Outdoor Activities in Tokyo – learn the way of the ninja

Black Tomato has honed a brand new experience which promises to get you under the skin of Japan’s most fascinating and mysterious ancient discipline: that of the Ninja. The history goes that a Ninja is a disgraced Samurai who was given the choice by his master to either commit Harakiri (to die with honor… don’t ask for the gory details), or become a rogue without a Lord.

A Master and his Dojo

We can arrange for the most incredible money-can’t-buy learning experience in which you will receive martial arts lessons with one of Japan’s most legendary sensei, famous for taking on 13 Yakuza at once and coming out on top (with only a couple of broken fingers). This master has a karate dojo in Tokyo’s ritziest neighborhoods, where Yoji Yamamoto and other legends also train.

A Lesson in zen

Just imagine the dinner party conversation when you get home. “The bruise? It’s from training with a real life Japanese Ninja”. Having said that, we like to mix the ying with the yang, so to learn a slightly gentler skill we will arrange for you to learn other budou (way of Samurai) arts, like calligraphy, origami and ikebana (flower arranging).

Tokyo, under the Skin

And with our help, you’ll get the inside track on the best that Tokyo has to offer. One of our all time favourite destinations, this city combines the thrilling vibe of the present with the beautiful traditions of the past. Aside from the blade-runner cityscapes, bright lights and bustling streets, Tokyo also has a wonderfully tranquil side – if you know where to look. We suggest glimpsing what is left of the floating world of old Japan  in the northeast of Tokyo, home to the old courtesans of Yoshiwara (or the “pleasure quarters”, as they’re known), exploring the magnificent Asukusa Kannon temple and the Sumo stables of the Ryogoku district.

Sensory Extravaganza

Ueno Park is home to some of the world’s top-class museums, dotted with scores of smaller independent galleries. If you fancy a cuppa, take a break in one of the Japanese tea rooms to experience a classic society lesson. From the futuristic heights of Odaiba and Roppongi Hills, to the bustling shopping and entertainment centres of Shibuya and Shinjuku, Tokyo surprises you at every turn. A beguiling clash of old and new, it is an intriguing, if baffling, world to the uninitiated. Head for the Land of the Rising Sun for a one-on-one lesson with a bona fide Ninja legend. This is without question a highly original, once in a lifetime Oriental escape.