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Discover the World of Ninja in Kanazawa: Highlights of the Ninja Weapon Museum
Say “ninja,” and most people picture a figure in black, wielding shuriken and slipping through the shadows. It is an image familiar from movies and manga.
Yet chances to see up close the actual weapons they once handled are surprisingly rare.
A facility that gathers those real weapons stands in Kanazawa’s Nishi Chaya District, one of the city’s historic teahouse (chaya) districts. It is the Ninja Weapon Museum, a place where you can come face to face with the genuine tools of the ninja, who are so often thought of as figures of fiction.
This article introduces the highlights of the Ninja Weapon Museum.
Ninja Weapon Museum
The Ninja Weapon Museum is an exhibition facility in the Nishi Chaya District of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, gathering the weapons and armor of ninja and samurai. Housed in a 100-year-old machiya (traditional wooden townhouse), it lets you view about 160 authentic arms and try throwing shuriken.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Ninja Weapon Museum |
| Hours | 10:00 am–5:00 pm |
| Closed | Open year - round |
| Admission (2F exhibition) | Adults ¥800 Students ¥700 Children (12 and under) ¥400 Under 3 Free |
| Time Needed | About 30 minutes |
| Phone | 076-245-6450 |
| Address | 2 - 26 - 1 Nomachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 921 - 8031 |
| Access | About 3 min walk from the Hirokoji Hokutetsu bus stop By car: about 10 min from Kanazawa Station, about 15 min from Kanazawa - Nishi IC Parking: no dedicated lot (use the municipal Nishi Chaya District tourist parking) |
| Official Site | https://www.ninjaweaponmuseum.jp/ |
50 Types, About 160 Pieces: An Exhibition Packed with Authentic Arms
The biggest highlight of the Ninja Weapon Museum is the exhibition room on the second floor.
The room displays about 160 pieces across 50 types of tools used by ninja and samurai. They range from weapons such as shuriken, caltrops (makibishi), Japanese swords (katana), naginata (glaives), and kusarigama (sickle and chain), to protective gear such as armor and chainmail (kusari-katabira). A remarkably wide range of authentic arms is on display.
Facilities where you can see genuine ninja gear up close are rare even in Japan. Here you can examine, at close range, ninja equipment seldom seen elsewhere, including ninja helmets, hand claws (tekko-kagi), caltrops (makibishi), kunai, and blowguns (fukiya).
For samurai fans, the armor display is a must-see. With no glass cases, you can view the pieces up close, and the impact is striking.
Take On the Challenge Dojo-Style: The Shuriken Throwing Experience
Inside, there is a corner where you can try throwing shuriken. Two kinds are available: the disc-shaped wheel shuriken (kuruma-shuriken) and the rod-shaped spike shuriken (bo-shuriken).
Hit the center of the target and you receive a prize, so be sure to give it a try. It is quite difficult. The staff will show you how to throw.
| Type | Quantity | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel shuriken | 5 | ¥300 |
| Spike shuriken | 8 | ¥500 |
Buy a Japanese Sword (Katana): A Shop Full of Ninja Goods
The first floor is a museum shop, open even to those who do not view the exhibition.
It is packed with ninja and samurai goods, from the museum’s original items to replica katana.
You can pick up and hold the replica katana, so if an item catches your eye, just ask a staff member.
When you actually hold one, it is surprisingly heavy, said to weigh about 2–3 kg (about 4.4–6.6 lb). These are hefty, full-fledged replica katana.
There are many kinds of replica katana, and overseas shipping via EMS (Express Mail Service) is available, so feel free to choose the one blade you like best.
Authentic Ninja Tools and a Shuriken Experience Bring Ninja Closer
At the Ninja Weapon Museum, you can see authentic arms up close and throw shuriken with your own hands. It is a spot that makes the world of the ninja feel much closer.
Ninja are first imagined through shuriken and ninjutsu, but standing before these arms, you truly sense that the people who once fought with them really existed.
The visit takes about 30 minutes. Combine it with a stroll through the Nishi Chaya District or a visit to the nearby Myoryuji, nicknamed the Ninja Temple for its hidden defensive tricks, and you add one more pleasure to your Kanazawa trip.
It is a place where, through arms and armor, you can draw closer to the true image of the ninja long shrouded in mystery. Be sure to pay a visit to the Ninja Weapon Museum.
