Ninjas continue to capture the imagination of overseas visitors as one of the most badass aspects of Japanese history. There are certain prefectures of historical importance with deep links to the ninjas, but sadly they are a bit out of the way for the regular tourist. For those without time to make these ninja pilgrimages, there's some inner city experiences that you can take part in instead. If you’re visiting or live in Tokyo, put on your best all-black ensemble, because we’re about to get sneaky up in here.

Ninja Attractions in Tokyo

1. Ninja Trick House, Shinjuku

Uncover all the secrets of the Ninja Trick House as you explore, and learn ninjutsu skills as you go. Only 12 people can get stealthy per tour so it’s recommended to reserve online in advance.

2. Ninja Akasaka Restaurant, Akasaka

Part haute cuisine and part fantasy adventure, Ninja Akasaka is more of an experience than a meal. Once you duck under the curtain at the door, the theme is fully realised. All the interior, every prop is ninja-fied and no one breaks character even for a second. There’s a lot of campy, tongue-in-cheek fun too such as ‘ninja training’ and magic shows. It’s not a cheap meal, but it’s certainly an entertaining one.

3. Ninja Cafe Sinobazu, Akihabara

The concept of this cafe seems to be a mix of a maid cafe and a ninja cafe. It’s staffed by female ninjas in historically inaccurate sexy outfits. But don’t get any ideas, because these ladies aren’t there just to pander after customers. They conduct awesome ninja displays in which you can witness them putting their fists through tiles and showing their mastery of light-up nun chucks. You can get in on the action too by dressing as a ninja for a photo, or rent the disguise for the whole day to sneak around Akihabara.

4. Ninja Samurai Dojo, Asakusa

Do some hands on training to learn the ways of the legendary ninjas. Practice skills, meditation and martial arts techniques to really get into the spirit of things. You can even get training in ninja weaponry like the shuriken (throwing star) or blow darts. When you book a lesson, cool ninja gear rental is even included.