Uzumasa Kyoto Village

For decades, Toei Kyoto Studio Park — Uzumasa Eigamura to locals — has let visitors wander the open-air sets where Japan's period dramas are filmed: streets of Edo-period shops and inns, a Meiji-era district, a bridge over a moat, a magistrate's office and a red-light quarter of lattice-fronted houses. In March 2026, after a month-long closure for the first phase of a major renewal, it reopened as Uzumasa Kyoto Village, repositioned as an immersive experience park built around the idea of getting lost in Edo-period Kyoto and aimed as much at adults as at families. The core remains: Toei still films here, so you may stumble on a live shoot, and the museum of props and sets used in period dramas and a recreated feudal lord's reception room are still part of the visit. What is new is the theater of it. A live drama uses the whole village as its stage, with a wedding procession and performances on an open-air stage; a free "Ninja Mission" show plays out among the rooftops; and paid activities include a samurai training school, archery, a ninja course and ninja maze, a horror dollhouse, kimono rental, and tea ceremony and flower arranging. Opening hours have been extended to 9pm, with a separate evening program, and a second phase of renewal, adding more restaurants, shops and a nightlife district, is planned for 2027. The park is in the Uzumasa district of western Kyoto, roughly half an hour from Kyoto Station.

How to plan a visit. The admission ticket gets you into the village, the free shows and the museum areas; many of the best activities, such as the ninja course and maze, samurai and archery training, the horror house, kimono rental and the cultural classes, cost extra, so budget for two or three. Daytime is when the paid activities run; after dark, the village switches to its night program, which includes a mock gambling den playing the dice game cho-han with play money and a theatrical "interrogation" experience, both restricted to adults. The renewal added a cluster of new restaurants serving Kyoto cuisine, plus a craft-beer shop and new craft and souvenir retail. Non-Japanese speakers can enjoy the atmosphere, the shows and the hands-on activities, though some dialogue-heavy performances are in Japanese.

Who will love it. Families with children who like ninja and samurai will find more than enough for a half-day, and the costume rental and photo opportunities in the Edo streets are a hit with all ages. Fans of Japanese cinema and jidaigeki period dramas will enjoy seeing the working sets and props, and the chance of watching a real shoot. Adults looking for something different in the evening now have a reason to come after dark, which was never the case before the renewal. If you are short on time and mainly want temples, this is optional; if you are in Kyoto for four days or more, or traveling with kids who are flagging after the temples, it is a fun change of pace. The Kyoto YOKAI Festival, a seasonal event at the park, runs until 29 November 2026.

Getting there: the village is a short walk from Uzumasa-Tenjingawa Station on the Tozai subway line, from Uzumasa-Koryuji Station on the Randen tram, and from JR Hanazono or Uzumasa stations on the Sagano Line, which also serves Arashiyama. That makes a natural pairing with Arashiyama in western Kyoto — the bamboo grove at dawn, then the village in the afternoon and evening. Next door, Koryu-ji temple holds the serene Miroku Bosatsu statue that was the first object designated a National Treasure of Japan, and is well worth a quiet half hour.