Samurai Museum in Shinjuku Has Everything from Samurai Costumes & Katana to Fighting Performances!

ART
Mar. 21, 2016 20:00 PDT

Samurai were a part of Japan’s history for about 700 years from the end of the 12th century to the 19th century. They are also called “Bushi” (武士) and a lot of pictures remain of them running around on battlefields with a katana (sword) or yumi-ya (bow and arrows) in their hands, wearing kacchu (armour).

There are many fans of samurai both in and out of Japan, and the most interesting place to learn about them is the Samurai Museum in Shinjuku. Kumiko Funayama, Ai Matsumoto, and Hikari Shiina sneaked in to find out what’s inside the museum!

The exhibition and experience area is mainly on the second floor. There are myriad samurai items on display such as kacchu (traditional armour) worn by samurai in the Kamakura period, nihon-to (Japanese swords), a samurai’s standard weapon, and kabuto (helmets).

In addition to those attractive exhibits, the “Tate, Iai Show,” a fighting show using Japanese swords, is also very popular in the Samurai Museum. The trained actors’ postures and shouts are really overwhelming. The show is available on weekdays and is free with admission, so check the timetable and make sure to see it.

After they enjoyed the show, the three girls experienced what else the museum had to offer. Kumiko Funayama and Ai Matsumoto tried shodo, traditional Japanese calligraphy. Kumiko wrote the kanji “美” (bi, meaning beauty) and Ai wrote “愛” (ai, meaning love), which is also her name. Guests can get advice from the teacher throughout the experience.

Hikari Shiina tried wearing samurai armour of the Sengoku period. Guests can try simple armour and weapons such as yoroi (armour), kabuto, and katana and take photos for 500 yen, or you can don a full set of armour and have your picture professionally taken, but the price for this depends on which armour you wear. This is available only for three people a day, so check the website if you are interested.

If you are a samurai fan, you will absolutely enjoy Samurai Museum because you can watch the show, try on armour, and see all the exhibits. As Shinjuku, Tokyo is easy to visit, the Samurai Museum is the perfect addition to your sightseeing plans. Don’t miss the interesting samurai goods in the shop next to the entrance either!