Explore the captivating world of Samurai Museum In Tokyo. Immerse yourself in the fascinating history, view authentic armor and weapons, and gain insight into the legendary warriors who shaped Japan‘s past.
Samurai Museum In Tokyo
Being a huge lover of Japanese history and samurai as a child, I knew I had to visit the Samurai Museum in Shinjuku last week when I was in Tokyo!
Because of its accessibility from most areas of the city, you can visit it in conjunction with other Shinjuku tourist destinations, such as Omoide Yokocho.
This travel guide will tell you all you need to know before you go, including how to get there!
Visiting The Samurai Museum
It is a lot of pleasure to explore the Samurai Museum.
This is essentially a two-story mini-museum filled with artifacts from the Samurai era, including helmets, armor sets, swords, and firearms.
Some of the things are really unusual, and they are all designated for the appropriate eras.
I didn’t feel taken advantage of or anything, but I did think the entrance fee (around $18 USD) was a little excessive for what you got.
To have more things to see, it would be great if they reduced the cost or somewhat expanded the museum. The displays and rooms are somewhat small, but that’s just part of daily living in Tokyo, I suppose!
Even so, I had a good time and would recommend it to anyone visiting the Shinjuku neighborhood. They offer a gift shop where you may get some authentic artifacts, but of course, those are highly expensive.
Tour & Activities
The museum offers a free daily English guided tour, and the personnel is incredibly friendly. Every 20 to 30 minutes, they conduct a group tour during which they walk you room by room and explain each exhibit.
Following the tour, you can have your picture taken donning a Samurai helmet, or if you’d like, you can dress up as a Samurai (see the photos below).
This was done by a buddy, and it seemed like fun! Here are a few of his photos. Since it’s free, the museum ticket gains some additional value.
On their official website, they list other unique events they host all day long, such as seminars on swordsmanship and calligraphy.
Hours of Operation
- 10:30 AM – 9:00 PM (last admission 8:30 PM)
- Open Every Day
Entrance Fees
- Adults: ¥1,900 (~$18 USD)
- Kids 4-12: ¥800
- Kids 3 & Under: Free
The price of the ticket includes a complimentary picture shoot and a sword performance; credit cards and cash are accepted. On their official website, you can see the hours for these and other events.
The museum permits the taking of photos, but not recordings.
How To Get To The Samurai Museum
The Tokyo neighborhood of Shinjuku is home to the museum.
You can go there by train in a number of ways, or—like I did—you can take an express bus from Haneda Airport (HND).
After checking my bags at Haneda, I boarded the express bus to Shinjuku, which is a short walk (five to ten minutes) from the museum. Even by Tokyo norms, it was quite handy!
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