Myouryuji (Ninja Temple) in Toyama

My favorite thing on our trip to Kanazawa. Currently you can only book up to three days in advance. The staff spoke limited English but was able to reserve us smoothly over the phone. The tour was in Japanese but they handed out a binder of well organized information organized by the route available in half a dozen languages. Such fascinating hidden features in this very complicated temple. There are some rules you need to follow because the tours ran at a fast pace so no translations during the tour etc but we didn’t ever feel discriminated as foreigners like some other reviews suggested.

Fascinating history here. The English language guide provided is enough to get a lot out of visiting. The building is genuinely amazing.

Definitely worth the visit to this very unique temple with its secret rooms and hidden staircases. We found it easy to to get a tour reservation - just head to the intercom speaker next to the small shop and push the button to ask to be added to the next tour. While the tour is in Japanese, they provide a booklet that explains each of the stops along the tour in English. It costs ¥1,000 per person with payment in cash at the start of the tour. No shoes or photography allowed while inside.

No english but if you know japanese its well worth a visit. It feels just like a video game with trapfalls and hidden door

We barged in with out reservation but the team was able to accommodate us. The walk through is in Japanese but they hand over English catalog with pic and text that you can read. Worth it especially if you have young kids

Really disappointing experience. Went with friends (we are all foreigners who live in Japanand from the get go, they made it very difficult for us. They wouldnt allow us to reserve until a specific date when others had been able to reserve earlier, and the whole time, they made us feel like a hindrance, especially when we all have a reasonable level of Japanese. I think Kanazawa has many other more enjoyable places to offer, and although its a cool temple, the experience was a big let down.

Loved this temple. It is like being in a Manga with Ninja traps. Beware that the tour is only in Japanese. Leave your bags, shoes and hats at the entrance

The temple itself is interesting and worth a visit for the traps and tricks.However, it’s very unfortunate that the staff are unnecessarily rude to foreign tourists, separating them from the Japanese group and telling them (only the foreignersoff every time they speak during the tour, with a loud obnoxious ‘sshhhhhh!!!!’.This type of treatment decreases the value of the temple and makes the experience unpleasant.And when I tried to call in Japanese to make a reservation, they became extremely mean and rude upon hearing that I was coming with a foreign person (because they all for the nationalities). Ive rarely had such a bad experience like this in my life.Non-Japanese visitors, please go with caution.

Amazing place, but don’t neglect that bookings are mandatory (especially if you can’t understand Japanese and need an interpreter)Well worth visiting, and has nothing to do with ninjas!

Very disappointing: online reservations closed due to Corona somehow, on-site nobody at the office and when the ring button is pushed, the people have no clue about the tour. Reservations are mandatory but via phone online, and only in Japanese.

They are not welcoming to foreigners. They will focus on foreigners and turn a blind eye to others. Japanese speaking only. $10 per person for admission was not worth it. Not highly recommend, the place had some cool hidden features and interesting history, but hospitality was poor.

I’ve been in Japan for 4 years and on occasion I have encountered extremely rude and frankly racist individuals. Rarely has it angered me. But this place takes the cake. I went to the tourist information center to ask them to call for us, in case of language issues. The woman informed me , after calling, that I’d have to call myself and it was a number where someone would help me in English.I walked away and dialed. The woman answered in Japanese and rudely kept saying No English. I tried speaking to her in my limited Japanese. She insisted they will only give a tour in Japanese (even though the brochure says if you call, they can do English).She then proceeded to ask me if we were residents if Japan and I said yes, but my son had no card with him. She started yelling at me “ no card no entry”. Before that she told me my son could come but must remain completely silent. He’s 11 and very respectful in temples, I really didn’t need that.Finally I just hung up on her. Seriously, the only time I’ve hung up on anyone here in 4 years. Unbelievable. And the sad thing is my son was disappointed.

今はコロナの為、拝観休止中です。勝手に入ると出てこれなくなるのでツアーのみでしか中に入れないからくり満載の忍者寺です。This temple is also called as Ninja temple even though no Ninja was here. This temple was built in 1643, and this temples Buddhist priest was the counselor for the feudal lord. The temple was designed as a hideout in case of attack, or escape. This temple looks like a 2 floor house, but actually it has 4 floors inside. There are 23 rooms and 29 stairs, but many of them are hidden. You can also see trick doors and escape routes. That is why this temple is called Ninja temple. You can only see inside of the temple by tour only because you get lost if you go inside by yourself. Currently the temple is closed due to COVID, please check their web page. (The photos were taken before COVID.)

My group of four people arrived and tried to make a reservation. We were asked if we lived in Japan- yes. We were asked if we were Japanese residents- no. We were denied entrance due to not having a Japanese residency cards. Only residents of the country of Japan are allowed to visit this location. As we were standing there they slammed the doors in our faces and locked them. No where online or outside of their building (as of 1.5.2021does it say that you must be a resident of Japan to enter this facility.

Would give zero stars if we could. Tried calling numbers on advertisement to book reservations but the number is for a car rental agency. Arrived and rang bell several times to attempt to make reservations, no one came. Other tourists show up, ring bell and get waited on right away. Ring again and they answer to only turn us away quickly. We understood we couldn’t do tour at the time because we had a young child with us, we only wanted to make reservations.Be aware, no English (even though it is clear staff understands Englishand no children if you are attempting to make reservations.

You have to book the tour ahead. If you havent, you can go to the bus station tourist information and ask them to book for you. We got there just before lunch and the kind receptionist help us get a 1pm tour. Pls note that the tour is all Japanese but theyll provide a translated manual. Youll also find that the temple has nothing to do with ninjas but its still a great experience nonetheless. I highly recommend it.

Interesting place, many hidden corridors. The only disadvantage you need to have reservation to enter. But you can do it there using the speaker and talking with someone inside. Around 10 persons at time can enter. For English speakers you will get few pages with photos in English to help you to understand what the guide is explaining.

Fascinating experience. A genuine ninja temple with hiding places, trap doors, and secret passage ways. You need to make a reservation and the tour is in Japanese only. However, the friendly guides give you an English (other languages available toobooklet so you can follow along. We were a quite large group of visitors, but they split us up in smaller groups so it never felt crowded and it was easy to see everything.

There is admission fee of 1000 Yen and you will need booking in advance. I think there is a tour every hour.Nothing to do with the original ninjas but the temple has many different traps and tricks to defend the VIP.The presentation is very good and surprising, highly recommended.

Somewhat bizarre experience. Small, not particularly beautiful temple constructed with all sorts of absurd "Get Smart" type security gimmicks. None have ever been used in practice. Its not clear why the temple was ever considered to be a target. The same paranoia which drove the temples design is now evident in its management. Getting in requires making a call from a telephone in the temple forecourt - a bit of an obstacle if you dont speak Japanese. There doesnt seem to be an option of talking face to face. You have to sign a contract before you go in. Some of the waivers are pretty standard, but some of the rules (no translating the Japanese-only tour commentary for friendsseem a bit on the manic side. Very cramped. In the end, an amusing experience but largely because the temple and its management are so weird. I can understand why some people come away angry.

Nice temple but you need make reservations before you can go inside to visit

Please pre-book the tour at hotel! Reminder that the tour is at in Japanese but they will provide relevant guidebook! The tour guide is extremely nice to foreign tourists and always make sure you are the same page with the others! In addition, this temple is marvellous, highly recommended!

Didn’t know what to expect from other reviews online but this place was a little gem. You are greeted in the main prayer room and then escorted around the very small temple and shown the hidden doors, trap floors and secret stairways used to guard against enemy intruders and to escape if needed. It is ingenious the methods used and that the structure is still standing after all the years. The tour is in Japanese but you can follow along with the English brochure provided. Tour took about 45 mins and was worth the 1000 yen entrance fee to see a different side to a temple.You must make a reservation at least the day before and we recommend the first tour of the day at 9 am. Would not recommend for people with mobility issues as you climb very narrow stairways with low ceilings.

A fascinating and beautiful little piece of history. Reservation needed. Best to book ahead of time but they had slots available for non reserved when we went. The tours are all in Japanese and youre not supposed to talk during the tour. Even if you have a Japanese speaker with you they wont be allowed to translate for you. However they do give you an English translation book for the whole thing and will tell you which page to follow during the tour.

This is one of the most interesting temples we visited in our trip. Really different and it makes your imagination fly and wish to see it when it was in use. You need to reserve before going, but it is totally worth doing it!

Inside of the Ninja Temple is beautiful. It is different from the other temples, definitely worth a visit. The cost of the ticket is 1000 yen. I am giving three stars because of the attitude of the receptionist. You have to make a reservation, if you do not make it through phone, you can make it on the site. The receptionist asks you 10 questions to which you have to give answers. If you ask her something she tells you she does not speak english and asks you whether you want to cancel your reservation.

Supeeeeerncool! At the begining I got to the place without knowing I needed a reservation! And apparently the only way to get one is though phone and the people speak mostly Japanese so it was a challenge to make the reservation although I speak a little bit of Japanese, but all the secrets behind this building are really magic. The tour is Japanese only, but they borrow you English, Spanish, Italian, etc, printed version for you to keep up

Probably my favorite temple of Japan! It’s so different from all the others and the ticket comes with the guided tour, where they explain all the tricks and hidden passages the temple has. If you can’t understand Japanese, they’ll give you a booklet at the entrance where it says in your language what the guide is explaining in Japanese (they’re very detailed- and then need to be returned. There are fans or air conditioning in most rooms.

While the guide is given completely in Japanese, foreigners are given a packet which explains each aspect of the temple. However, please note that reservations should be made in advance.

Very interesting temple and it was cool to see all the various traps and escape routes. We asked our hostel to phone up and reserve a place for us the day before. Downside was the fact that the English guidebook wasnt that detailed at all, and with just one or two sentences on each item, it definitely wasnt as comprehensive as the Japanese guides lengthy speeches. Although you could get the gist of each point of interest, I wouldnt have thought itd be that much effort to provide a better transcription. This would make the experience much better for all the non-Japanese speakers, who made up a significant part of the audience when I visited.

We arrived without booking a place and within 10 minutes of the tour starting. The staff were wonderfully accommodating us with a spot.The tour lasted for over an hour and the group split into about 4 smaller groups of tourists each with in-house guide and viewing the rooms at different times. The building is full of ninja "traps" and secret rooms all intended to trick, disable and defeat enemy attackers.A great experience... what would have made it even better would have been a guide that spoke English (the guides did speak Chinese, and Chinese made up the bulk of the tourists - so it made sense)... English speakers were given handy and informative handout with explanations and photos.Top marks!

Very interesting. You need to book in advanced or book once you are there.

Make sure to call in advance to reserve. We actually asked our reception to call on the same day and we got two places in the next hour. Maybe not risk it if possible and call earlier as this place should not be missed! It was an amazing experience. The temple has hidden passages, staircases and hideouts where samurai warriors used to lurk in case an enemy attacked. It is like taken out of a dark fairytale! The building itself has a unique structure and feels like a maze. The crowd gathers in the main entrance hall (we were about 50 peopleand then broken into smaller groups of about ten. The guided tour is in Japanese but you are given English booklets to follow all the descriptions. Highly recommended!

The ninja temple lives up to its name with lots of hidden rooms and trap doors etc. You should register for a tour beforehand to guarantee entry (they run every 30 minsas ours was very busy. The tour itself is conducted in Japanese but they have an information booklet in English that explains everything as you go around. Well recommended.

Awesome tour and English guide book!Excellent tour well worth seeing, make sure you call in advance and book. English guide book where you can easily follow along. Very interesting information and easy to follow and understand with the demonstrations and English guide book.Friendly and helpful staff. Lockers outside for valuables. No photos inside or during the tour. Leave large bags in the baggage room.Will definitely bring visitors here, very fun!

Temple was an amazing experience! Please do not let the lack of English tour guides put you off. The English written pamphlet/guide was more than adequate to enjoy the experience and give insight to all the features of the temple. Staff were all super helpful and friendly. Make sure you book as it is a must see in Kanazawa.

A really nice temple! Not easy to find but the view along the way is nice. YOU HAVE TO RESERVE AHEAD OF YOUR VISIT. Thats trully the only bad thing there is. Apart to that, its a really great experience and really educational. In my opinion, its more fit to adults and less for little kids. Enjoy!

After a slightly cold reception, we managed to book onto a tour. Its an enjoyable tour, seeing special floorboards that when removed reveal secret passages and the like. The tour is in Japanese. We were provided with laminated pages explaining each room. You cant wonder off on your own, which is reasonable considering the building, but perhaps a little frustrating as you stand there whilst the guide chats away long after youve finished reading the one paragraph description that youre provided with.

Great experience! As close as you can get in real life to the cartoonish Western idea of ninja :(even though really there were samurai in there)Visits are every hour, may need to book. Its in Japanese but you are given an English booklet with the things the guide will say, so its easy to follow. Recommended!

I read through reviews before coming so:Our hotel staff helped us secure reservations first off. And it definitely seemed necessary, as there were lots of people.I never encountered any rude staff. Our guide was very friendly and tried to use some English here and there although it wasnt necessary for our group. The booklet they give is pretty much on for translation. Others mention the guides have some humor/are fun, and you do miss out on this if you dont know any Japanese at all but it isnt necessary and your understanding and enjoyment of the tour wont be any less overall.That said, this place is a well-oiled machine churning out the tourist groups. But as you make your way through the temple, it makes sense. The temple is quite small and it almost seems timed the way the groups will pass by each other perfectly as to not create a feeling of congestion or overcrowdedness. This is some high quality crowd control at its finest.As for the temple itself, its really neat. Theres nothing else quite like it. I think its worth the cost to see at least once.

I really enjoyed this temple.There’s nothing to do with ninjas here. The building has been constructed with many tricks and traps in order to protect the Maeda Family when they were visiting the temple.The tour touches on most of the main areas but there are many parts that are not accessible to the general public.The tea room is very nice. The seppuku room is a bit grim... Absolutely five stars.

Loved this special place. So much respectful history here.Doesnt matter if you cant speak or understand Japanese.Youre not permitted to take photos inside the temple, which is understandable.Definitely recommend going here. Allow an hour for the tour and you can book.

To see the temple you have to make a reservation by phone in advance of minimum 30 minutes. Sometimes there are difficulties to reach the reservation office by phone, because the number is not responding or nobody speaks decent English. Neither the lady in the temple, nor the guide speaks English. Foreign tourists get tiny booklet with some facts about the temple. Entrance fee ¥1000 for about half hour trip.

It is necessary book in advance for the tour inside the temple (1000yen). We booked one day in advance and we red it was possible to do it only by phone (in japaneseso, we asked the girl at the information center inside the train station to do it for us. You have to tell your name and nationality and the time you want to start the tour.The temple inside is worth the visit because there are a lot of tricks and traps the guide will show you.

Actually the other reviews say it all. It’s funny to see, especially if you are with kids. The rules are not that strict and the does try to accommodate none-Japanese guests.Take it as an experience on how Japanese run the tours and not how it’s done elsewhere - and you will enjoy the ahs and ohs of the participants, and of course the contraptions of the temple aka battle station.If you come early, you may slip into the next tour without a big wait.

The temple itself is amazing and really worth visiting but the guided visit wasnt very good. The guide wasnt very friendly and seemed to be reciting a script she had memorized without any real passion. She would rush us from room to room and be very bossy about where we needed to stand. I felt like we were being treated like annoying school children at times. The guide was in Japanese but they had a book with the explanations in English.

This place is unique, but its hidden and need reservation to enter the building. These kinds of shrine actually a lot in Japan. Not so special for me. The place is clean and have toilet inside. So far, 4 out of 5 stars.

Great experience in Kanazawa!!The tour (even that only in Japanesegets you in the atmosphere of the special temple.Price got raised to 1000¥ p.p.

Great tour. The tour is conducted in Japanese, however they have translation books for you to use while on tour. The temple is amazing.

Great place to spend about an hour. The tours are not offered in English, but there is a booklet/binder with English explanations. The temple is great to see all the nooks and crannies. Making reservations was strange since theres technically no check in counter or ticket area, but theres an intercom across from the gift shop left of the shoe area where you can make reservations. Go here!