Nagoya Ninja Tour: Edo-Era Ninja House & Tokaido Road

Secret passages, ninja weapons, and a samurai-era post town frozen in time

This full-day tour from Nagoya follows the Tokaido road (the most important route in Edo-era Japan) with an English-speaking guide to uncover the real history of ninja. You'll walk through Seki Juku, a nationally preserved post town with nearly 200 traditional townhouses, visit Aburahi Shrine (used as a filming location for historical dramas), and explore an authentic Edo-era ninja residence built by the Mochizuki clan, complete with hidden escape routes and a collection of ninja weapons and tools. The tour includes transportation, entry to all locations, and a shuriken-throwing experience where you can test your aim under your guide's instruction.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore ninja history and Tokaido road

• Travel from Nagoya to Seki Juku
• Explore Edo-era town and shop ceramics
• Visit Aburahi Shrine and take photos
• Tour Mochizuki ninja house
• Throw shuriken and test ninja skills

The experience

The Mochizuki ninja house is the centerpiece: a real Edo-era residence built with tricks, traps, and secret passages you uncover as you move through the rooms. Your guide walks you through how ninjas actually lived and worked, then hands you shuriken to throw at distant targets: a moment most travelers come back to when they describe the day. The house also holds a collection of authentic ninja weapons and tools, so you see the equipment alongside the architecture that sheltered it.

Before that, you spend time in Seki Juku, the 47th post town on the Tokaido road that connected Kyoto and Edo during the shogunate. Unlike most post towns, this one has kept its Edo-era feel: nearly 200 townhouses line streets where you can count tanuki statues and browse ceramics in traditional shops. Your guide reveals the secret connection between the Tokaido itself and ninja operations: a detail that reframes the whole route. Aburahi Shrine, with its 1,100-year history, sits between these stops. It's been used as a filming location for historical movies, so the grounds carry that sense of a place that has held its own for centuries.

The tour runs eight hours from Nagoya and includes all transportation during the day, entry fees at every location, and your guide's commentary in English throughout. You'll have free time built into the schedule, and the guide helps you frame photos at each stop. The kind of detail that matters when you're trying to capture something worth showing people back home.

What’s included

• Transportation during the tour.
• entry to Seki Juku, Aburahi Shrine, and the Mochizuki ninja residence.
• an English-speaking guide for the full day.
• and a shuriken-throwing experience with instruction and photo assistance.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday, Thursday and FridayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupUp to 25

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Snow Monkey Resorts Tours (Machinovate Japan Ltd.)

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a guide to weave separate historical sites (the Tokaido road, post town, shrine, and ninja house) into one narrative arc, rather than visiting them as isolated stops.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 12 years); Infant (under 6): free.

What is the Mochizuki ninja house actually like inside?

The Mochizuki residence is an authentic Edo-era building filled with hidden passages, secret escape routes, and mechanical traps designed to confuse intruders. You explore these tricks yourself as your guide explains how ninjas used the architecture to move unseen and defend the house. The residence also displays a collection of real ninja weapons and tools from the period.

How much time do I spend at Seki Juku, and what can I do there?

Seki Juku is a nationally preserved post town with nearly 200 traditional townhouses where you walk through well-preserved residences and shops. You can browse ceramics, count the tanuki statues scattered through the streets, and photograph the Edo-era architecture. Your guide shares the history of the Tokaido road and its connection to ninja operations while you explore.

Is the shuriken-throwing experience included, and do I need any experience?

Yes, shuriken throwing is included in the tour. Your guide will teach you how to throw and help you aim at distant targets. No prior experience is needed. The guide is also available to help you take photos during the activity.

What does the eight-hour tour include, and what should I bring?

The tour includes transportation during the day, entry fees at all locations (Seki Juku, Aburahi Shrine, and the ninja house), an English-speaking guide, and the shuriken-throwing experience. Bring a camera, as Aburahi Shrine is particularly photogenic and used as a filming location for historical dramas. The itinerary includes free time and transport time built into the eight hours.

Can I arrange transportation to and from Nagoya Station?

Transportation to and from Nagoya Station is available as an option you can add at checkout. Check the booking options to see if this add-on is available for your preferred date.