Temple with a lot of hidden tricks up its sleeve. As this was used as a watch out tower, there are lots of traps and hidden spaces throughout the building. A guide will walk you through everything. Even though the guide will only speak Japanese during the tour, a folder with photos and English guidance will be provided which has all the information you need. 1200 Yen per person.
Advance reservation by phone is recommended but with a bit of luck you can reserve at the temple for one of the following groups.
Must do experience in Kanazawa.
The 'Ninja Temple' is an absolute must-see when visiting Kanazawa. It is necessary to reserve tickets in advance, but our hotel arranged this for us, so it was easy to get a tour, even on a weekend. The tour itself is only in Japanese, but the guides do speak some English and will give you a written guidebook that gives you a very good idea of what you are viewing. The tour is absolutely fascinating and full of history and lore. It's worth every yen of the entrance fee. No photos are allowed inside the temple, so it's hard to convey the quality of this tour but take my word that it is the best place we visited while we were in Kawazawa. Worth making a special effort to see.
Crazy procedure, but worth a try! You have to ring an intercom next to the shop for charms and answer a couple of questions. After that you get advice when the next tour starts.
Get off your shoes and wait to be seated, after you paid the entrance fee. 😉
No English guidance, but a book with English explanations and numbers to follow the tour. The guide announces the English numbers during the tour, so you can follow.
Tour takes 40 minutes and you’ll see all the details about the hidden traps, Harakiri room and secret doors of the temple.
You’re not allowed to take any photos inside.
One of the most interesting temples I have ever visited! In spite of the external look, that is quite average for a small size temple, the inside is what is really special about the place. Photos aren't allowed inside and the place can be visited only with a guided tour (there is one every 30 min). The tours are only in Japanese but a booklet in English, Spanish and probably other languages is available for foreigners. The temple is like a labyrinth full of secret passages and doors and traps. Absolutely recommended for an alternative and very interesting visit. As explained by the guide the temple doesn't really have anything to do with ninjas. Ninja temple is just a name that was given recently due to its mysteries and secrets insides.
Extraordinary, must-see !!!
In contrast to all other temples, the Ninja Temple is different!
In these times, only two stories buildings were allowed to be built. From outside, this is fulfilled. But inside there are 29 (!) staircases on seven levels resulting in four stories plus mid-stories.
Besides this, there are so many tricks implemented in this building to hide and escape and … further I do not disclose here.
Surely, worship is the focus on the building.
Suggestion: make a reservation in advance to ensure no waiting time. Otherwise you need to make an reservation locally via intercom and you may need to wait for the next available spot.
Only drawback: Tour guide only speaks Japanese. Mitigation: you will get a booklet with pictures and explanations, so you can follow the tour nicely.
