Chibikko Kids Ninja Village チビッ子忍者村

Nestled in the forest at the foot of Mt. Togakushi, northwest of Nagano City, the Kids Ninja Village is a ninja theme park geared for kids and the young at heart. Come to live out your ninja fantasy.

The park is an easy bus ride from Nagano Station.

The number 70 or 71 bus bound for Togakushi will take you to the Togakushi-Chusha bus stop, about 65 minutes away. From there the ninja village is a 15-minute walk down the road.

Not to be confused with the Togakure Ninja Museum up the road, the Kids Ninja Village is a martial-arts loving kids' dream. Billing themselves as the “Home of Ninja,” kids can play at becoming shadow warriors with a host of hands-on activities. The village lets them don ninja outfits and slink their way through attractions like forested obstacle courses, climbing walls, and a blow dart range. There's a shadow warrior funhouse full of secret passages and trapdoors, and the park's climbing walls and shuriken throwing course are hugely popular.

The Ninja Village holds many events and performances throughout the season, including a ninja water walking performance, combat technique demonstrations, and a shuriken throwing contest.

On the way out, you or the kids may want a ninja headband or wristband as a souvenir. Or buy the whole uniform and, as the village says, “become a true international ninja.”