Edo Wonderland Nikko

"Family of four, 9yo & 17yo. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here, we spent a full day and still did not do everything we wanted to do.
Please make use of the free shuttle from Nikko JR station or paying shuttle from Kinugawa Onsen.
The staff spoke just enough English to help us, which was really nice! There are quite a few Westerners but it is not a tourist trap, from what I understood, there is a real pride towards historic and cultural accuracy of the park.

We did pay for four costumes; it did take some time to chose and get dressed but it was so worth it! I wouldn't wear the traditional shoes next time, though, there were super inconvenient for my western feet.
Your "modern" clothes and bags are being kept safely in the back, you get a little traditional bag where you can put your camera and money.

There was a rather big crowd that (week)day, several schools visited, but we never felt crowded and there were many corners from the park that were peaceful. By 3 pm, though, the park was totally empty and we enjoyed all of it with only a handful of visitors.
We were lucky to visit around Halloween and got to see the Yokai-Monster parade.

Food was ok, nothing exceptional, next time we might bring our own picnic.
There is so much to do and see; the ninja training is big fun though a bit short, the maze is very exciting, the ninja show very cool (all Japanese but it doesn't really matter). The Oiran parade was also fantastic.
Our teenage daughter took a LOT of instagram pictures, the scenery is really beautiful."

Ilse Déthune

"Spending 5 hours with my family felt like a dream, and time just flew by! It was an amazing experience for my kids to step back in time and see Edo Japan. Plus, it was heartwarming to see so many Japanese visitors, which made me feel confident that this isn’t just a tourist trap.

It took us time to decide to suite up in Samurai and Ninja, the price is consequential (¥200k for 4). But we are so happy we did it. Walking around the park wearing samurai and ninja skins was absolutely amazing. And so many people do it, we felt right back in time.

My girls absolutely loved the Ninja district! There’s even a haunted house in the theatre district. The market district has a variety of delicious Japanese food (don’t expect to find hotdogs or burgers there!). We managed to find a coffee shop to grab a drink.

The samurai district wasn’t quite our cup of tea, but my wife and I did try the samurai training, and it was a blast! Just a heads-up: it only takes 6 people at a time, and the training is every hour and a half. People usually start lining up about 15 minutes before it starts. So, please be on time!"

Olivier Schwarz

"What a truly special experience. The park was really well set out, with lots of rest rooms and seating, but we were lucky enough to go on a very quiet day. Actors that wander the streets are genuinely hilarious and so friendly, and stores, food, and stalls are great, the shows are all very entertaining, and museums are great too. While most signs are in both Japanese and English, none of the performances and shows will be, just a head's up. Definitely a great experience- set aside a whole day for it!"

Jessica Adams