Ninja Training in the Ninja Forest of Akame 48 Waterfalls in Mie Prefecture

After visiting the ninja city of Iga in Mie Prefecture to learn all about the shadow warriors that are ninja, I was dying to become a ninja myself. Luckily, I found the perfect place, Akame 48 Waterfalls in Nabari, just up the road from Iga. This beautiful scenic spot with its secluded moss-covered forests is the ideal place to experience ninja training in an area where real ninja used to train in secrecy.

Written by John Asano

-Table of Contents-

・Akame 48 Waterfalls

・Ninja Training Experience

・Lunch at the Visitor Center

・The Hiking Course

・Waterfalls and More Waterfalls

・Ninja Burgers and Farting Buns

・Wrap Up

・How to Get There

Akame 48 Waterfalls

Akame 48 Waterfalls is a collective name for a bunch of waterfalls in Akame Valley, which is part of Nabari City in Mie Prefecture. The forests in this area are regarded as being the birthplace of ninjas. The Iga-ryu ninja, who used this valley for training, enjoyed a large number of different natural environments to hone their skills. Visitors to Akame 48 Waterfalls can put on a ninja costume and experience some cool ninja activities for themselves.

About to start our ninja training in the forest

The name, Akame 48 (akame means red eye in Japanese) has an interesting story attached to it. According to legend, around 1,300 years ago, En no Gyoja, a holy man and founder of Japanese mountain asceticism was practicing asceticism in one of the waterfalls, when suddenly Fudo-Myo-o, the God of Fire appeared riding a red-eyed ox, and hence the name akame. In truth, there are not really forty-eight waterfalls, but the number signifies that there are a lot in the area.

The red-eyed ox brings good fortune to visitors

Ninja Training Experience

As I made my way to Akame 48 Waterfalls, I marveled at how beautiful the autumn colors were in the trees around us. We arrived a bit after 10 in the morning, which gave us just enough time to change into our ninja clothes in time for the 10:30 a.m. start. The 90-minute experience is available twice a day at 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.

There are a variety of colors from traditional black and fiery red to bright pink as well as different sizes including LL for someone as tall as me at 183 cm. The staff helped us get dressed and it was fun wearing tabi for the first time. This unique Japanese footwear provides a split between your big toe and the rest of your toes to promote balance and stability for natural movement. Vitally important for the ninja training that was about to begin.

Dressed for our ninja adventures

A village over the mountains from Akame 48 Waterfalls is famous for being the birthplace of Sandayu Momochi, the founder of the Iga-ryu school of ninjutsu. The rough terrain in this area was the perfect place to practice this martial art of stealth and trickery.

The ninja training deep in the forests of Nabari is a lot of fun with different activities to keep you active for the full 90 minutes. These include jumping walls, traversing ropes, walking along logs, and scaling castle walls.

Jumping over the high wall

Mastering yet another ninja skill

Perfect balance by the young ninja

We also got to try out some cool ninja weapons like the famous shuriken throwing stars and ninja blow dart guns.

Two different ninja throwing stars to try

Testing our shuriken skills at a target

This was the easiest activity to enjoy

The final activity takes place in a trick house, where we learned all about the art of hiding from the enemy. The tricks included a revolving wall which led to a secret escape passage to a concealed hole in the wall covered by a painting which took us upstairs to a hidden chamber.

Testing out the secret ninja trick wall

Last of all, we were guided to another room in the trick house, where we were told about the difference between samurai swords which are curved and ninja swords which are straight. The samurai sword was difficult to use in the tight constrained spaces of a house or feudal castle, but the ninja sword was perfect for thrusting or stabbing the enemy in this environment.

Once our ninja training was complete, our ninja master presented us with a parchment declaring that our secret ninja training had been fulfilled, making us certified Iga Akame Ninja. It was an experience that the whole family enjoyed.

Proudly presenting our ninja certification

The ninja training costs ¥3000 for adults which includes admission to the Akame 48 Waterfalls hiking area. You can rent the ninja costume for ¥1000 at the nearby Visitor Center.

Lunch at the Visitor Center

After we finished changing back into our regular clothes at the Visitor Center, the wonderful smell of spices drifted across the room. There is a small restaurant here that sells an amazing spice curry that is to die for. We enjoyed the delicious curry with the wonderful view of the fast-flowing river below and the amazing autumn colors in the trees.

Delicious curry at the Visitor Center

The curry was the perfect energy boost we needed for the next part of our day, exploring the beautiful waterfalls along the hiking trail of Akame 48 Waterfalls.

One of the beautiful waterfalls along the hiking trail

The Hiking Course

We started at the Japan Salamander Center at the entrance of the valley and did a small but strenuous 30-minute hike along the picturesque trails that were brightly colored by the tail-end of the fall foliage season. This short and easy course takes you to Nunobiki Falls about 1 km away. There is also a moderate course (3.3 km and 90 mins) and an advanced course (5 km and 170 mins). There is a ￥500 yen fee for adults and￥250 yen for children to enter the hiking course, but it is free for those who do the ninja training.