Ninja Experience Cafe Harajuku: Family-Friendly Fun

By now, you would have probably heard of an owl or dog cafe in Japan – but how about a Ninja Cafe? In case you didn’t know, there is a place called Ninja Experience Cafe Harujuku just a few steps from Takeshita Street in the bustling, brightly coloured area of Harajuku.

I love the chance to incorporate a truly interactive element to our Japan adventures – especially when it comes to keeping kids engaged and open to new experiences.  So I visited recently with my son, 9, and daughter, 11.

Harajuku usually brings to mind colourful food – my daughter and I can’t seem to walk past the rainbow cotton candy shop without a sneaky giant cotton candy (that’s fairy floss, for fellow Aussies reading along) on Takeshita St. However, many visitors to Japan forget that just on the other side of the station in Harajuku is the beautiful Meiji Shrine. This makes for a beautiful one-day itinerary that embraces the old and new Japan without walking very far at all. 

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Strongly consider adding this Ninja-themed activity (as part of a day in Harajuku) to your Japan trip plan, particularly if you have kids. Later in the article, I explain why and why I recommend adding this experience.

In the rest of this article, I would like to discuss in detail the Ninja Cafe in Harajuku and how my children enjoyed becoming little ninjas. I also want to use this opportunity to help families make the most of their time at the Ninja Cafe. 

Ninja Experience Cafe Harajuku Design

The cafe is underground – easily entered via a small alleyway just off Takeshita Street. The entrance feels a lot like a mini-theme park -and a Ninja theme park. 

The whole venue is one large room divided into a welcome / dining section and then 3-4 smaller roped-off sections for visitors to safely participate in ninja games. There is also a small gift shop shelf. The entire venue is on a windowless basement floor, which makes it feel like a nighttime Ninja scene – a bit like a small movie set.

As one would expect, the staff are dressed as ninjas and welcome visitors right away in Japanese and then are happy to switch to English at any point. 

We really enjoyed the attention to detail at the Ninja Cafe – even our soft drinks had little sword-shaped stirrers, and our menu (food and activity menus) was actually presented to us as a black scroll. 

Should you fall in love with any of the ninja-themed decor, I recommend checking out the gift shop area. Most items are for sale and make lovely souvenirs for kids or gifts for family back home.

Ninja Experiences

We chose the Ninja Experience Cafe menu option, which included a drink on arrival, a Ninja costume rental, and three Ninja activities. It was called the “Jiraiya course.” Our three Ninja Activities were  Ninja Blow Darts, Shuriken (Ninja Stars) Throwing, and Sword Training.

Other courses available at the Ninja Cafe Harajuku include: 

• The “Sasuke” Course – includes ninja training, costume rental, one dish from the food menu and one soft drink.
• The “Hanzo” Course – includes ninja training, one dish from the food menu and one soft drink.  *No costume rental included
• The “Kotaro” Course – includes ninja training and one soft drink.  *No costume rental or food included

Please note that:

(1) Reservations are required but only for those participating in the ninja course.  Others who do attend (as observers) will be asked to order at least one drink each.

(2) Ninja costumes are not just for kids – I highly recommend renting them for adults, too. It’s a great way to get a themed Japan holiday photo while you’re there, and kids get such a kick out of their parents and friends also fully immersing themselves in the experience.

As soon as we sat down, we were given our soft drinks (with our cool little sword stirrers), and our Ninja Sensei was kind enough to walk us through our program for the next hour. 

Next, it was time to get dressed. The Ninja Cafe has taken the time to create a “how to wear” guide (be careful to put left over right on the top, as the opposite way is reserved for wrapping the dead in Japan). All pieces of clothing are very easy to put on, and ties are easy to find. They also fit easily over most light pieces of clothing, so there is no need for anyone to actually get undressed. 

My kids (9 and 11 years of age) were excited once we dressed up but really got into it once we started the activities. Before the activities, we were taught how to bow and greet the teacher, too. That was cute and got the kids out of the “should I feel embarrassed to do this right now?” mood.

The teacher then took the time to teach us how to do all of the activities and gave us practice sessions. Then, we “battled” against one another (one by one) to see who got the higher score. 

All activities are fun and easy to take part in so children as young as toddlers could still have a great time. 

My two children enjoyed the blow darts and the ninja star throwing the most. They loved battling it out – thank goodness one of my kids won the first activity and the other the second.

Did it feel safe?

Yes, the activities are safe. The swords are not sharp. The Ninja Stars and Darts are, of course, sharp enough to stick in the corkboard-style wall, but all shots are taken in one direction in a sectioned-off area and one at a time, so there is no way any tools can ricochet in a different direction without hitting a wall or net.

The blowing section of the blowing dart is a little straw – so there is no need to worry about sharing spit or a mouthpiece with another person. 

The Harajuku Ninja Cafe Experience also offers a Japanese calligraphy class for those who are interested. It is an additional 1800 yen on top of the rest of the activity/course options. The calligraphy is then presented on wall hangings and makes for a fabulous take-home souvenir (it rolls up nice and tight in your suitcase, too).

Menu Items with a Ninja Twist

The food menu here changes often and is limited, so it is quite difficult to find a food and drink menu online. It’s important to remember that this venue is an experience that also serves a little bit of food – not the other way around.  　

A menu standard that doesn’t change is the Japanese curry dish called “the Ninja Curry,” where the rice is shaped like a Ninja Star. The food menu also offers a flaming chocolate fondant dessert. There is also a plain pasta and udon noodle dish.

The food options include a vegan meal (but that usually includes plain noodles.)

I personally don’t recommend eating here for a meal but it could be nice to have a quick nibble while having a drink. How about sipping on a “Ninja-Ale” (black Ginger Ale.) 

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Location of Ninja Cafe Harajuku

The Ninja Cafe Experience Harajuku is just three minutes from Harajuku Station and a four-minute walk from Metro Meiji Jingumae “Harajuku” Station. 

To get there, walk down Takeshita Street from either station and turn left when you reach 7-Eleven (there is also a pink-signed Crepe shop on the corner). You will then see the Ninja Cafe Experience entrance on the right-hand side just a few doors down.

Discover your Inner Ninja – My Reflections

The highlight of the Ninja Cafe Harajuku was definitely the interactive nature of the experience for my children. Having one-on-one time with a staff member allowed for questions and tips on how to improve our ninja skills. 

I recommend taking part in this experience on day 1 or 2 of a family trip to Japan. Why is great to do early on? I think it establishes the light-hearted and fun nature of a family trip. It is fun for family members to be silly and not take it too seriously. Everyone needs to put on their imaginary fun ninja hats on and make the most of the experience. 

Set aside a little over an hour from start to finish at the Ninja Cafe (more if you have a family or group of more than 3-4 people)

Practical Information and Tips for the Ninja Cafe

Here’s some more practical information and tips to make the most of Ninja Cafe Harajuku.

What to wear at the Harajuku Ninja Cafe

I recommend wearing comfortable clothing. If it is cold outside, a thinner layer on the inside makes it easier to place the costume on top.

Making a reservation at the Ninja Cafe

I wouldn’t attend without making a reservation (the space is small and so activities spots are limited.)  

You can book the Ninja Cafe directly via their website. If you choose additional activities such as calligraphy, you must pay for them on the day by card only – this cafe does not accept cash.

You can also book a ninja experience in Harajuku with Klook. The booking process is quick and easy but it is more expensive compared to booking directly.

When to visit the Ninja Experience Cafe Harajuku

We attended first thing in the morning and that worked perfectly for us as we were then able to go shopping in Takeshita Street and then continue on with our day. 

Other Ninja Cafe Experiences

In Tokyo, there are two Ninja Experience Cafes: Harajuku Ninja Cafe & Asakusa Ninja Cafe.

There are also other venues by the same brand in Kyoto and Osaka.

What other activities are within walking distance from the Ninja Experience Cafe Harajuku?

The MiPig Cafe, Shopping at the Alta Complex on Takeshita Street, Print Club Photo Studio, and the Totti Candy Factory for giant cotton candy are all less than a two minute walk from the Ninja Cafe Harajuku. Meiji Shrine is also five minutes walk away. 

Final Thoughts on the Ninja Experience Cafe in Harajuku

I strongly recommend adding this experience to your itinerary when travelling in Japan with children. It would be a fabulous experience with a large family and would be delightful to get grandparents as well as toddlers involved.

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