Kanazawa: Ninja Temple & Bamboo Brush Calligraphy Experience

Discover two fascinating sides of Kanazawa in one compact cultural experience: expressive bamboo-brush calligraphy and the mysterious architecture of Myoryuji, better known as the Ninja Temple.

Begin at Kanazawa Takefude no Sato Ikiru, a specialist shop in the historic Nomachi and Teramachi area.

Here, try Japanese calligraphy using a handmade bamboo brush.

Unlike a conventional calligraphy brush made with animal hair, a bamboo brush uses natural bamboo fibers at the tip. Its strong and flexible fibers create distinctive textures, bold lines, and natural variations with every stroke.

Learn about this unusual traditional tool before trying it yourself.

Choose a Japanese character or word, practice the movement of the brush, and experience how the bamboo fibers create expressive lines that are difficult to reproduce with an ordinary brush.

After the calligraphy experience, walk a short distance with your guide to Myoryuji Temple.

Myoryuji is widely known as Kanazawa’s “Ninja Temple,” although it was never actually home to ninjas.

The nickname comes from its ingenious defensive architecture, including hidden staircases, concealed spaces, trapdoors, confusing passages, and other mechanisms created during the samurai era.

Before entering, your English-speaking local guide will introduce the history of the temple, the Maeda clan, and the defensive role of the surrounding Teramachi temple district.

Your admission and advance reservation are arranged as part of the experience.

Inside Myoryuji, join the temple’s official guided visit. The official explanation is conducted in Japanese, so your Alva Japan guide will provide important historical context before the visit and help explain and recap what you experienced afterward.

After leaving the temple, discuss its unusual architecture and learn more about Kanazawa’s samurai-era history with your guide.

Combining a hands-on artistic experience with one of Kanazawa’s most unusual historic sites, this two-hour experience is ideal for travelers interested in Japanese craftsmanship, calligraphy, architecture, temples, and samurai history.