Ninja kabuki: tickets and entry

What the ticket is

The ticket on this site's booking buttons is called Tokyo: Ninja Kabuki Performance, sold on GetYourGuide by the activity provider LINKTIVITY Inc. It is a single performance ticket for the 80-minute show, marked wheelchair accessible. The show's own site also sells tickets directly, in yen, and says same-day walk-ins are possible but that advance booking is recommended because shows may sell out. Direct booking and booking through a platform differ in terms and currency, so read the terms of the route you choose before you pay. The ticket's included items are the performance ticket and the ninja segment, which it describes as a new segment that lets you experience the life of a ninja.

Dates and start times

The calendar lists open dates with their start times, and the confirmation email repeats them. Start times and show days can change with the season, so this guide does not list them. The show's own site says doors open ahead of showtime, and the ticket description says reception opens before each show and that you should check availability to see the starting times. Allow time for reception, because that is where your number tag is handed out. One reviewer arrived late and was still admitted for the last half of the show. Treat that as luck and not a rule, and arrive on time.

Number tags and seating

Nothing about the seating resembles a theatre with allocated seats. The ticket description says number tags are handed out in the order of reception and that staff then guide you to your seat by number. It adds that seat reservations are not available. In practice this means you cannot choose a seat when you book, and a party arriving together should reach reception together. The show's site does not describe seat categories or a seating plan, so do not rely on a view from any particular row. Should anyone in your party need step-free access, tell staff early: the venue is on a basement floor, and the ticket is marked wheelchair accessible.

• No seat choice on the GetYourGuide ticket.
• Tags are issued in the order guests arrive at reception.
• Staff guide you to the seat that matches your number.

Children and families

The ticket description lets children aged 0 to 6 in free, without food or drink, and requires anyone under 16 to come with a parent or legal guardian. Unaccompanied minors are on its not-allowed list. The show's own site words it as ages 7 and up paying the adult fare, with children 6 and under free. One reviewer describes a nine-year-old having a great time, and reviewers often describe the show as one families enjoy. The volume is the main thing to weigh for young ears. For a mixed-age group, check both age rules before you book, because the free-entry age stops at 6 on the GetYourGuide ticket and the show's site charges the adult fare from age 7.

What you cannot bring

The ticket's not-allowed list names food and drinks, weapons or sharp objects, pets with the exception of assistance dogs, vaping, alcohol and drugs, littering, fireworks and explosives, making noise or fire, nudity and bare feet. The show's own site says a bar is available before the show, so buy drinks there rather than carrying your own, and that all seats are non-smoking. If the staff judge that you are intoxicated on the day, entry or service may be refused. Leave anything on the not-allowed list at your hotel, because the staff will not admit it, and bring just the essentials.

Bring identification

The ticket description asks you to bring identification, because staff may need to verify your purchase details. The accepted forms it names are a driver's licence, a passport, a Basic Resident Registration Card with a photo or My Number Card, or a Certificate of Alien Registration. For most visitors the passport is the simple choice. Keep it with the booking confirmation on your phone, so that the name on the ticket and the name on the ID match when you reach reception. If you booked for a group or through a travel agent, check whose name is on the booking before the day. Keep the ID where you can reach it, because reception is your first stop on arrival.

Language

The show is largely non-verbal, so you do not need Japanese to follow it. The show's own site says English-speaking staff are on hand, and the ticket description describes non-verbal expression that crosses language barriers. If you have a question about entry on the day, reception is where to ask. The booking page itself can be switched to your language, and this site's pages are translated, but the performance has no subtitles or translated script to read. The format tells its story through movement, drumming and lighting, which is why language matters so little.

Getting to Kabukichō

The show's own site places WARP SHINJUKU next to the Godzilla Head, with walking times of 8 minutes from the East Exit of JR Shinjuku Station and 5 minutes from the main entrance of Seibu-Shinjuku Station. The ticket description gives the address as 1-21-1 Kabukichō, in the building it names Daini Tōa Kaikan. Wikipedia notes that some Kabukichō businesses add hidden fees, so walk straight to the venue with your confirmation and decline invitations from touts. Head for the East Exit if you arrive at JR Shinjuku Station, since that is the one the show's site names. Wikipedia says the life-size Godzilla head was added to the terrace of the Toho Shinjuku Building in 2015 and has become a local landmark.

The sound, and what to wear

Reviewers like the taiko, and several warn that the volume runs high. One advises being prepared for a loud performance but says it is worth it. If someone in your party is sensitive to loud sound, weigh that before you book. The show's site says there is no dress code, so come as you are. It also lists free Wi-Fi at the venue. The keepsake photo with the boss ninja in kumadori makeup is part of the finale, so you do not need a camera to get one. If you want your own photos or video during the show, ask staff first.

Cancelling and changing plans

Cancelling a full day ahead returns the whole fare on the GetYourGuide ticket, and you can also reserve a date without paying yet. Since a seat is never chosen in advance, moving to another date changes nothing about where you will sit. The show's own site sells directly, under terms of its own, so decide which route you are using and read that route's conditions before you pay. Whichever you pick, keep the confirmation email and a screenshot of it on your phone, and note the building as well as the venue, because the ticket gives the building name and the show's site gives the venue name.

Who this isn't for

Skip this ticket if you must pick a seat in advance, if you want a quiet evening, or if a very young child in your party dislikes loud noise. Classical kabuki is a different matter: which Wikipedia says is staged at the Kabuki-za in Ginza, the principal theatre in Tokyo for it. If your group is split across several bookings and wants to sit together, arrive together, since seating follows the order of the number tags. Anyone hoping for a plot to dissect afterwards should also look elsewhere, since movement carries the story and there is no dialogue. Travellers on a tight schedule should remember that the performance alone runs about 80 minutes, before any time for reception and the walk from the station, which crowds can stretch.