Samurai stage show · Kanda, Tokyo
A story told in swordplay and dance, staged in the basement of Kanda Myojin shrine's culture centre.
After the final bow, the cast comes out to meet the audience and pose for photos.
The night in four lines
What you are watching
The show plays in the basement of the cultural centre on the grounds of Kanda Myojin, a Shinto shrine that says it was first built about 1,300 years ago. The shrine says Tokugawa Ieyasu had prayers for victory said here before the battle of Sekigahara in 1600.
The show's stories are published in chapters. One is built on Taira no Masakado, the rebel warrior enshrined at Kanda Myojin, and another follows the poet Ono no Komachi. Parts of the show can change without notice.
The production brings together samurai sword fighting, ninja action, traditional dance and live Japanese music. It has no dialogue to follow, so it works for guests who speak no Japanese.
Guests choose a dinner package, with a main course picked at booking, or a drinks package, then Front Row or Standard seating. Food and drink service ends before the lights go down.
Scene by scene
Six scenes, in the order the evening usually runs. Each one is part of the night, not a stage trick.
Stories and parts of the show can change without notice, so this is an outline of the evening, not a fixed running order.
You go to the basement of the Kanda Myojin cultural centre, on the shrine's grounds, and are shown to your seating area, Front Row or Standard.
The dinner package brings the main course you chose at booking. The drinks package brings your drink. A vegetarian main is among the choices.
Food and drink service ends before the performance begins, so place any extra order early. Then the lights go down.
The stage production follows, with samurai sword fighting, ninja action, traditional dance and live Japanese music, told without dialogue.
When the performance ends the cast bows, then comes out into the room to meet the audience and chat.
Commemorative photos with the performers follow. Cameras are not allowed during the show, so this is the moment for yours.
Shrine, print and street
These photographs show the shrine's carving, an Edo-period woodblock print of Masakado's legendary daughter, a Kanda festival, samurai armour and the streets near the show. None of them shows the performance itself.
Two ways to spend a samurai night
| Booking | What it covers | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Kanda Myojin samurai show · about 3 hours | Admission to a stage show in the basement of the Kanda Myojin cultural centre, with samurai sword fighting, ninja action, traditional dance and live music. Choose a dinner package, with a main course picked at booking, or a drinks package, then Front Row or Standard seating. Photos with the cast follow the show. You pay separately for transport, extra food and drink, and any tips. | Guests who want dinner, a story and a shrine setting in one evening. |
| Shinjuku samurai restaurant show | A neon light and sound spectacle with samurai and ninja performers, split into four parts with an intermission between each. Two drinks of your choice are included. Guests under 18 are not admitted, ID is required, and latecomers wait for an intermission to be seated. | Adults who want colour, noise and spectacle rather than a shrine setting. |
| Packages at the Kanda Myojin show | Dinner or drinks, then Front Row or Standard. Dinner brings a main course chosen at booking. Drinks bring one drink, with an all-you-can-drink upgrade on applicable plans. Standard seats still give a clear view of the full stage. | Choose dinner for a full evening in one stop, drinks if you have already eaten. |
| Booking terms | Either show can be cancelled without charge until a day beforehand, and either can be reserved now with payment later. | Travellers whose dates may still move. |
Two samurai evenings in Tokyo
This page is about the Kanda Myojin show. A louder, neon-lit samurai spectacle in Shinjuku sits beside it, for anyone who wants a different kind of night.
Admission to a stage show in the basement of the Kanda Myojin cultural centre, with samurai sword fighting, ninja action, traditional dance and live music. Choose a dinner package, with a main course picked at booking, or a drinks package, then Front Row or Standard seating. Photos with the cast follow the show. You pay separately for transport, extra food and drink, and any tips.
See this show's calendar ↗A neon light and sound spectacle with samurai and ninja performers, split into four parts with an intermission between each. Two drinks of your choice are included. Guests under 18 are not admitted, ID is required, and latecomers wait for an intermission to be seated.
See this show's calendar ↗More ways to spend a Tokyo evening
On the shrine grounds
Six things worth knowing about the room and the grounds before you arrive.
Before you go
Look at the calendar early and settle on a night. Every date lists its own start times, and the booking confirmation echoes your pick.
The grounds are about five minutes on foot from Ochanomizu, Shin-Ochanomizu or Suehirocho and about seven from Akihabara. There is no parking for the show.
Match the package to how you want to spend the evening, then pick Front Row or Standard. Tell the organiser about allergies in advance.
Cameras and recording gear are not allowed in the hall. Large luggage can go in the lockers or at the front desk.
Latecomers can still be seated, but may be asked to wait in the lobby, so arrive before the performance begins.
Cancel free up to 24 hours ahead on GetYourGuide. The show's own site applies different terms.
Guides to the evening
FAQ
Both are on offer. You choose a dinner package, with a main course picked at booking, or a drinks package with one drink, then Front Row or Standard seating.
No. The production has no dialogue to follow and was built with international guests in mind. English-speaking staff are on duty.
On the basement floor of the Kanda Myojin Cultural Exchange Center, called EDOCCO, at 2-16-2 Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda, on the shrine's grounds. Ochanomizu Station is about five minutes away on foot.
Not during the performance. When the final bow is over the cast comes out to meet guests, and that is the moment for commemorative photos.
No. The production brings together samurai sword fighting, ninja action, traditional dance and live Japanese music, in stories drawn from legend.
Admission, reserved seating, your choice of package and the performance. Transport, extra food and drink, tips and personal expenses are not included.
You choose the seating area, Front Row or Standard, when you book. The venue assigns the exact seat on the day.
Yes. Cancel without charge up to 24 hours beforehand on GetYourGuide, where you booked. The show's own booking page has different terms.
Fares change with the date, the package and the seating area. The booking page adds up the total for your party, in the currency you pick, before any payment.