THE NINJAYA RICKSHAW

If you are taking a
rickshaw in Kyoto.

We stop in front of each place. You stay seated, and we tell you about it from where you are. The route is not fixed in advance, because ages, stamina and curiosity differ in every group.

Rides start at
60 minutes

Stopping and talking takes longer than an hour

Rickshaw makers
2

Of the handful left in all of Japan

Guide training
Weekly

Led by a first-grade Kyoto Kentei holder

Price
From ¥25,000 Per rickshaw, 60 minutes, up to two adults. The figure shown is all you pay — no tips, no extras
Duration
60 to 180 minutes Guests average about two hours. Dawn and night charters are also available
Where you board
Gion and Uji In Gion: The NINJAYA garage, Around Yasaka Shrine, Yasaka Pagoda and Yasaka Koshindo. In Uji: In front of the NINJAYA Uji branch
Booking
Up to 30 minutes ahead The same at both branches. Closing days show in the live availability

Same word.
Different product.

Line up the prices and it looks like the same thing. It is not: the use of time, the origin of the vehicle, and the way drivers are trained all differ. Here are the facts.

A typical rickshaw / NINJAYA
A typical rickshaw NINJAYA
Duration Usually 10–30 minutes Usually over an hour. Two on average
How it runs Rolls past the landmarks Stops at each one and tells it properly
Route A fixed loop Built around the guests in front of us that day
Vehicle A mass-produced model used nationwide Built in-house at the Gion branch, by craftsmen who also pull
Training — Weekly, led by a first-grade Kyoto Kentei holder
The seat Standardised and mass-produced. Tight for two A wide seat built for two, in Kinkazan cloth, on suspension forged by a swordsmith
Getting around Kyoto The rickshaw only, so not suited to longer distances Rickshaw, EV vehicle (GSM) and on foot, chosen for the route and for how far you want to walk

The comparison is with the common industry format, not with any particular company. No judgement of others is intended.

One place.
One story.

Ten minutes leaves you with scenery you passed. Two hours gets you to why that gate stands there, and why that stone is worn down in exactly that spot.

We stop in front of a place and tell you about it properly. Photographs are taken at the angle where the light is right, not in passing. The rickshaw absorbs the walking, so you spend your energy on the parts worth remembering.

The route is not fixed in advance. Ages, stamina and curiosity differ in every group, so we build it on the day.

That is why we ask you for this much time. Rides run over an hour, and two hours on average.

A NINJAYA driver stops the rickshaw in a Kyoto lane to explain the history of the site to guests

We build the rickshaws ourselves.

Most rickshaws in Japan come off the same production line. Ours are built by craftsmen, one of whom pulls a rickshaw himself, working with traditional artisans. Here is exactly why the ride feels different.

A rickshaw built in the NINJAYA workshop, with a Kinkazan fabric seat and swordsmith-forged suspension
Design
Carries the Meiji-era form

Built on the proportions of the era the rickshaw was born in, resolved for a modern eye.

Seat
Kinkazan fabric

The surface you actually sit on is Kinkazan, woven by the traditional dantsu method.

Suspension
Forged by a swordsmith

The part that absorbs the road is hand-forged by a swordsmith. Cobblestone vibration never reaches you.

Makers
Two rickshaw craftsmen on staff

Only a handful of people in Japan can build a rickshaw. Two of them work here.

Width
A wider seat than the standard

Designed for long rides and for guests who need support getting in and out.

Quality is not left
to individual effort.

If how interesting the tour is depends on who happens to pull it, it is not a product. NINJAYA runs a training session every week, led by a holder of the first-grade Kyoto Kentei. It covers not only historical accuracy but the order things are told in, and what to leave out.

The result: drivers who can take you into the thought behind a shrine in English or Portuguese, and drivers who pick wagashi and matcha the way a local would. Consistent whoever you get, and still different from one driver to the next.

A trained NINJAYA driver explaining the origins of a Kyoto shrine to guests

Humour. Anticipation. Good spirits.

Our rickshaw men are known as the Uji Macho, the men at the Gion branch included. Built for the work, and built to lift a room. They carry the company creed, humour, anticipation, good spirits, as their own.

Some days you want the history told quietly. Some days you want to laugh and take photographs. So you can request a driver by name, at no charge. The right one changes the whole day.

NINJAYA was started in order to guide outside the set route. Our rickshaw men attend a weekly study session led by a first-grade Kyoto Kentei holder.

A NINJAYA rickshaw man of the Uji Macho welcoming guests aboard

Prices

Every tour is private. One rickshaw carries up to two adults; parties of three or more travel in several rickshaws together. Figures below are per rickshaw, tax included.

Prices
Course Length Per rickshaw (2 guests)
Little Kyoto Gion and Kiyomizu-dera 60 min ¥25,000
Kiyomizu and Gion, selected Our most-booked course. Same price in Uji 100 min ¥40,000
Nanzen-ji and Keage, selected In Uji, the Tale of Genji route 130 min ¥50,000
Higashiyama in full When the day belongs to Higashiyama 180 min ¥70,000
Dawn charter Kyoto before the city moves 120 min ¥55,000
Night tour Gion after the lanterns come down 60 min ¥35,000

Three or four guests take two rickshaws, five or six take three, and the price scales with the number of rickshaws. Plan details and availability are on the plans page.

From booking to the day

Check availability and book in the same place. Payment is taken in advance.

  1. 01

    Check availability

    Dates and times are shown live on the plans page.

  2. 02

    Choose a course and party size, and pay

    Choosing the course and the number of guests fixes the number of rickshaws and the price. Payment is by card, in advance.

  3. 03

    Meet at the boarding point

    Your confirmation includes a map. In Gion: The NINJAYA garage, Around Yasaka Shrine, Yasaka Pagoda and Yasaka Koshindo. In Uji: In front of the NINJAYA Uji branch.

  4. 04

    Ride. Stop. Listen

    We stop at each site and tell it to you properly. Your driver takes the photographs at the angle where the light is right.

Decide where to board

Gion and Uji cover different ground and different routes. If you want the places only reachable on foot, there is a walking tour.

Gion branch

Kiyomizu-dera, Yasaka Shrine, Kennin-ji, Miyagawacho. Past the crowds and into the lanes. Same-day booking accepted.

See the Gion branch

Uji branch

From World Heritage Byodo-in to Kotozaka and Sawarabi-no-michi, following the Tale of Genji.

See the Uji branch

Walking tours

Temples and gardens no vehicle can reach, on foot. Dawn and night only.

See walking tours

Frequently asked

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?

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.

Start by looking at the open dates.

Availability for Gion and Uji is live. You can also reach us by phone or on Instagram.

See plans and availability
Kyoto autumn colours by rickshaw Walking tours For anniversaries About Gion About Uji Choose a driver