THE BEST experience you can do in Tokyo… and maybe in JAPAN!! - This was absolutely the best and richest experience I had during my trip. i enjoyed and LOVED every single second of the experience!! As Master Sumida says, this is not just a tourist trap. Through this experience, he taught us the basics of the arts that make up the figure of a samurai through REAL training that will definitely make you sweat a little, but it is absolutely worth it. He is not handing out souvenirs: he is passing down an art. Master Sumida guided us through well-structured, fun, and engaging training sessions, making us truly experience what it feels like to train like a samurai. He was always very clear in his explanations and, even though my English is not perfect, I was able to understand everything without any problems. He was also very funny and made the whole experience even more enjoyable with jokes and many interesting insights. If you are planning a trip to Japan, you ABSOLUTELY have to try this experience. It is 100% worth it!!

Best experience for beginners who want to learn real techniques - Easily the highlight of my trip to Japan, amazing class with experienced and kind instructors teaching real techniques. No flashy unrealistic gimmicks. If you want a genuine sword and how experience this is the best place to learn.

Best Excursion of my trip! - This was by far the highlight of my trip and we did a lot of cool things but this was hands down the best! It’s not just another tourist attraction but real samurai training and the Sensei is not only a decent of a samurai but an actual master in the art ( forgive me if I have the official title wrong as I do not remember but he is one of the top in his field ). In all honesty it felt like a deep honor to be able to learn from him. Im grateful he chooses to spend his time and wants to spend it sharing his art form and culture with tourists. By the end you’ll know how to do basic sword wielding and you get to actually cut things with your sword techniques! You’ll feel super cool! The archery is also amazing and not to be slept on as you get to use one of the huge traditional bows! The Sensei is so kind, patient and welcoming he makes it all feel approachable! If you only do one excursion make it this one you will not regret it!

True Samurai Experience - This experience was a special one. Since I was a child, the Samurai have fascinated me. Sumida Sensei showed us what part of being one was all about. There is a lot of movement and sword work in this experience, so be prepared and dress accordingly. They provide you with amazing Samurai Kimonos, so you can feel what the Samurai do. After learning sword work, we shot the horseback bow and arrow. It was incredible. Then, we returned to apt what we learned to do our cuts. It was thrilling, challenging, and educating, along with being my favorite experience of our 2 week long trip to Japan! Arigatougozaimasu, Sumida Sensei!

Arigato Gozaimasu - My husband and I took the samurai and archery class and it was sugoi!!! (If you don't know Japanese that means amazing). We got there early, and make sure that you do. In Japanese culture punctuality is very important and a great way to show respect. Both Mr. Sumida and his assistant were so kind and even if you don't know a lot of Japanese you will understand the class. We got there early and were able to watch Mr. Sumida warm up. His warmups were so impressive! Highly recommend going early so you can see this. My husband has studied martial arts and so this wasn't his first experience with the art of Bushido but it was my first experience. First we learned about the kimono. Mr. Sumida and his assistant helped us get dressed in the proper attire. Once we were dressed we were given blunt katanas (a real one is far too dangerous for beginners and tourists to learn with). He taught us the art of just taking the katana out of the scabbard. Then we learned how to slash the katana and if you do it correctly you can actually hear the sound of the sword slicing the air. Then we learned how to carefully and correctly put the katana back in the scabbard. He allowed us some time to take pictures since learned some basics. Then we put the katanas away and he gave us foam katanas and we got to practice sparring with each other in a rotation, so each student got to fight him. He tailored his sparring match to each student to really challenge them at their level which I appreciated since sparring wasn't my forte but it definitely was my husband's. For me he worked on my confidence because I was nervous and he encouraged me to come forward towards my opponent (him) and not to be afraid. For my husband, who was more confident than me, he didn't hold back and they really went at it with each other, which allowed my husband to have a sparring partner who created a fun and challenging fight. After we all fought we put the katanas down and we learned about the art of the bow and arrow. We sat on the floor and he explained the history of Bushido. He took his katana out and completely dismantled it to show us exactly how a katana is made, culturally why it was made, and why the materials used were selected and so important. I loved this part of the class because it's so important as a tourist to understand the culture and history of what we are partaking in to be able to represent it with the utmost respect. After we learned about the katana he showed us videos of Yabusame (archery on horseback). Mr. Sumida is known for Yabusame and being a master swordsman. The videos were amazing to see! We each got turns shooting a bow and arrow towards a target (the tips of the arrows were blunt for safety). At the end of this lesson he offered a challenge, if anyone could knock off a water bottle from the pedestal two times (with only three shots) you would win a handkerchief with his family crest and the name of his organization. I actually won this! While my forte wasn't the katana, I loved the bow and arrow. After this lesson we went back to the katana and this time we got to slice into foam as if the foam was an opponent. It was so cool to see the progression in just one class! My husband and I were both able to slice through the foam exactly on the line he hand drawn in the foam. When we all accomplished the lesson, he hand wrote out certificates for us with our names in kanji. We had a ceremony where he gifted us our certificates. This was such a special moment. Overall, we highly recommend this experience!! Whether you are new to the art of Bushido or an experienced martial artist this class has it all and is taught by Mr. Sumida, a decedent of an ancestral Samurai family from the Okayama prefecture, famous for its Japanese swords 'Katana'! Arigato gozaimasu!

Excellent English-speaking guide interpreter - What a wonderful experience for my daughter and me. We signed up for the “Samurai Experience – Art and Soul of the Sword,” and from the very beginning, everything was smooth and enjoyable thanks to our interpreter, Yosh a licensed English-speaking guide interpreter. We met Yosh at Kuramae Station, and he kindly guided us to the dojo. His English was excellent, and he translated all of Master Hogyoku Takeda’s instructions clearly, which helped us fully understand and appreciate the experience. Yosh was also very thoughtful in taking photos and videos of our actions, which made the experience even more memorable for us. At the end, he kindly escorted us back to the train station on our way home. Yosh was professional, helpful, and friendly throughout. We are very grateful for his support and highly recommend him to anyone wanting a smooth and meaningful samurai experience.

Solo traveler recommended - I travel solo all way from Los Angeles, California, and this was one of my favorite experiences of my entire trip. This is my first time traveling across the country alone, so I wasn't intimidated, but I felt so welcome, have lots of fun, and emerged in Japanese culture. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning more about Japanese weapons, archery, or just wanna try something new. I learned so much, it had so much fun, and what I love most of that it was not a tourist attraction.

A rewarding and... - A rewarding and comprehensive experience covering many different facets of the training and character of samurai! Sumida sensei is a very knowledgeable and patient teacher as well!

Fantastic time - I had a fantastic time. The teacher was both patient, attentive and extremely funny. He made the hours I spent there whiz by and actually made me curious about taking up the practice myself.

Best experience in Japan! - This was my favorite experience during my two-week trip to Japan. Learning about the history and culture of the samurai was fascinating, and actually getting the chance to practice using the sword made the experience even more memorable. It was an incredible, hands-on introduction to a truly iconic part of Japanese tradition. After the session, the owner even took the time to help me choose my own katana at the shop located below the dojo, which made the whole experience feel even more special.