【Ninja Kingdom Ise】A Culture Theme Park Fun for Three Generations!

Experience the Splendor of Gardens and Flowers!

In April 2022, the world-renowned garden designer Kazuyuki Ishihara was invited to produce what has become the world’s premier Edo-style garden. This landscape, reminiscent of the Edo period when visiting blooming sites was a major pastime, spreads over a vast area as if you’ve stepped back in time.

Let me introduce some highlights from this garden:

The unique Japanese garden “Edo Hakkei” integrates eight elements: water, flowers, trees, mist, stones, moss, light, and shadows, over an expansive ten thousand square meters. Deliberate variations in elevation allow the garden to be enjoyed from multiple perspectives – adult and child alike. The garden’s design changes with the seasons, offering a thousand different scenic views.

The “Edo Garden,” inspired by the democratized culture of flowers that spread from shoguns to common folk four centuries ago, features a maternal home, a pond, and three waterfalls. Inside the maternal home, there are waterside and karesansui (dry landscape) gardens. Using maple, iris, and holly, which were typical in Edo gardens, it embodies the Japanese aesthetics of wabi-sabi, creating a subtly beautiful landscape.

The “Flower Garden” is designed to greet visitors with blooms 365 days a year, ensuring the sense of the seasons is always present.

The “Matsukaze Garden” with its landscape bonsai and flowing water creates a special space within the everyday, envisioning a memorable landscape.

The “Green Wind Garden” features a courtyard with vibrant moss inspired by the traditional wisdom of embracing courtyards during the humid rainy season. This green courtyard acts as a pathway for the breeze, offering a refreshing sensation typical of Japan’s moist climate.

The “Gen” garden by Kazuyuki Ishihara, first presented at the Chelsea Flower Show, draws inspiration from the springs of Aso in his native Kumamoto Prefecture. Contrasting with the flower-laden gardens of England, it uses no flowers, instead enjoying the shadows of pine trees on a white wall as wind patterns, and illustrating the cycle of nature through the ever-changing forms of water.

Within the Edo Garden, all the installations, referred to as “large bonsai,” make for perfect photo opportunities, ensuring that any picture taken will be stunningly photogenic. Take your time to explore each piece throughout the garden.

Experience the thrill of ninja activities!

The park offers a variety of activities where friends, couples, and families can all enjoy the spirit of being a ninja.

This time, we introduce activities that were renewed or newly opened in late April 2024.

At the “Shuriken Dojo,” anyone can easily enjoy the thrill of throwing shurikens and hitting targets. The “Sengoku Skill Testing Hall” enhances the traditional archery experience by allowing you to aim for high scores. The roaming puzzle attraction “AR Attraction ‘Yokai Mansion’ – The Seal of the Nine-Tails'” combines AR technology with folklore about spirits. The “Great Trampoline Mansion” offers fun activities like trampoline, bouldering, and rolling jumps.

Newly introduced this spring is the “Ninja Slider,” where you slide down approximately 18 meters of artificial turf from a height of three meters on a tubing slide.

Also, in early May, the “Shuriken Shooting! Ninja Fortress” game will be available, where players use shuriken-shaped laser devices to defeat enemies. In early June, the “Fūun! Ninja Great Battle – The Heroic Tale of an Up-and-Coming Ninja” game will also be renewed, allowing players to undertake various trainings and ninja missions using a dedicated tablet.

Be sure to check the official website for more details on these and other activities in the facility to prepare for your ninja adventure before you visit.

Explore Ise’s Culinary Delights and the Masterful Craftsmanship of Special Artifacts

Ise Shima has been known since ancient times as a land of beauty and as a provider of sacred offerings to Ise Grand Shrine and the Imperial family. Inspired by the spirit of “tokowaka,” or everlasting youth, our cuisine emphasizes ‘food safety’ by avoiding artificial seasonings and preservatives for health-conscious dining.

Enjoy not only Ise’s famous gourmet dishes like “Ise Udon” but also the exquisite “Kumano Free-Range Chicken Ramen,” characterized by its special chicken broth made luxuriously from Mie Prefecture’s branded Kumano chicken. At the “Battleship Feast,” you can taste a variety of seafood from Ise Shima all at once.

Also available are trending edible peel bananas and take-out menus perfect for a quick bite while strolling through the gardens.

After enjoying the activities and meals at “Ninja Kingdom Ise,” why not stop by the souvenir shop? Incredibly, all the bonsai and gardens produced by Mr. Ishihara within the park are available for purchase!

Of course, there are also ninja and warrior goods available! At “Rakuichi Rakuzo,” you can buy swords and shurikens, allowing you to enjoy the ambiance of ninjas and warriors even after returning home.

At the park’s largest souvenir shop, “Azuchi-jokamachi no Omise,” you can find famous Ise souvenirs and various other items, perfect for remembering your trip to Ise.

A must-see: The magical nighttime illumination of the reconstructed Azuchi Castle in “Night Kingdom”!

Presented by the creative company NAKED, INC., “Night Kingdom” is a new nocturnal experience featuring Japan’s first ultra-high brightness 50,000lm for a powerful 3D projection mapping! With five themes— “Seasons,” “Bonsai,” “Flowers,” “Starry Skies,” and “Azuchi Castle” — it’s a mesmerizing experience.

In the “Seasonal Gardens,” you can enjoy Japan’s unique seasonal transitions. “Spring – Koi Stream & Edo Eight Views” uses cherry blossom-themed lighting and karesansui to depict a stream, while “Summer – Firefly Dwelling & Edo Eight Views” imagines a classic Japanese landscape with morning glory motifs and gathering fireflies. “Autumn – Maple Path & Edo Eight Views” visualizes a mystical scene of falling leaves with lighting motifs of autumn leaves and ginkgo, and “Winter – Light Flower Field & Edo Eight Views” portrays a fantastical field of light flowers with snowflake motifs.

At the gate leading to Azuchi Castle, known as the “Gate of Guidance,” you can relive Oda Nobunaga’s journey to the Battle of Okehazama, a decisive victory on his path to unifying Japan. What awaits is the projection mapping of “The Revival of the Phantom Castle,” from the construction to the destruction of Azuchi Castle, which was lost to fire just six years after its completion. This narrative is brought to life with Japan’s first ultra-high brightness projection mapping.

Additionally, explore “Bonsai Place – Shadows and Light,” a space filled with numerous bonsai trees, and “Edo Garden,” which expresses the spirit of wabi-sabi, reflecting the culture of flowers that flourished 400 years ago in the Edo period. Don’t miss the “Hanami Yagura,” where flowers dance through the seasons, standing majestically within the park.

For event dates, please visit the official website.