Immerse yourself in the way of the shadow warrior by staying the night in this 100-year-old building.
Japan is filled with all sorts of unique accommodation options, ranging from capsule hotels with kittens and bunks hidden away inside bookshelves, to whole islands that can be reserved for private stays.
Now there’s an AirBnB property to add to the list of rare and unusual places to spend the night in Japan, because this one is designed to resemble a ninja’s residence, complete with hidden doors and secret passageways.
Called Iga no Kura, or in English, Iga Storehouse, this humble wooden building was first built in 1918 and is located in Iga, Mie Prefecture.
Iga is famous throughout the country for being the birthplace of the Iga-ryu ninja, who mastered the art of ninjutsu, and this proud history lives on today at the city’s Ninja Museum and with the expert performances of local groups like Iga Ninja Raido.
▼ The Raido have inspected the residence and given it their shinobi tick of approval.
The old building has a mysterious air about it from the outside, and inside it’s been renovated to include secret doors and concealed hiding spaces.
▼ This corner alone has three hidden entry points–the wall, the cupboard, and under the stairs!
What makes the residence especially appealing is the fact that it isn’t just open to visitors–people can actually spend the night here too. There are two main rooms that guests can stay in, with the loft area accommodating up to two people.
▼ And the main room accommodating four people.
There’s also the option to reserve the whole place for you and your travelling companions, which means you can stay up all night exploring the hidden rooms like a true shadow warrior.
▼ Take a look at the video below to see all the hidden spaces guests can use for themselves!
▼ The owners even provide guests with ninja costumes to use during their stay, with children’s and adult’s sizes available.
▼ A peek into one of the secret passageways shows how quickly a ninja can travel from one floor to another in the shadows.
Adding to the ninja-esque scene is the fact that this is an old building where guests are asked to speak quietly and tread lightly to avoid making noise for other guests. On the ground floor, there are shared bathroom facilities, which are more modern than the house itself, along with a fridge and microwave, and a huge selection of over 1,000 manga for guests to read during their stay.
▼ The entire collection of hit series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (the same series that was stolen from a hot spring facility in Yamaguchi) is here as well.
Those after some more traditional reading will enjoy revising the “Kuji Kiri” hand symbols used by ninja to reduce stress and sharpen the mind.
The ninja residence is available for short and long-term stays, leaving open the possibility for aspiring ninja to live like a shinobi for extended periods of time. It won’t break the bank either, as stays start at 4,500 yen for one person without meals, with additional guests charged at 3,000 yen per person. The entire building can also be rented out at a cost of 23,000 yen per night, which, considering it accommodates up to six people, works out to be a very reasonable 3,800 yen each if you’re travelling with five other shadow warriors.
It’s a great way to experience the life of a ninja warrior firsthand, so if you’re interested in finding out more, be sure to visit the residence’s Airbnb site here. And for those wanting to travel back in time and enjoy living the life of a samurai instead, there’s a place in Japan where you can do that too.
Lodging Information
Iga no Kura / いがの蔵
Address: Mie-ken, Iga-shi, Uenokuwamachi 1429
三重県伊賀市上野桑町１４２９番地
Source: Airbnb/Iga no Kura via Iga no Kura via Net Lab
Images: Airbnb/Iga no Kura
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