Hirosaki Ninja Yashiki (Kyū Souma-ke jūtaku) — Attraction in Hirosaki

We have been travelling around the Aomori area for 3 days having a wonderful time. After visiting the beautiful Hirosaki Castle, we thought we'd take our 8 year-old boy to the Ninja House. It was a huge waste of time, an absolute rip off in every way, and very disappointing. The owner had the gall to charge three adults and a child ¥3,500 for 20 minutes of pure cringe. He went on and on about a squeaky floor board, a closet with a ladder in it and an old mosquito net hanging on the wall that was supposedly a "place to hide" - and that was it. Even my 8 year-old wondered why it was so short and boring. The house itself is littered with junk complete with modems, routers and wires visible, and the bathroom door wide open with a clear shot to the toilet. Nothing like looking at a ninja toilet as part of the "experience". If I spoke fluent Japanese I would have demanded a refund. I'm certain the owner was either drunk or forgot to take his meds. Give this disaster a big miss and save your money for...

Interesting place. Despite of the language barrier, the owner of the place was very passionate and tried his very best to show us the details and stories of the house. I think the house is undergoing a bit of innovation now. To note that the house is not typically what a museum look like, it looks like a normal old house on the outside. I believe its run by an old man who is very passionate abt history and heritage conservation, the history behind the house is definitely quite unique. Give it a try if...

很有趣的主人、很有趣的屋子、很有趣的歷史。 依照約定時間到了忍者屋敷，主人佐藤光摩羅笑容滿面地接待我們，並自我介紹：「會說一點中文」，給人親切的感覺。 主人先拿出甲賀忍者常用的武器「手裏劍」，輕鬆地射進榻榻米，然後叫我們如法炮製，我竟然屢射不進，才瞭解使用它很難。 脫掉鞋子後，走上地板，主人帶我們從這一間房進入另一間房，轉來轉去，進了好多房間，相繼看到重重的機關：藏在衣櫃上方的夾層，我踩著板凳想爬進去，可惜空間太小，無法如願；會吱嘎作響的地板，忍者用腳尖行走，踩踏下去才會發聲，一般人用全足走路，沒事；低低的橫樑，使來襲忍者舉不起長刃，而砍不到己方；從小小洞口揭開地板，才發現下面有個深坑，外人不會知道它的存在；以為已是走道盡頭，左邊卻闢出一個狹窄空間，人們可以藏身其內避敵，我縮身入內，的確很隱密；一張黑色大網掛在牆上，作用如單面鏡，躲在網後，看得見外面的敵人，卻不被敵人看見，我進網後一試，真如主人所言；最有趣的機關，是「鳴叫的床板」，在門前鋪塊特響地板，敵人一站到上面，立刻鳴聲大作，門內人便知敵人已到。若敵人靠到門板，門便往內大開，敵人會瞬間向內摔倒而束手就擒。我仿照主人的示範，先站在特響的地板上，假裝偷聽，一個不小心靠上門板，霎時往裏一摔，被嚇得手腳發抖、大吼大叫，這一裝，惹得大家都笑了起來。 看了無數機關，也看了甚多歷史資料，有一幅美麗的花卉圖，卻是50年前生長在屋後山坡上的毒花，忍者用它們做藥，現在弘前已不見其蹤跡。此外，還有珍貴的明治二年弘前繪圖、平成28年忍者屋敷發現、弘前忍者屋敷徹底檢證、城下町通信、弘前藩災害的教訓一一日本最大十和田山噴火……，其中以昭和三十五年繪製的弘前局郵便區市內圖最特別，主人指出圖內一處沒註明的白色區塊，說是他們的屋敷，好神秘。 屋內也有不少古董傢俱一一茶壺、木櫃、燭臺、長鏡、暖壺、搗藥器，別處難得一見。 最後，回到屋敷火爐前的沙發上坐下，主人說有問題儘管問，在一問一答中，又增加了幾項知識：忍者的衣服是紫色，不是一般人認為的黑色；這裏是甲賀忍者的情報交換所，不是忍者一族的住所；牆邊的道具槍是表演用的，他隨即表演了一齣「空手擋槍」功夫，真厲害。 在這建於江戶時代後期，目今日本唯一甲賀流忍者宅邸內參觀了一小時，借著主人的親切、風趣、能說、善演，做了一趟認識忍者之...