When I was young, I had a deep fascination with samurai and Japanese history. So, when I passed through Tokyo last week, I knew I had to visit the Samurai Museum in Shinjuku!

It's easily accessible from most parts of the city, so you can combine your visit with other tourist attractions in Shinjuku, such as Yoyogikoen.

This travel guide will explain how to get there and everything you need to know before you go!

Update (2024): Unfortunately, since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted travel, the museum has been closed, but there's hope it will reopen soon.

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Accommodation in Tokyo

• K5 Hotel

• Kanzashi Hotel Asakusa

• Wanqi Hotel

• Gate Hotel

• Mitsui Garden Hotel

Visiting the Samurai Museum

The Samurai Museum is fascinating and worth exploring.

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Basically, it's a two-story mini-museum filled with helmets, armor, swords, firearms, and more items from the samurai era.

All of them are labeled with their respective time periods, and some items are unique.

Samurai armor displayed at the Samurai Museum in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

I think the ticket price (around $18) is a bit high, but I wouldn't say I felt cheated.

It would be great if they could lower the price or expand the museum to include more exhibits. The rooms and displays are relatively small, but hey, I guess that's just life in Tokyo!

I still enjoyed the visit, and if you're in the Shinjuku area, I think it's worth it. They have a gift shop selling authentic items, but naturally, those things are quite expensive.

Samurai swords displayed at the Samurai Museum in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Tours and Activities

The museum staff are very friendly, and there are free English-speaking tours available daily. It's a group tour that takes place every 20-30 minutes, and they'll guide you through each room, explaining all the exhibits.

After the tour, you can take photos wearing a samurai helmet, or even dress up in full samurai attire if you wish (see the photo below).

A friend did this, and it looked like a lot of fun! You can see some of his photos below. It's free, so it adds some extra value to the museum ticket.

According to their official website, they also offer other special activities throughout the day, such as calligraphy classes and swordsmanship lectures.

Tourists holding samurai swords at the Samurai Museum in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan / Tourists carrying samurai swords and helmets at the museum / Tourists with samurai swords and armor

Opening Hours

10:30 AM - 9:00 PM (last entry at 8:30 PM)
Open daily

Entry Fees

Adults: 1,900 yen (approx. $18)
Children aged 4-12: 800 yen
Children aged 3 and under: Free
Payment by credit card or cash is accepted. The ticket price includes free photo-taking and swordsmanship demonstrations. The opening times for these and other activities can be found on their official website.

Photography is allowed inside the museum, but videography is not permitted.

Samurai daggers displayed at the Samurai Museum in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

How to Get to the Samurai Museum

The museum is located in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

There are various railway options to get there, or you can even take an express bus from Haneda Airport (HND), which is what I did.

I left my luggage at Haneda Airport, took the express train to Shinjuku, and the museum was just a 5-10-minute walk from the station. By Tokyo standards, it's incredibly convenient!