Walk in the Footsteps of the Samurai

Samurai is a general term for warriors — mainly military soldiers — who existed from the 10th century through until the 19th century. These warriors served under commanders known as busho, and the Central Japan region is famous for having produced many notable military commanders.

Meet Ninja at a Ninja Village

Ninja collectively refers to fighters whose primary responsibility was to carry out intelligence-gathering and sabotage operations. In the Central Japan region, there are three major schools of secret ninja arts: Iga-ryu, Koka-ryu, and Togakure-ryu. There are various facilities scattered throughout each area where visitors can become a ninja through “Ninja Experiences” such as shuriken (throwing star) and archery training, as well as see live demonstrations of secret ninja arts close-up.

Travel back in time to Japan in the Middle Ages

The Central Japan region is home to three castles designated as national treasures: Matsumoto Castle, Inuyama Castle, and Hikone Castle. The original keeps of these castles remain intact, preserved for hundreds of years. You can experience Japan’s past, going back in time over 400 years, in their historical castle town streets, as well as along the major roads which connected the cities of Tokyo and Kyoto at that time.

Nakasendo

In the age of the Samurai, the Nakasendo acted as an important highway linking Edo and Kyoto. Take a trip from Matsumoto to a post town steeped in Japanese tradition.

Things to do