The performances at Nikko Edo Wonderland are only offered in Japanese. Judging from the audience’s reactions, they were probably very entertaining. Of the four we saw, we all agreed the Ninja Theater (Ninja Action Show) was the best: it simply isn’t something you’d normally see. There were five performers taking on different roles, and the show included death-defying stunts. Aside from the fight scenes, there were bits where the ninjas were climbing vertically onto roofs or leaping off them — all apparently without safety wires.
The second performance we really liked was the Mizugei-za (Water Magic Show). The performers did some really nifty tricks involving water. Don’t sit near the stage though if you absolutely do not want to get wet!
The other two — Wakamatsu-ya (Oiran Courtesan Show) and Minamimachi Bugyousyo (Magistrate’s Office) — were a little harder to enjoy since they were dialogue-heavy. But of the two, the latter was probably more energetic, with a couple of modern-day references thrown in.
If you’re prioritising catching these performances and want to follow our sequence, here it is. Do note that there’s a fair bit of hustling around for about 90 minutes.
10:30AM – Wakamatsu-ya (Oiran Courtesan Show)
11:00AM – Ninja Theater (Ninja Action Show)
11:30AM – Mizugei-za (Water Magic Show)
11:55AM – Minamimachi Bugyousyo (Magistrate’s Office)
You’d be dashing from theater to theater, and there won’t be time for toilet breaks. Do note too that the Ninja Action Show will not permit latecomers, and videography and photography are not permitted. I’m assuming not because they don’t want you to record, but because the stage performance is mostly in low light, and the actors need full concentration without light-emitting sources coming on and off. Videography and photography are permitted in the other three shows, or at least there was no signage saying they aren’t.
Pictures from the performances!
More pictures from this morning’s visit:
That’s a wrap for our Day 12 posts. We’d be leaving Nikko tomorrow morning and making the long U-shaped journey to Matsumoto via Tokyo. To be continued!