Ninja stage show in Kabukichō
About 80 minutes of taiko, kabuki-style sword fights, a hands-on ninja segment and a cast finale, largely without dialogue.
Kabuki, ninja and Kabukichō
A fusion show, not a kabuki play
Kabuki staging, not kabuki repertoire
The ticket description says the show is built with kabuki production techniques passed down since the Edo period. UNESCO describes classical kabuki as actors speaking in a monotone voice with traditional instruments. This show is largely non-verbal, so the borrowing is in staging, lighting and spectacle.
Where classical kabuki lives
Wikipedia calls the Kabuki-za in Ginza the principal theatre in Tokyo for traditional kabuki, with programmes that change monthly. A ninja stage show in Shinjuku is a separate kind of evening.
A district named for a theatre never built
Wikipedia says Kabukichō takes its name from late-1940s plans for a kabuki theatre that was cancelled for financial reasons while the name stayed. The venue is a short walk from the Godzilla Head, which Wikipedia calls a local landmark.
Why ninja wear black
Wikipedia says real ninja probably wore dark brown work clothes, and the historian Stephen Turnbull suggested that the black-clad ninja came from kabuki, whose stagehands, the kuroko, dress in black. On Turnbull's suggestion, the stage shaped how ninja are pictured.
Six scenes
How the 80 minutes unfold
The show's own site lists the night in four parts. Order and details can change, and your confirmation shows the start time.
- Doors
Reception and a number tag
Reception opens ahead of the show. On the GetYourGuide ticket, number tags are handed out in the order of reception, and staff guide you to your seat by number. A bar is open before the show, the show's site says.
- Overture
Wadaiko drums open the night
The show's site says the night begins with live taiko. Wikipedia dates archaeological evidence of taiko in Japan to the 6th century CE, with uses in war, festivals and court music.
- Swords
Tate and dance
Kabuki-style sword fights, which the show's site calls tate, and Japanese dance, with fast choreography.
- Ninja
A hands-on ninja segment
Guests take part, throwing shuriken and trying stage combat with the performers' guidance, as the show's site describes it.
- Finale
The whole cast, and a photo
The cast performs together at the finale, and guests get a keepsake photo with the boss ninja in kumadori makeup.
- Words
Almost none
The show is largely non-verbal, and English-speaking staff are on hand, the show's site says. The ticket description calls it non-verbal live entertainment.
Treat this as the programme the show currently shows and not as a promise. Anything on stage can be reworked between visits.
Venue, seats and entry
Where it is and how entry works
Points to settle before you choose a date.
- The venue
- WARP SHINJUKU, on the basement floor of a building at 1-21-1 Kabukichō, Shinjuku-ku, next to the Godzilla Head. The ticket description names the building Daini Tōa Kaikan.
- How seating works
- Seat reservations are not available on the GetYourGuide ticket. Reception hands out number tags in the order of arrival, and staff guide you to the seat that matches your number.
- Children
- Aged 0 to 6 enter free, with food and drink not included, and children under 16 must be with a parent or legal guardian. The show's own site charges the adult fare from age 7.
- What stays outside
- The not-allowed list includes food and drinks, weapons or sharp objects, pets other than assistance dogs, vaping, alcohol and drugs, and bare feet. Bring identification, because staff may verify your purchase.
- The sound
- Reviewers praise the taiko and some find it loud. One advises being prepared for a loud performance but says it is worth it.
- Access
- The GetYourGuide ticket is marked wheelchair accessible. The show's site says all seats are non-smoking and that there is no dress code.
Around Kabukichō
The district, the theatre and the props
The Kabukichō gate at night, the Kabuki-za in Ginza, the Godzilla Head, a shuriken, a print of kabuki actors and a Kabukichō street of signs. No picture here shows the performance or the room it is staged in.
Three Tokyo options side by side
Three ways to see Japanese performance in Tokyo
| Ticket | What you get | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Ninja stage show | This page's ticket: about 80 minutes of taiko, kabuki-style sword fights, a hands-on ninja segment and a cast finale, largely without dialogue. | Families and first-timers who want spectacle over story |
| Kabuki or bunraku programme | The second card: a short classical programme presented by the National Theatre. The art form varies by date and is named in the option title, with an English audio guide giving the main points. | Visitors who want classical performance in a short form |
| Samurai Ninja Museum tour | The third card: a one-hour guided visit with exhibits on samurai and ninja history, shuriken throwing and a chance to dress as a samurai, at a branch in Asakusa or Shinjuku. | Travellers who would rather do than watch |
Pick your Tokyo evening
Japanese performance in Tokyo
Card one is the stage show this page describes. Cards two and three suit visitors who want classical programmes or a hands-on museum visit instead.
Kabuki or bunraku programme
A short classical programme presented by the National Theatre. The art form varies by date and is named in the option title.
Samurai Ninja Museum tour
A one-hour guided visit with exhibits on samurai and ninja history, shuriken throwing and a chance to dress as a samurai.
Elsewhere in Tokyo
Before the day
Before the day
No seat to choose
The GetYourGuide ticket has no seat reservation. Reception hands out number tags in the order of arrival, and staff seat you by number, so arrive together if you want to sit together.
Check the calendar
Dates and start times are listed in the booking calendar and in your confirmation email. The show's site says doors open ahead of showtime and that shows may sell out, so book ahead rather than rely on walk-ups.
Carry ID
Staff may ask you to verify your purchase. Accepted ID includes a driver's licence, a passport, a My Number Card or a Certificate of Alien Registration.
Leave food and drink outside
Bringing food and drinks in is not allowed. The show's site says a bar is open before the show.
Think about the sound
Reviewers call the drumming powerful and some say it is too loud. Weigh that for young children and sound-sensitive guests.
If plans change
If your plans shift, the GetYourGuide ticket returns the whole fare for a cancellation made a full day ahead, and it lets you book without paying yet.
Background on kabuki, ninja and oiran
Six guides to the show and its world
- What it is, and what it isn't
Ninja kabuki show, explained
What the ninja kabuki show in Shinjuku is, and whether it counts as real kabuki: a largely non-verbal fusion show of taiko, sword fights and a ninja segment. Open the full guide → - Before you book
Ninja kabuki: tickets and entry
How entry works for the ninja kabuki show in Shinjuku: number-tag seating, children, ID, what you cannot bring, the sound level and getting to Kabukichō. Open the full guide → - The real thing
Kabuki for first-timers
What classical kabuki is, what the makeup, poses and stage devices mean, and how a first-timer can see it at Tokyo's Kabuki-za without a full-day commitment. Open the full guide → - Before the show
Ninja history versus myth
What historians and Wikipedia say about real ninja, the spies of Iga and Kōka, and which parts of the black-clad, shuriken-throwing image come from the stage. Open the full guide → - A third theme of the show
Who were the oiran?
Who the oiran of Edo-period Yoshiwara were: top-ranking courtesans and entertainers, how they differed from geisha, and why they appear on a Shinjuku stage. Open the full guide → - The neighbourhood
Kabukichō for visitors
Where Shinjuku's Kabukichō got its name from a kabuki theatre that was never built, what the area is like and how to walk it sensibly on the way to a show. Open the full guide →
FAQ
Questions people ask first
What is the ninja kabuki show?
A largely non-verbal stage show of about 80 minutes at WARP SHINJUKU in Kabukichō, produced by the Japan Ninja Council. It mixes taiko drumming, kabuki-style sword fights and dance, a hands-on ninja segment and a finale for the whole cast.
Is it real kabuki?
Not classical kabuki. It borrows kabuki production methods and staging, but it has no spoken text of a kabuki play. Classical kabuki is staged at theatres such as the Kabuki-za in Ginza.
Do I need to speak Japanese?
No. The show is largely non-verbal, and the show's own site says English-speaking staff are on hand.
Can I choose my seat?
No. On the GetYourGuide ticket, seat reservations are not available. Reception hands out number tags in the order of arrival, and staff guide you to your seat by number.
Are children allowed?
Yes. Children aged 0 to 6 enter free, with food and drink not included, and children under 16 must be with a parent or legal guardian.
Is it loud?
Reviewers say so. They praise the taiko drumming, and some find the volume high.
What is the rating?
Its GetYourGuide page averages 4.2 out of 5 across 509 reviews, with praise for the drumming, the effects and the staff.
Can I cancel?
Yes, on the GetYourGuide ticket. Cancel a full day beforehand and you are repaid in full, and you may also book now and pay afterwards.
Taiko, sword fights and a ninja segment, told without a word of dialogue.
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