Ninjas required to boost tourism
A local government in Japan is on the lookout for full-time ninjas to promote tourism.
Aichi prefecture in central Japan is hiring ninjas, famed martial-arts masters and secret assassins of ancient times, on annual contracts with a monthly salary of 180,000 yen ($1,580) plus a bonus.
Candidates should ‘enjoy being under the spotlight even though he or she is a secretive ninja’, according to the job advertisement.
The tourism ninjas will perform acrobatics, use ninja ‘shuriken’ weapons and pose for photographs with tourists, Satoshi Adachi, of Aichi’s tourism promotion unit told the AFP.
"Our ninjas also have to be good at talking to promote tourism, although ninjas are basically required to be secretive," he said.
They should ‘be able to do backward handsprings and some dance moves’, Adachi said.
The prefecture is accepting applications until next week and is open to both Japanese and foreign nationals.
There has been a revival in ninja arts recently as a means to promote tourism with the formation of a nationwide ‘ninja council.’
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025