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HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Miyamoto Musashi Shooting Tour
Become an actor for a day and relive a legendary duel on the island of Ganryujima
Straits City Kanmon DMO
An unmissable experience for samurai enthusiasts, Miyamoto Musashi Shooting Tour allows you to become a Japanese swordsman for a day. Participants will experience the shooting of a short film produced by a professional film director as they play the role of Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), Japan's most famous and most skilled swordsman of all time.
The shooting is held on the island of Ganryujima (formerly known as Funashima), the site of the legendary duel that took place in 1612 between Musashi and his long-time rival Sasaki Kojiro. A master swordsman himself, Sasaki is considered the toughest opponent Musashi has ever faced. Musashi arrived at the duel a few hours late, a psychological tactic to unnerve the opponent, and managed to defeat Sasaki with a bokken (a wooden sword) carved from a boat oar.
After a 5-minute ferry ride from Shimonoseki on the Kanmon Straits, the participants land on Ganryujima, and, after carefully reading the script, they put on costumes and wigs to act out the role of Miyamoto Musashi fighting against Sasaki Kojiro. The shooting takes about 4 hours, and you will receive an edited video of about 5 minutes at a later date (international shipping available).
After the shooting, you will enjoy a local gourmet tour, a fuku (blowfish) cutting demonstration, a tasting of sake and shochu made from locally harvested rice and sweet potatoes, an overnight stay at the Premier Hotel Mojiko, and sightseeing with a local professional guide.
How to get there
Take a JR train from Shinkansen Kokura Station (about 15 minutes) or a JR train from Shin-Shimonoseki Station (about 10 minutes) to reach Shimonoseki Station. From Shimonoseki Station take a bus to Karato bus stop (about 10 minutes), then head to Karato Terminal, which is a short walk away. Ganryujima is about a 10-minute ferry ride from Karato Terminal.
648 Aza-Funashima, Oaza-hikoshima, Shimonoseki-shi, Yamaguchi-ken
