What‘s Included

What To Expect

Reviews

• Very interesting

  christopherpE272OW,

  Nov 6, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Naoki was a knowledgeable and friendly guide. His experience as an actor and studying in England made him a great person to lead our tour. Naoki described all of the different things that we saw as we walked through the neighbourhood. The Samurai experience was fun. And lunch was great in an historic restaurant down a tiny side street.

• A great day with Hitome about old and new times.

  jeannecV7218MA,

  Oct 27, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  My daughter and I spend some really interesting and fun hours with Hitome in the area around Iidabashi station. We tasted lovely decorated sweets, had coffee, saw a small place with production of tofu, visited a Temple, had fantastic Samurai training and went for a lovely lunch at a really nice restaurant. Hitome had great knowledge of history, old and new culture and it was a pleasure to spend time with her.

  

  

• A peaceful neighborhood and powerful Samurai training session!!!

  Meander228226,

  Oct 24, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Our Samurai experience in the Kagurazaka area was absolutely unforgettable! From start to finish, it was a beautiful blend of history, spirituality, and cultural discovery — all brought to life by our incredible guide, Molly. Her deep knowledge, warm personality, and passion for Japanese culture made every moment come alive. We began our journey walking through the charming streets of Kagurazaka, a neighborhood filled with old-world charm and hidden stories. Molly shared fascinating insights into the area’s samurai past, which gave us a true sense of Japan’s proud warrior heritage. One of the highlights of the day was visiting Zen Kokuji Temple, also known as the Tiger Temple — and we happened to be there on the Day of the Tiger! What an incredible honor and stroke of luck. The atmosphere was serene and powerful, a moment that truly captured the spirit of mindfulness and strength that defines the samurai way. Molly also explained the important distinction between temples and shrines — that temples are places of Buddhist worship, while shrines are dedicated to Shinto beliefs. This made our next stop, the Akagi Shrine, all the more meaningful. The shrine’s architecture was stunning — modern yet reverent — and the energy there was both peaceful and inspiring. By the end of the tour, we felt not only enriched by the stories of the samurai but also deeply connected to the spiritual essence of Japan. And then it was time…. Time to become samurai. with the ceremonial dressing in traditional kimono, hakama, and obi. Each layer carried history and symbolism, and as we were dressed, we could feel the quiet discipline and dignity of the samurai taking hold. The fabric, the folds, and the precision of each tie transformed us — grounding us in stillness and purpose. Then came the moment of awe: being presented with a katana, the soul of the samurai. With reverence, we learned how to hold it properly, how to stand, breathe, and move with mindful intention. Under careful guidance, we practiced the power stances — strong yet fluid — and entered what Molly beautifully described as the “warrior flow.” Each movement felt meditative, every gesture filled with centuries of meaning. It wasn’t about fighting, but about presence — balance between strength and grace. The session became a kind of moving meditation, connecting body, mind, and spirit. If you’re looking for a truly immersive cultural experience — one that combines history, spirituality, and heartfelt storytelling — don’t miss this Samurai walking tour with Molly. It’s a perfect way to see Kagurazaka through the eyes of the past and the soul of Japan.

• Highly recommended to learn about Samurai culture especially the school make sure you know the correct meeting gate.

  Elsa A,

  Oct 12, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We throughly enjoyed our tour. Our tour guide Naomi did a very good job of explaining the history of Samurai and specifically the area of the tour. He talked about the Shogun and specifically the one that originally built and lived in the castle that the Emperor took over and made the Imperial Palace. The highlight was obviously the Samurai School. It was so much fun dressing up as a Samurai and being taught how the Samurai fought. Our instructors were wonderful. This truly made the tour. Highly recommend. The only downside was finding the meeting place. The metro station is huge and you need to know the right exit gate to take to find the Flower Shop. Both google and Apple Maps took us to the wrong place. Still we highly recommend this tour

• Loved kt

  jennymY4560QD,

  Oct 10, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We had such an amazing time during our samurai experience! Our guide went above and beyond, not only was she incredibly kind and knowledgeable, but she also took the time to show us around the town and even treated us to a few local sweets from different shops. It felt more like exploring with a friend than a tour guide. Truly one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommend this experience!

• Cultural experience

  Melissa S,

  Oct 9, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  It was a great cultural experience with a guide taking us around the streets to try some Japanese delicacies. We then got dressed up as a samurai, learned how to use a Katana and then performed. It was so much fun and a great experience. I recommend for families and partners. We then ended the experience with a traditional lunch which was delicious! Guides were awesome and fun. Highly recommend!

• Shrines and Temples and Samurai - oh my!

  K D,

  Sep 11, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  I didn’t know what to fully expect from the tour other than perhaps a walk through an old village/city where our tour guide would point out historical sites, and that we would visit a museum or something dedicated to samurai. Interesting for sure, but nothing too exciting. My first surprise was that there was no “we” - I was the only one booked for the tour! I panicked a bit not sure how having a tour ALL to myself would go, but my guide, Hitome, quickly put me at ease with her personality. She showed no sign of dismay that I would be her only customer that day and was cheerful, upbeat, and personable - even in the heat and humidity of the day. Kagurazaka is far from the old village I had envisioned, though there are definitely old buildings and offshoots that we walked past and through. It was delightful to see the blending of the old with the new - which is a major factor in why I wanted to visit Japan. Along the way, Hitome took us to a few temples and shrines, giving brief historical facts about each. She had a folder of sheet-protected facts and drawings that helped provide a visual to her spoken information. Though not my culture or beliefs per se, it was an honor to observe in my own way these important cultural facets, and nice to see the citizens still visiting and showing respect to them as well. We also stopped at a few places for snacks and drinks (iced tea). The first establishment was a tofu company that had been in business for over a hundred years. Small, and not too much to see, but still cool. Hitome mentioned that we should get something to eat there and that’s when I thought “okay, here’s where I have to start paying for every place we visit” but she quickly told me that no - it was already paid for! The next few food stops were less significant (a convenience store and a place to get what I would call bao), but still tasty! A bit more walking and we eventually arrived at the theater. There, we were greeted by the actors (I unfortunately didn’t get their names) that were dressed in traditional samurai clothing. To my surprise, I was informed that both Hitome and I would also be outfitted and I got to choose my clothing. We were assisted by the actors and then shown seats where they gave us a demo on a sword battle. Rather than focusing on a detailed history of the samurai (I think Hitome’s folder helped with that), the actors focused on the swordplay - stances, correct holding positions, nomenclature of the sword parts, etc. After each mini lesson, we were given the chance to stand and execute what we learned. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that we both got (wooden) swords of our own! Finally, the actors taught us the choreography for the skit we first saw them do when we entered and we got to act it out - complete with dramatic music and sound effects. I was too nervous to see if I recognized my music, but Hitome’s was from one of the seasons of My Hero Academia, which I thought was cool/funny when I recognized it. The entire thing was amazing! I would definitely recommend this theater and experience to others. After leaving the theater, Hitome took us to get lunch at a quaint restaurant. The food was tasty but I enjoyed the conversation with Hitome perhaps even more. She seemed very open and friendly and like she really enjoyed her job, though I didn’t really feel like I was “just another client”. We talked about our families and experiences, corrected each others’ languages (her English is light years better than my Japanese), and she gave me tips on other fun things to do while in Japan. After lunch we stopped by a gift shop and I only mention this because like at the gift shop and the temples and shrines we visited, Hitome would say something like: oh people like to buy this or that, or this would make a good gift - which I think is part of her job, but I never felt pressured into buying anything at all. She made it seem (and perhaps it really was) like it was just a suggestion of things I might not know about. By the time we departed - I felt that I had a very enjoyable experience and sure, that I had made a new friend. I would certainly recommend this tour to others, though I strongly believe that Hitome made it as enjoyable as it was, so book her if you can! I would also recommend perhaps not eating too large of a breakfast as the snacks and lunch provided were filling, and that the tour be booked not in very hot/humid seasons. One more thing I will admit - had I read my tour itinerary more closely, I would have been less surprised by the events that took place since they were all described there, ha!

  

  

  

• Fun and knowledgable

  R2341TUkats,

  Sep 8, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  The guides were great and had lots of knowledge to share about the area. Samurai experience was fun. The snacks were tasty and the lunch was good too.

• Imcredible tour, experience and lunch

  P5565OXjohnp,

  Aug 22, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  I went on this trip with Mark, and it was a really cool tour of the area. The Samurai experience was awesome and totally fascinating! We also had a delicious meal.

  

• My Samurai Experience

  464jdb,

  Aug 8, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Mark made this tour unforgettable. Walking through Kagurazaka’s streets, he shared to me the history of the places and how they are now operating. I was really interested with the samurai and geisha facts, he also brought me to shrines and temples, explaining their histories as well. The samurai fighting lesson with professional instructors was the highlight, it was super fun and interactive. I really felt like I was becoming a master :D We explored hidden alleyways and shops, ate tofu snack, and ended with a fantastic lunch in a traditional Japanese house. Mark’s knowledge and warm personality turned this into a perfect blend of culture, history, and flavor. This tour is highly recommended to everyone wanting to experience being a samurai 😁

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