Nijo Jinya
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The area

Address
Neighborhood: City Center
No district of Kyoto is quite as representative of its blended nature as the City Center. By day, the covered shopping arcades along Kawaramachi and Shijo Street bring deal hunters and fashionistas out in droves to peruse the clothing, accessories, gifts, and home goods offerings. When it grows dark, the City Center is a hip spot for nightlife, alive with bars and clubs. A trendy culinary scene and an abundance of local watering holes give the Center its youthful vibrancy. In contrast, the quieter areas of the City Center seem a world away, shielded from noise by the foliage of the public gardens and zen spaces surrounding the area's shrines, castles, and the Imperial Palace. These ancient and sacred spots are seamlessly folded into the scenery, providing a respite from the energy of the city, but close enough to put you directly back onto the pulse of the city when you're ready.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


3.5
3.5 of 5 bubbles34 reviews
Excellent
11
Very good
11
Average
6
Poor
4
Terrible
2

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Brooke B
26 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2017 • Couples
This is a remarkable building and worth combining into a visit of Nijo Castle if you are interested in the history of the samurai and the remarkable history around the end of the samurai rule. The house, which is lived in by the Ogawa family still today, was built in the 1600s but sections burned down and have since been rebuilt on the 1700s. It was used as an inn for samurai visiting Nijo Castle and features remarkable hidden stair cases from which a samurai could escape enemies; trap doors and hidden cupboards within which samurai could hide. The volunteer guide does four tours each day but all are in Japanese so you must bring an English guide to help you experience the house at its best. You must book, as well. We found a volunteer called Yuko, who was fabulous, via the Nijo Jinya website and simply emailed to negotiate a time and place. We paid ¥1000 to cover her transport costs. It was ¥1000 for entry per person. This home is quite a unique insight into how people lived at the time and even features one of Japan's very first bathrooms, built some time in the late 1800s. There are lockers available to stash backpacks if needed.
Written June 2, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

solosol
London, UK40 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2014 • Couples
My wife and I visited this house on the recommendation that it's quite unique and a great way to see a traditional Japanese home. It was really interesting to hear the stories and see the security / defensive measures. But don't be fooled, this isn't a 'ninja home', laced with booby traps and the like. It was an inn, that catered for samurai trying out for the Shogun. The defensive measures are escape routes, and hatches.
We really enjoyed the tour, and it was a great chance to see how Japanese of old lived. It was fun hearing about all the hidden doors and things, and the intricacies of the architecture.
One thing that we found rather lacking though. Was the lack of an English speaking guide. You have to source your own, which isn't exactly difficult given the wonderful generosity of the volunteers you can call on from the university and other clubs. But having a few English tours a week would really benefit this site.
Cost is about 500Y each, and 1000Y for your translator.
Written June 19, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mat_asri
Klang, Malaysia2,233 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2015 • Family
it is an inn that has been around for a long time. There was no one there when we arrive so we cant see the inside. The exterior look like any Japanese house.
Written January 4, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hiroko_Italia
Tokyo, Japan444 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
What is a hidden staircase? I made a reservation without thinking much about it, but there was a lot to see, the spaciousness of the interior that you can't imagine from the entrance, and the explanation of the structure was interesting and it was a lot of fun. It is still used as a residence, and I really admire the pride of the Kyoto people in cherishing their culture.
Google
Written December 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kamomenokomasan
Kyoto, Japan1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2013 • Couples
I visited Nijo-Jinya 4 or 5 years ago. Just as 在日宇宙人 wrote, the owner and guide here were intolerable xenophobia.

I visited here with my Italian girlfriend. While that old guide was showing around the house, he kept cursing about foreigners, like :

"Samurai once tested the sharpness of his new Katana on Keto(毛唐:discriminatory term against Gaijin)",

"Keto messes around here and I personally think they must be excluded from Japan",

"(making me and my girlfriend sit on a certain place on tatami) Look up and can you see that secret window? Ninja observed the visitors from there and used blowgun whenever the visitors did anything strange, so those guys(us) might have been killed in the past",

etc...

I couldn't take it and quarreled with that guide.

I was born in Kyoto and raised in Kyoto, but I can say this is the worst place in Kyoto for foreigners. If you are not Japanese, I strongly recommend you to stay away from this house of xenophobia.
Written September 12, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Joanne S
Brisbane, Australia123 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We only stayed in Kyoto one night during cherry blossom season 2008. Found it difficult to really enjoy the places we visited due to the impossible crowds and congested public transport system. Though the exception would be Nijo Jinya, which was the highlight of our short stay.
So many things to enjoy especially the small group of 20 people and the peacefull environment. As the tour was only in Japenese we organized a guide which was easily done. Either google 'tour guide Kyoto' for a list of tour guide groups or enquire at Kyoto railway station Tourist Information centre. You need to book over the phone which the guide group can do for you. We booked 2 weeks before our arrival.
The large home and gardens have been in the same family for over 500 years and the descendents reside in the house. It was converted into a Inn so Damiyo could stay whilst visiting the Imperial Palace or Nijo Castle.
The hour long tour takes you through approx. 8 of the un-lived in rooms. The guide explains each rooms purpose pointing out the security measures like hidden staircases, escape hatches and the hidden, soundproof guard post. They also gave explanations of the tea ceremony room, Noh drama stage, nightingale floors and preventing fire damage which was all very interesting. They didn't seem to mind our guide explaining what had been said in English and were happy to answer questions through the guide. We took our 4 teenage children who enjoyed it very much though be aware they don't accept children under 16.
No photographs can be taken inside though they do sell black and white postcards. It's not far from Nijo Castle just a couple of blocks Sth-west. It's also marked on many tourists maps of Kyoto so not too hard to find.
Written May 12, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

_sueandnick16
Brisbane, Australia2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2016 • Solo
This was fascinating. I went about ten years ago and is still a favourite memory. This is not a commercial operation. The tour was not expensive and was conducted in Japanese by one of the family who still live in this house. This is an honour in the privacy conscious Japanese society. You can't see anything from the outside and it looks like any Japanese house because in essence that's what it is. It's what's hidden inside that counts. I booked ahead and arranged a Japanese speaking guide - so the experience was all that I had hoped for.
Written February 7, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christine C
Hong Kong, China15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Couples
If you get temple fatigue in Kyoto, then Nijo Jinya is a good break! The grounds are beautiful, and the site has interesting history, including some cool ninja-related details. We spent about an hour and a half here. The visitor path is well-planned to the point of being a bit too fixed, there's little room to deviate but it does ensure orderly and thorough viewing of all the attractions.

We tried their new English audio guide which comes with a touch pamphlet, it seemed more manageable than the bulky box of the traditional audio guide. It worked fine but as the front desk warned, there is less information loaded (at this point) than in the traditional guide.
Written September 6, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LiFo
Athens32 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2014 • Friends
Nijo Jinya it is not the ninja hideout guidebooks describe... to describe it with a few words, it is a 17th to 18th century inn that hosted important persons travelling to Kyoto... yes, it has a few interesting things to see (basically how the inn keeper designed the house in order to protect his customers from attacks and provide them an escape route), but nothing so spectacular that worths the time investment... do it in your 2nd or 3rd visit to Kyoto
Written July 1, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

YTCHENG
Hong Kong, China15,392 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Couples
Nijo Jinya was a traditional house during samurai period and had been converted into an inn for residing and viewing by visitors. Nonetheless during our visit there by early April, we were a bit late on that day and the house was closed for viewing.
Written April 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Nijo Jinya - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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