About NINJAYA
How far in advance should I book? Can I ride on the same day?（About NINJAYA）
[Gion] Rickshaw and walking tours can be booked online up to 30 minutes before departure. For anything closer to the hour, reach us by phone (070-5071-3132), WhatsApp, email (info@ninjaya.travel) or Instagram DM, and we will check availability and arrange it on the spot. You may also come straight to a meeting point. (Custom itineraries and corporate events require advance booking and a quotation.) [Uji] Same as Gion: you can book online up to 30 minutes before departure (any closure that day shows in the availability).
Is tipping expected? Are there any additional charges?
No tipping is expected, and there are no charges beyond the price we quote you. If a gratuity is given, 100% of it goes to the rickshaw man who looked after you, held to that by our internal system. The company keeps none of it.
How can I pay, and what is the Diners Club benefit?
We accept credit cards (VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners) and the major electronic payment services. There is also a preferential programme for Diners Club members; please see the dedicated page.
When does a cancellation fee apply? What happens in bad weather?
Free of charge, refunded in full, up to 48 hours before you ride. Between 48 and 24 hours it is 50%, and within 24 hours or a no-show it is 100%. Refunds are processed automatically. If a typhoon stops the trains we will work with you, so please get in touch first.
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Rickshaw
What does a rickshaw in Kyoto usually cost?
A short ride starts in the low thousands of yen; a fully private tour runs into the tens of thousands. NINJAYA specialises in private tours averaging two hours, and you pay only the figure shown on our plans page. No tips, no extras.
How long should a rickshaw ride be?
We recommend an hour or more. If you only want to pass the sights and take a photograph, ten to thirty minutes is enough, and the short rides waiting on the street are the better fit for that. We stop at each one and tell the story of the place, which does not work under an hour. Our guests average about two hours.
How is NINJAYA different from other rickshaw companies?
Three things. Time: we stop at each site rather than running a loop. The vehicle: the ones at the Gion branch are built in our own workshop rather than mass-produced (Meiji-era form, Kinkazan seat, swordsmith-forged suspension). The rickshaws at the Uji branch are not built in-house. Training: a weekly session led by a first-grade Kyoto Kentei holder.
How many people fit in one rickshaw?
Two adults per rickshaw as a rule. Groups of three or more travel in several rickshaws together. Numbers vary when small children are involved, so please tell us when you book.
What happens if it rains?（Rickshaw）
The rickshaw has a waterproof hood, a waterproof foot cover and a lap blanket, so light rain does not stop us. We also change the route on wet days, heading for the covered lanes and roofed corridors first. If conditions make it unsafe we contact you first and either move the date or refund you in full.
Do I need to book, or can I turn up on the day?
Both branches take same-day bookings. You can book on the website up to 30 minutes before you ride. Both close on some days, and those show in the live availability.
Is it accessible for guests with limited mobility?
Yes. The wide seat is broader than the standard rickshaw and the hand-forged swordsmith suspension absorbs even fine vibration. We assist with boarding, carry or hold a wheelchair, and choose a route without steps. Please raise it when you book.
Can you look after a suitcase or a pushchair?
We carry them on the rickshaw while you ride. We cannot hold luggage after the ride or forward it to a hotel, so please use the lockers at the station or your accommodation for large cases. A pushchair travels folded.
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Walking Tours
How is this different from an ordinary walking tour?
Where the guide comes from. On an ordinary tour the route is fixed and whoever leads it is booked for the day. We train our guides in-house, taught by rickshaw men who have worked these streets, colleagues who have guided in countries around the world, and holders of the national interpreter-guide licence. Every one of them also sits a weekly session led by a first-grade Kyoto Kentei holder.
How far do we walk?
Morning tours run 120 minutes and night tours from 60. The distance is set around you, for older guests or families with children we keep it short and build in rests. Tell us when you book.
Rickshaw or walking?
If you want the places a vehicle cannot reach (up steps, down narrow approaches), walk. If you want to cover ground without tiring, or want many photographs, take the rickshaw. See the rickshaw page.
Can we book it privately?
Yes. A private morning walk is ¥50,000. With no other guests along, both the pace and the subject matter are set entirely around you.
What happens if it rains?（Walking Tours）
We carry umbrellas and light rain does not stop us. If conditions make walking unsafe we contact you first and either move the date or refund you in full.
How many people can join?
Group size is far more flexible than on the rickshaw. Families through to groups: company trips, training days, study visits. We adapt how we guide to the number, so please tell us when you book.
Is it available in English?
Yes. We employ colleagues who have guided in countries around the world and holders of the national interpreter-guide licence, and they are the ones who train our walking guides. Which languages we can cover varies by day, so tell us what you would like when you book.
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Anniversaries
Can you arrange a professional photographer, or a wedding shoot?
If you raise it when you book, we will help where we can. Arranging a photographer is charged separately. Some requests we cannot take, so we are not able to accept one on the day itself. Photography inside temple and shrine grounds is governed by each site, and some of them do not permit an outside photographer at all. Tell us once the date is set.
Can you help keep it a surprise?
Yes. That includes how the meeting point and time are passed on, and how we contact you so the surprise holds. Note it when you book, or call us.
Can you arrange flowers or a cake?
Sometimes. It depends on what is asked for. Tell us what you have in mind. If we cannot arrange it we will say so plainly and suggest what we can do instead.
What time of day photographs best?
Late afternoon, when the light comes in at an angle. The exact hour moves with the season, so tell us when you book and we will suggest the right time for that date.
What happens if it rains?（Anniversaries）
We carry a hood and rain gear, so light rain does not stop us. If conditions make it unsafe we contact you first and either move the date or refund you in full.
Is there anything to pay beyond the listed price?
No. No tips, no extras. Nothing about money comes up on the day.
Can we book on the day?
Both branches take same-day bookings. You can book on the website up to 30 minutes before you ride. Both close on some days, and those show in the live availability.
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Corporate & MICE
How large a group can you handle?
Each rickshaw carries two adults and we run several together. For events we have operated at venues holding thousands. Tell us the numbers and the venue and we will propose what is possible.
How is the quote presented?
After we understand the brief, you get a quote itemised by arrangement. We do not work in a way that produces unexplained additions on the day.
How far ahead should we ask?
It depends. Transfers alone can sometimes be arranged at short notice; private temple viewings and restaurant bookings need more room.
Can you host guests from overseas?
Yes. We have guides working in English and Portuguese, and we arrange interpreters for other languages as part of the package.
Can we be invoiced?
Yes, corporate clients can be invoiced. Please mention it when you enquire.
What is the difference between NINJAYA and KAGARIBI?
NINJAYA is the name on the experiences: rickshaws and walking tours. KAGARIBI is the name on taking the whole day off your hands. Both are operated by KAGARIBI Inc., and the same people guide you.
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Gion
What should I wear? Do you work with kimono rental shops?
Ordinary clothes are fine. You are also welcome in a kimono, and we can collect you from where you were dressed. Just tell us when you book.
I am near Kiyomizu-dera or Gion right now. Can I ride a rickshaw today?
Yes. We can set off right away from meeting points such as Nene-no-Michi and Kodai-ji, which avoid the crowds around Kiyomizu-dera and Sannenzaka. Online booking is open until 30 minutes before departure; after that, reach us by phone（075-708-6255） or Instagram DM and we will arrange it immediately.
How far in advance should I book? Can I ride on the same day?（Gion）
Online booking is open until 30 minutes before departure. For anything closer to the hour, reach us by phone（075-708-6255）, LINE or Instagram DM, and we will check availability and respond straight away.
Can you collect us from our hotel or a restaurant?
Yes, if it is a hotel or restaurant we work with. Otherwise, please come to one of our Gion boarding points (the NINJAYA garage, Yasaka Shrine, or Kodai-ji / Nene-no-michi) and we will start from there.
I would like to host guests from overseas. Can you guide in other languages?
Yes. We guide in English and other languages, and have accompanied a great many business guests and VIPs from overseas.
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Tailor-made days
How much does a tailor-made day cost?
The price is set by discussion. It changes with the experiences, the number of days and the number of guests, so we hear your budget first and build within it. A quotation follows once you have sent your enquiry. Come to us before anything is settled.
How far ahead should I ask for a tailor-made day?
Up to seven days before the day you want. Private temple viewings and maiko take time to arrange. Any day beyond that is open to you, and the calendar under Build a day from what you would like shows only the days that are free.
How many parties do you take a day?
One party a day, and no more, because your own driver stays with you for the whole of your stay. Days we have already taken cannot be pressed in the calendar.
What can a tailor-made day include?
Rickshaw with zazen at a temple that does not open to the public, zazen and calligraphy at such a temple, a private kaiseki dinner with a maiko, private time with a maiko, a bar to yourselves with a maiko, making ramen, and making sushi. Rickshaw and walking tours can sit inside it too. Tell us anything that is not on this list.
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