Tokyo 2-hour Genuine Samurai Experience: Kendo In Japan

Great experience if you want to discover kendo. The teacher explains everything very well and even taught us a bit of history around kendo

Authentic kendo training experience but instructor spoke little English. No one else assisted to explain commands. Super fun to wear the kendo gear and use bamboo swords. Difficult to hear commands with class going on in same room. Older facility.

Bring a water bottle! This was a lot of exercise and fun. Master will test you so give it your all. It’s a 10-min walk from the train station, and my wife wandered a bit farther down the road to the fabric district since there is no room for spectators. Good day for both of us!

Unlike other tacky forms of entertainment, such as sword-fighting or ninja experiences, this tour is a wonderful opportunity for foreign travelers with absolutely no experience in kendo to experience authentic Japanese kendo and the spirit of the samurai. It’s also the perfect way to get some exercise during the morning of your trip, before lunch.

I had a really great time! The atmosphere was nice and relaxing, and the instructor was really professional. The class was fun and interesting, and I learned a lot. Definitely worth trying!

This was the most incredible experience. We loved the introduction to kendo and having the chance to try these techniques on our friends. The instructors, senzai brought energy to the class and made us feel like we were part of the dojo. Thank you soo much for having us and leaving us with such great memories. I very strong recommendation for those who would like a unique experience.

The 2 hr experience was only 90 minutes and that was probably the best part. Way over priced. Very confusing. Not friendly.

The 2h were filled with the basics of Kendo and practice fights to use the learned techniques, all with a really nice and energetic instructor. My friends and I had a lot of fun and would do it again.

Awesome experience! As others have mentioned, be prepared to work and sweat a bit! This is an interactive experience. But you don't need to be an athlete to appreciate it -- just need a willingness to try! The guide / teacher was really enthusiastic and positive about the sport, which is exactly what you need when you're doing something out of your comfort zone.

My spouse, my two adult sons, and I had a fantastic time during a two-hour Kendo practice session. It ended up being just the four of us, which made for a very personal and engaging experience (though I am not sure how typical that is). If you are interested in an authentic Kendo practice, this is an excellent introduction. The instructor is highly experienced and guided us through every aspect: getting dressed, putting on the armor, proper stance and positioning, striking techniques, and how matches and scoring work. We learned the fundamentals, practiced drills, and even had several one-on-one bouts among ourselves and with the instructor. Facing the instructor was, unsurprisingly, a humbling experience. While Kendo is a serious martial art, the instructor struck a great balance—maintaining discipline while keeping the session approachable and welcoming. He was patient and happy to answer all of our questions. A few practical tips: 1) Review directions to the dojo in advance, as it is a bit of a walk from the station and can be confusing. 2) If you wear corrective lenses, contacts are preferable—glasses can be uncomfortable inside the helmet. 3) Be prepared to sweat. The session is fairly intense, and we were all quite sweaty by the end.

Getting there was hard. The gear was authentic and the room was air conditioned which was great. It's a real training school, so Sensei lives up stairs. Authentic as it gets. We started with the history of kendo, and then proceeded to learn technique and forms, and actual sparring and reps to practices. It was overall a great experience. I do want to add, for someone who is teaching novices and tourist, Sensei Kenshi did not have the warmest personality or patience that day. He's a master and sensei, so he takes his craft seriously, so I get it. I just took it as making the experience more authentic. LOL. Overall authentic real experience and very educating. Thank you!

It was a real treat to participate in something so traditionally Japanese. Not many people get to have this experience. I enjoyed it overall except the instructor wasn’t the most pleasant teacher. He didn’t even introduce himself and was very gruff. He seems like he did not want to be giving the class. His lack of English was not an issue. Only when I gave him a challenge coin did he slightly warm up and thankful. So if you go, go for the experience but do not think the teacher will be nice to you.

So fun and highly recommend! Highlight of the trip. Great workout and good times. Love how they video and take pics

My wife and I had an amazing experience. It was so much fun. Come ready for a workout and leave with a smile!

Most amazing experience to do kendo here. Anyone can do.

Great experience! Be ready to spend some energy, it's an actual sports experience! Very informative if it's your 1st exposure to the sport. But it is an extremely fun experience!

It was totally worth it very fun potentially a new hobby be ready to sweat a lot the master of the dojo (I think that’s who he was) was very nice but when practicing he is very stern but overall great experience.

Overall, this was a very good experience. Highly skilled instructor who knows a lot about Kendo and history. The English instruction was very helpful for us. I’m glad we chose this because it is highly interactive and FullContact. For us that was the right choice. For people wanting just a photo opportunity and dress up this would not be the right choice. The only reason I am taking away one star was that a few people arrived five or 10 minutes late, and the beginning of the lesson was rushed. Not a big deal for us. But we ended up not using full two hours, and we’re undressing 15-20minutes before noon. We would have appreciated more sparring, or technique practice.

This experience was one of a kind. I had so much fun and I laughed so much with the other group. I not only learned something about kendo but also about the history of it.

What an amazing kendo experience! I would highly reccomend to anyone. Perfect for beginners. Our two teachers were a good laugh and taught us very well.

This was a truly wonderful experience, even for Japanese participants. I believe visitors from overseas will also find it highly meaningful and rewarding. It is an excellent introduction for anyone interested in understanding the spirit of Bushido. The instructor is highly skilled, and the overall quality of the experience is outstanding.

This was really fun and informative. No experience neccessary

This is in a neighborhood Kendo Dojo. Very local and traditional. It is a great experience and a good workout as well.

This was one of the most amazing and intense experiences I've had during my travels. I had a lesson with a 7th level (Den) kendo master, and it was so much fun. You learn about Kendo, it's traditions, practices and culture. You wear the actual gear and take part in training, which was great. Then you get to compete at the end, where you really have to focus and concentrate. I had a great time. Highly recommended.

Excelente experience realistic kendo training. People in class friendly and kind. Very helpfull. Fun.

It was a fun experience with my nephew and friend ; Dojo explained and provided background information regarding the tradition and expectation of Kendo. It was a very unique experience for us

Educational and Immersive Instructors were great and made sure we had an enjoyable and safe experience we would like to do it again next time Thank you

Fascinating experience, it gives you a glimpse of what the real sport is. There were a few real senior practitioners along a 7 dan master to complete the full picture.

Great experience, taught us Kendo history, tradition, and we got to spar! We even got to spar against the instructor. Instructor was very nice!

Amazing experienced , we really enjoy it , we learn the history of kundo , also we had too much fun i would defintely come back next year.

We had a really fun and educating experience, the instructors were very nice and knowledgeable. We really recommend this experience for tourists and it’s suitable to kids and adults as well

Best experience in Japan! You won't be disappointed in fact you'll want to join a Samurai dojo in your city. The instructor is super skillful and knowledgeable. Don't be shy everyone can do it 🙏🏼

Best experience in Japan. You won't be disappointed in fact you'll feel like joining a Samurai dojo in your city. The instructor is super skillful and knowledgeable.

We had a fantastic time at the SAMURAI TRIP - Kendo Experience Tour. Our instructor, teacher was very knowledgeable and patient with us. We really enjoyed the experience. I would definitely recommend this tour. See you next year!

we were watching an interesting youtube channel about kendo. thought the first youtube sensei was knowledgeable, informative, and easygoing. it was a surprise to get to the actual class, and see the exact same sensei that we were watching n youtube!

We really enjoyed our experience and my partner specificially enjoyed it the most. Martial Arts is a space he truly enjoys. Our instructor was wonderful and really explained things well. We learned a lot :-) Wonderful experience everyone should have!

It was just me and my SO + the sensei, but it was still fun and very tiring. The sensei couldn't speak much English, which made it a bit hard at times to ask questions about specific movements or poses, but generally we still managed to communicate through mimicking and basic English words.

Must try experience in Japan. The sensei was patient with us and explained the basic of Kendo and helped my kids have a lot of fun and learning.

Very nice！The explanation and demonstration were clear, the process was smooth, and I would recommend it to my friends！

Lots of fun. A great lesson and experience learning hitting techniques. Also learned how to put on Kendo uniform which consisted of the Keikogi (a jacket-like top) and the Hakama (skirt-like trousers). We also wore protective equipment, a Bogu (armor).

If you're even slightly interested in Japanese martial arts or samurai culture, this experience is a must. The Kendo Experience with is not just a fun activity, it's a respectful and well-guided introduction to the spirit, discipline, and philosophy behind Kendo. Nagamatsu sensei is passionate, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable. You get to wear traditional gear, learn real techniques, and even feel the intensity of a sparring session. It’s not a gimmick, it’s the real thing, taught with care and precision. Whether you're a martial artist or just curious about the way of the sword, this experience leaves a lasting impression. Highly recommended for anyone looking to connect with the true essence of bushido.

I joined because it’s a popular experience! Even beginners can enjoy it! They also explain the differences between the world of manga and reality in an interesting way, so I highly recommend it! 人気の体験ということで参加しました！ 初心者でも楽しめる内容でした！ 漫画の世界と現実の違いなども面白く教えてくれるので、おすすめです！

Wow! What an experience. We got dressed up in full Kendo gear and learned the technique and history. Teacher was fun and accommodating. So much fun

I'll start by saying that the instructor clearly knew what he was doing and I appreciated seeing a real Kendo dojo with real students in action. The reason for the 2 stars is that the description of this event says "The experience allows you to work with a kendo instructor who speaks English in an easy to understand way." and that simply was not true. The instructor did not speak any English, nor did he have any assistants who could translate. Without the ability to understand what we were doing, what he wanted us to do, what was going on at all really, this was not a good experience.

Kenji was awesome. My wife, adult son and daughter and I had a great time. Fun and active Samurai experience. We had a blast. Thanks Kenji!

We had a wonderful time with Keshi at the dojo! Our group came with a limited understanding of Kendo and its principles, but left with one of our best memories yet of Tokyo! In the days since our group can occassionally be found breaking out into calls of our favorites strikes ("Men! Dō!"). What a wonderful and immersive experience for our group of 4. Advice: be prepared to take off glasses and rings. You will be issued very appropriate Kendo attire, and be ready to sweat! Don't be afraid of the sparring, it's all part of the learning! Kenshi, our instructor, was also incredibly accomodating -- we had booked our experience for the 31st of December during the New Year holiday period in Japan. 5 stars out of 5!

Kenshi-San and his two colleagues are experienced instructors. We learned three basic striking techniques (men, kote, do) and some counter techniques, and fought a few playful games against each other and against the instructor. Too bad it only lasted two hours! The whole experience is very family friendly. Definitely recommend if you want to give Kendo a try.

Such an interesting and inspiring experience to have! Highly recommend to anyone who's interested in kendo or japanese culture! As a total beginnger, this experience session definitely lighten up my eager to learn kendo for a longer term. The teacher is really funny and super nice. I left the session feeling energized and with a newfound appreciation for the art of Kendo. It was a great blend of discipline and fun!

This experience is incredible, you get to learn about the Kendo hitting techniques. You will also get to face against your friends that you bring with you, it’s a really really amazing experience and I highly recommend it for anyone going to Japan. It’s not too far from centre of Japan aswell, it was like 30 min from where I was staying.