Ninjas (Shinobi)! You'll discover the incredible role of the Shinobi in society. You'll be amazed at the basic techniques you'll learn to use a katana, shuriken and Blowgun.
This part of the tour is by far my favourite!
I don't want to give away any spoilers, but trust me, it's an unforgettable experience.
So, if you're in Odawara or nearby and you're into samurai or ninja culture, you absolutely have to check this out!
Now in Germany.
At first it was incredible!
I was alone that day, so I was lucky and got a private guided tour and lesson with the Sensai.
I have learned so much about the samurai way of life and history. I was able to look at the armor and weapons they use, and I even found out their rank!
I have also learned about the clans and the three great unifiers of Japan.
This is something you can learn in an example, but on this tour you will experience it first hand and get to know the name behind it.
What do you do if a bird doesn't want to sing?
Kill him!
He won't sing? Then wait for him to sing!
He won't sing? Then let him sing!
In the castle there is a museum where you can learn all about the castle.
And now we dive into the world of ninjas (Shinobi)! You will discover the incredible role of Shinobi in society. You will be amazed at the basic techniques you will learn in dealing with Katana, Shuriken and blowpipe.
This part of the tour is by far my favorite part!
I don't want to reveal anything, but believe me, it's an unforgettable experience.
So if you're in Odawara or nearby and interested in the samurai or ninja culture, be sure to check it out!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Katiekyu
Dec 2, 2024
An experience not to miss - Had the most amazing time, from the tour to the ninja experience. 10/10 would do again and people are missing out on a major experience if they don’t do this.
Don’t just go to the major cities, explore Odawara aswell :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Veronical1533
Nov 30, 2024
Fun and informative experience! - This was such a fantastic way to spend an afternoon/evening. We are so glad we did this. It is a unique and very fun way to get to learn about a formative period in Japanese history! For the ninja portion we did some katana drills, star throwing and blow darts which brought out some healthy competition amongst us. Our guide, Naoya, was so fun, helpful and knowledgeable and both he and the ninja master were very generous with their time. We happened to make this part of our itinerary because it suited our travel as a stop off between Hakone and Tokyo, but it is worth the trip to Odawara just for it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fiona
Oct 21, 2024
Become a Ninja - great fun! - The highlight was an hour's personal tuition from a ninja master, learning how to blow a poison dart, throw a "shooting star" and wield a sword. We were shown each of the castle gates with an explanation of the historical context and purpose from our English-speaking guide. The view of the sunset from the top of the castle was amazing. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mark_e
Jul 9, 2024
So much fun! - This was a ton of fun for my husband, adult daughters and me. First we had an interesting tour of beautiful Odawara Castle, as well as the Samurai Museum, with our very knowledgeable guide Jeff. Then we put on Ninja garb (you have to not mind looking a little goofy!) and learned some of the skills used by real Ninjas. Our teacher (I don't remember his name) was a true expert, very patient, and made it SO much fun. We learned to scale a (small) wall, sneak up on your enemy despite a creaky floor, look for escape routes and hidden panels in rooms and use throwing stars, blow guns and swords! I would recommend this for older kids (not toddlers), teenagers and adults. We loved learning about all the history and then getting to do the activities.
Review provided by Viator
Fernandoci1172cw
Feb 24, 2024
Best Ninja experience in Japan!! Fun and knowledgeable guide made this unforgettable to our kids!! - What a wonderful experience for our family!! It was absolutely worth it to go for this private tour, in contrast to other ninja experiences we had in Japan!! Our guide Jeff was extremely knowledgeable, and very patient to interact with the multiple questions our 9 years old son had!! The castle itself is stunning, and the part where we learn ninja skills was really fun and interactive!! Our Ninja Sensei was also super friendly and connected really well with the kids!! In summary, this was a highlight for our Japan trip and we highly recommend to other families!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kiwikjones
Aug 6, 2023
Excellent - Just like to thank the whole team for a great tour of the castle grounds and really great ninja lesson! Would recommend this to any of my friends for sure! We'd love to come back sometime for another Odawara Castle experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
E6658wvchristophel
Feb 27, 2023
A wonderful and genuine experience! - What a wonderful and genuine experience even for someone that already knows some martial arts and some Japanese culture. From welcoming at the Shinkansen station (walking distance to castle) to a short visit at the castle and spending more time about samurais and ninjas. No more samurai and real ninjas (old-fashioned medieval SEAL of Japan) in Japan!
The interpreter is a real fluent interpreter, and knows also how to tell stories in concise ways. The castle/samurai visit is all in English; only the master needs translation and that was very pleasant. The ninja master is just too cool, serious, good sense of humor, not aloof and l forgot to say, knows what he is doing.
Christophe Laudamiel
Review provided by Tripadvisor