Kendo and Samurai Experience in Kyoto

50 Ratings

Kyoto

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Experience the art of Kendo and immerse yourself in the culture of the Samurai in Kyoto. Learn from a skilled Kendo player and try your hand at cutting tatami mats with a Japanese sword.

Duration: 2 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

606-8037 - Discover the essence of the samurai with this interactive sword and kendo session. Delve into the history, techniques, and discipline of Japan’s iconic warriors in a secure and engaging environment.
An expert instructor will lead you through fundamental sword-handling skills using a range of training tools, such as bamboo practice…

What's Included

Kendo uniform and equipment provided

Additional Information

Explore a lesser-known aspect of Japan that many tourists miss. This samurai sword experience in Kyoto combines cultural heritage with martial arts training. Participants can don genuine training attire, grasp the fundamentals of kendo, and wield safe, realistic swords in an environment reminiscent of authentic samurai training.
Guided by a seasoned…

Location

studio NIN

〒606-8037 Kyoto City, Sakyo Ward, Shugakuin Daidocho 16 15 minutes walk from Shugakuin Station. When you enter the narrow path, you will see a large gate. If you don't understand, please contact us.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.7

(50 Ratings)

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Arnonr2020

Dec 31, 2025

Great Kendo experience with Taka, descendent of a Shogun - What a great experience with Taka, a 23rd generation descendent of a Shogun and winner of many Kendo competitions. It was just the right amount of fun, learning, and history and the entire family really enjoyed the experience.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Anniedjj

Dec 25, 2025

Amazing once in lifetime experience - Amazing experience. Great teacher of Shogun descent. Experienced how to wear the robes, how to withdraw the katana. Was taught basic kendo moves which culminated in fight sessions at the end.

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Lillian

Nov 10, 2025

Kendo - A very enlightening and enjoyable experience, it was fun to practise with the bamboo swords and compete vs others. Friendly instructor.

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45dustyng

Nov 1, 2025

Taka is the best! - Taka made this experience incredibly memorable for my fiancée and I! Even though it was raining and we had to do the activity indoors it was still a highlight of our trip and can’t recommend it enough to people who’d like to learn and experience kendo. Thank you Taka!

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Tjpontier

Oct 28, 2025

Great experience!! - Taka was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable trainer. We had a great time. Recommend taking an uber because it’s a bit of a walk from the train or bus stop.

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Williamdg4810wy

Oct 9, 2025

Highly recommend, worth the money and Taka is awesome!! - Would highly recommend this experience! Our instructor Taka made the whole experience very memorable with his humour and happy demeanour. We were worried that we’d be relearning the same things we saw the day before at the samurai museum although it was a refreshing insight into the lives of samurai and the basics of kendo. We learned about the traditional armour and how to wear it, how to properly draw your blade and sheathe it and basic kendo moves which you got to utilise during a spar session with bamboo swords. In the end we got foam training bats to fully unleash the skills we learned on each other which was hilarious. We can’t wait to come back and do the ninja weapon or japanese knife crafting this studio also offers.

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Richard_c

Dec 24, 2025

Fun experience, worth doing, but no tatami cutting (see below) - Note: This experience does NOT include tatami mat cutting. The listing says it does, but there's been a recent law change in Japan that means they're no longer allowed to offer it legally. Obviously not their fault, but if you're reading this Taka then best to update your listing so guests aren't disappointed! Despite this, we really enjoyed the class. Good exercise and lots of fun. We were taught how to wear kendo outfits, explained some parts of tradition and culture, practiced drawing and sheathing out samurai swords with proper technique, then did some kendo drills and ended with some sparring (modified for complete newbies). Taka is a very friendly and good teacher. Great experience overall, but probably slightly overpriced, although not enough for us to regret it.

Review provided by Viator

Poisonpie

Oct 15, 2025

An awesome experience in Kyoto. - A friend of mine and I signed up for this experience after wanted to try something new and unique during our time in Kyoto. This experience completely surpassed all our expectations. Taka was an EXCELLENT teacher! He had so much knowledge and his passion was visible during the entire lecture. We walked away from it, not just having had fun, but having learned something new. The short sparring portion at the end of the lecture was the highlight. Tatami mat slicing can no longer be done legally in Japan, but this was a very welcome replacement. I'm giving 4 stars (more like 4.5) because I feel the inside of the studio space could've been a little neater and better organized. This would be my only remark. I wholeheartedly recommend this experience and would gladly try the other workshops by studio Nin if I were ever in Kyoto again.

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Jennygaryalex

Nov 21, 2025

Authentic kendo experience but it was overpriced. - The instructor was well qualified and spoke very good English. The dojo was a private home. The activity was overpriced.

Review provided by Viator

Claudia_v

Jan 3, 2026

Not as described at all - Nothing at all what we expected according to description and pictures online. We weren’t able to wear the full uniform (only got to see one helmet) which was a let down. The place is very small, seems run down, dusty and not taken care of at all. There were people coming in and out with groceries leaving the door open and cold air in right by our side in the middle of the “class”. We’re a family of 4 adults and the group was 12 people that day. Space was tight and because of that we were taken outside to “practice” but it was a very cold and cloudy day. We were told to feel free to take pictures outside but the space didn’t have a good background for pictures. Again, we just felt we were in someone’s backyard and the condition of such was not good at all so not really a place where one would want up take pictures for memories of a nice experience. All in all we left very disappointed.

Review provided by Viator

Check Availability

From $101

up to 15 guests

1 - Adult