Samurai Sword Class in Tokyo — Katana & Archery from a Samurai Descendant

"Honestly, I think this is the highlight of my dad and I’s trip! Yoshioki Sumida is amazing- a true master of the art and an incredibly friendly and helpful person. He taught us so much about the history of Samurai, techniques, and sword-types. He taught us the proper technique for cutting, sparring, and traditional Japanese horseback archery. He explained everything in detail and was happy to answer any questions that we had. It was such a fun, authentic, and informative experience- and you could tell that Master Sumida is very dedicated to the preservation of this beautiful technique. For anyone looking for something authentic, I would 100% recommend this!"

"It was a truly unique but very authentic experience. I went there by myself and the teacher was so welcoming and his wife too. You could see the passion that they both have for the Samurai traditions. It was one of my favorite experiences I‘ve had in Tokyo so far, I can only recommend!!"

"Can’t say enough great things about this class. It was incredibly fun, educational and immersive/engaging. This felt like a truly Japanese cultural experience in an amazing setting. Sensei and his colleague were both so engaging, friendly, knowledgeable and shared such interesting stories and experiences with us in a safe supportive environment. Our small group was so impressed with this activity that it easily eclipses any other activities we have done, by far. Overall - highly satisfied, very strongly recommend this activity. Would enthusiastically do it again. A+++"

"The course, the class, the activity was amazing! It was informative! Interactive! And very professional! We not only got to use and practice with swords. There was a lot to learn about tradition and history from the class and the instructor! My partner and I loved the class and highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to learn some history about samurai and Japan all the while getting to practice with sword and archery! 10/10 amazing time!"

"Super fun activity! Learnt a lot about samurai techniques and found out I’m a great shot during the archery lesson. I highly recommend checking them out for an authentic samurai experience, you will not be disappointed!"

"I had an amazing time. My wife bought this experience for me and it was the best part about my trip. Sumida sama is a very friendly and knowledgeable man. He taught about history and weaponry and does this in a interesting and fun way. The activities in the class are amazing as well. Something you should experience for yourself. Seeing him perform shows you his pride of being a real samurai descendant. Something he has obviously earned as a true master. I loved talking with him before the class and even after! Respect him and his dojo and be on time :) 10/10 experience. I will hopefully be back!"

"This was a fantastic experience that exceeded my expectations. Sumida Sensei not only learned us how to use the katana correctly. He, patiently showed me how to correctly hold the katana which imporved my technique immediately. He is strict on safety and made us understand with some examples what can happen if the rules are not followed. The Kyudo lesson and practice where great. I can only recommend these lessons to those who want to properly learn how to use a katana and learn the proper Kyudo technique!"

"My husband and I attended the activity together. This was by far one of our best excursions we've ever done - not just in Tokyo, but ever! It is off the beaten path and provided a real experience with samurai swords, sparring and archery. We learned the history and background of the martial arts and also had real, hands on practice. This is not some fake tourist "show". We spent at least three hours there partaking in expert instruction and trials. There were many opportunities for photos and videos to prove that we indeed succeeded in our training. It was intimate with three other participants, so five in total. As a past shotokan karate student, it was fantastic to get back in a real, working dojo. I was able to forget the world outside and immerse myself fully in the history and instruction and appreciate all of the experience. I am so glad we found this course. Our master Sumida and his very knowledgeable student and co-instrctor were top notch!"