Myouryuji (Ninja Temple)

They do accept walk ins and it seems there is a tour by the hour or so. I would suggest if you do not have a japanese phone line, just head over and plan to arrive a few minutes before the hour. The reservation is via an intercom which I guess goes with the theme of a ninja Temple. You aren't able to take pictures while inside. They do accept card payments though. They have a binder they hand out to foreign guest that is translated into English and perhaps other languages are available. You will split into a few groups with a guide leading each explaining the details of the temple and the well thought out design of some of architecture. The guide will tell you via numbers which section for you to flip to and read. Overall, if its the start of your day, id suggest taking a bus out and start your day here as you work to snake back towards omicho market.

I highly recommend the tour. It was so interesting to see the inside of the temple and all of the hidden features as well as learn about the time when it was built. The tour was in Japanese but we were handed a thorough English guidebook and the guide let us know which to page to read when.

Completely awesome and totally worth it! 😆 The fact that it had nothing to do with ninjas doesn’t make the building any less fascinating or unique. I imagine it loses a bit if you have to rely on the foreign language guidebooks, if only because the tour moves rather fast, but they handle things well overall. I was also a bit worried that the staff might be brusque because they have so many tourists, but they were perfectly lovely to me both when I made my reservation and when I checked in.

We really enjoyed our visit to Myouryuji, often referred to as the “Ninja Temple,” and it ended up being one of the more memorable experiences of our time in Kanazawa. I went in with zero expectations and came away having learned a lot about local history, politics, and the incredible ingenuity that went into designing this place. Doing the guided tour makes a huge difference—you can genuinely imagine what may have happened in this house over the centuries, and how cleverly it was constructed for defense and deception. The temple is famous for its secret doors, hidden staircases, traps, and misleading layouts, all designed to protect its occupants during a very turbulent period in Japanese history. Seeing these features in person really brings that era to life. There are also rooms associated with seppuku, which adds a sobering and respectful layer to the experience and reinforces that this is not just a “fun attraction,” but an important historical and religious site. A word of caution for visitors: booking is required. We used the intercom at the entrance and were able to secure a spot with about a 20-minute wait, which worked out well. Be mindful that you are entering a temple and a place of worship. If you don’t speak Japanese, they provide an English information folder explaining each area, but there is no live translation during the tour. Phones are not allowed for translation or photos, which again reflects the respectful nature of the site. We visited with our 9- and 10-year-old kids, and with a clear briefing beforehand they behaved appropriately and got a lot out of it. Highly recommend this experience—part history lesson, part architectural marvel, and completely unique.

An amazing time. Very interesting tour with many hidden secrets. They offered an English tour book, and the guide instructed which pages to read depending on the feature. Very strict on no photos inside

Experienced this landmark as part of a cruise tour. A few things to know before you go. First, shoes are not allowed within the temple. They are to be left outside on a shoe rack. Second, backpacks and other large bags must be placed in front of your body. Third, no video or photos aside. Fourth, the temple is dimly lit in spots and has steep stairs that are the only means forward, so not the most handicap friendly. Fifth, toddler age children are not allowed in the temple. Finally, the tour is exclusively in Japanese. It is conducted by a volunteer on the temple grounds. Non Japanese speakers are given a guide book in English to follow along while walking through the temple. The experience starts with being seated until the guide is ready to take you. From there, you are given the 40min tour of the entire temple. What I appreciated most was the complexity of the architecture, from carefully crafted hidden entrances and traps to the foundation support and curved wooden beams allowing this landmark to survive for about 400 years of wind and snow. What did detract from the experience was the lack of a guided tour in another language. Not necessarily a fault of the temple, but it leaves you to your imagination that would otherwise be provided by the guide's comments if you spoke Japanese

Absolutely loved this tour. You have to reserve - which we did by phone, a couple of days in advance. This was easy enough for me as the staff was able to speak a good level of English. I believe you can also just turn up and risk it too. The tour guide only have the tour in Japanese, but we were given a booklet in English with numbered pages for certain parts of the tour. The history of the temple is fascinating and we loved the secret traps and doors. The tour took around 40 mins and was well worth the 1200yen fee.

This temple was very interesting. It is a maze inside and there are many secret passages and traps meant to confuse the builder's enemies. The tour takes you around in small groups to see many of the secrets. There is a guide, but they speak almost no English. A book was given to the English speakers to follow along as our guide told us what numbers to turn to. Rooms were small, with some ceilings being barely taller than my 6'2" height. Similarly doorways were low and stairways were steep and narrow. You will have to sit on the floor while waiting or occasionally on the tour. You are not allowed to take any photographs inside the temple so pay attention. I highly recommend this very interesting tour. Get your hotel to call and help you make a reservation.