Japan to lure visitors with ‘Ninja tourism’
The secretive world of Ninja assassins is being promoted in a bid to grow tourism in parts of Japan.
A collaboration between tourist agencies and local governments plan to set up a body, tentatively named the Japan Ninja Council in order to woo more overseas tourists to the country.
A steering group has been established by local government officials in the towns of Iga in Mie Prefecture, Koka in Shiga Prefecture, Ueda in Nagano Prefecture, Odawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, and Saga Prefecture – areas previously associated with Ninja agents who conducted espionage activities during Japan’s feudal times.
One of the areas, Koka in Shiga Prefecture, has its own Ninjutsu Village which houses a ninja-themed museum and a ninja training centre where visitors can take courses in one of nine combative ‘shadow arts.’
Last month officials at Koka city’s tourism bureau donned their black Ninja outfits to promote ‘National Ninja Day’ in Japan.
The nationwide Ninja Council plan to hold a press conference next week to announce more details and have called for a coordinated marketing strategy to promote ‘Ninja tourism’ ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"The council will bind together as one the public relations activities related to Ninja that each local government is executing," an official said.
"We anticipate that foreigners seeking access to more ninja-related information will visit Japan."
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers