TOKYO, Dec. 20, 2024 The Sumida-Ryogoku area of Tokyo, famous as the home of sumo, Japan's national sport, is home to many famous historical sites that give a glimpse into the country's history. In the Ryogoku area, you can experience being a ninja with a "Shinobi damashii (Words that express the spirit of the ninja)" theme at Ekoin Temple, a temple famous for being where sumo was held about 200 years ago.This tour allows you to learn the martial arts of the ninja, who were used for intelligence activities during the Edo period when samurai roamed about with swords.

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• Tell me the highlights of the tour

Ekoin is a Jodo sect temple that was founded about 360 years ago. The Great Meireki Fire that occurred in that year burned down over 60% of the city of Edo and claimed over 100,000 precious lives. Many of those who died were unidentified or had no relatives. To pray for the repose of these souls, the powerful people of the time built a Ten Thousand Manzuka (a mound for all the dead) at the current temple site and held a grand memorial service. The Nembutsudo Hall, which is the setting for this tour, was built at this time, marking the beginning of Ekoin. This is the origin of the philosophy of Ekoin as "a place that preaches the mercy of Buddha to all living things, regardless of whether they are related or unrelated, whether they are human or animal," which has been.

The tour is conducted by the Musashi clan (https://musashi.ninja/) , descendants of ninjas from the Edo period, and is a highlight of the experience at this authentic ancient temple.

The Musashi clan's ancestors were ninja from the Iga area. They served the Tokugawa family for 265 years, including under Tokugawa Ieyasu, the most powerful samurai of the Edo period, and performed intelligence missions such as guarding and secretly serving the Tokugawa family.

Genuine ninjutsu taught by a real ninja. The theme is "Shinobi damashii" and there are no intense ninjutsu moves that involve flying or rolling, so it's easy to participate.

The experience menu includes meditation and dance, ninja talk, explanation of ninja tools, walking technique, training in a grove, breathing techniques, photography, etc. The experience lasts for about 2 hours from 1:30 pm.

You can also look forward to the clan's dance performance, and after the experience, you will be able to take a commemorative photo. If you wish, you can also try tasting "Hyoryo-gan", which was a ninja's energy food. We hope you will join the tour and try it for yourself.

Book this tour from: https://www.mwt.co.jp/web-inbound/ryogoku-ninja/

Venue: 2-8-10 Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan (https://ekoin.or.jp/)

Meitetsu World Travel Inc. Shinjuku Branch (in Tokyo)

Email: koichi.ito@mwt.co.jp

TEL:＋81-3-3343-0631

Contact person: Koichi Ito（伊藤 浩一）