Ninjas!

[GeneChing]

I was hoping for a lot more from a con with this title.

There's a vid, but that's also a let-down.

This needs a real ninja flash mob to raid them.

Los Angeles' Ninja-Con convention brings surprises
By Zen Vuong, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/08/2013 07:34:36 PM PDT
Updated: 06/08/2013 07:43:12 PM PDT


Photos by Keith Birmingham â staff photographer (Keith Birmingham)
Gallery Ninja-con At The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center

LOS ANGELES - Rather than crowding Toys R Us stores, many kids who "don't wanna grow up" have become fanboys of Japanese animation, comics and video games, said the sponsor of a small, new convention in Little Tokyo.

About 200 people attended Ninja-Con, a three-venue event at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, Anime Jungle and the Miyako Hotel. While some wore T-shirts and jeans, others were dressed in full "cosplay" attire, meaning they
Ninja-con goers play video games during Ninja-con featuring anime, cosplay, video games and fashion at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center on Saturday, June 8, 2013 in Los Angeles. (Keith Birmingham/Pasadena Star-News) (Keith Birmingham)
were outfitted as anime, comic book, movie or video game characters.

"I notice a very close-knit community," said Stefanie Warner, the CEO of Creative Chimera, the nonprofit who helped host the convention. "A lot of kids that would normally not be social have a way to be social, and I notice that the cosplay is a way to get out of their shell. They don't feel so shy, so scared."

Many in this community recognize the stereotypic perception people have of them. Oscar Andrade, a 22-year-old Bell resident, said people who are big fans of anime, cosplay or comic books have a tendency to live a "vampire lifestyle" and are "shut-ins," but he said not everyone in this subculture is introverted.

"We're regular people that just like to have fun in a safe, comfortable environment," he said, an appropriate statement for a man wearing a "Ghostbusters" T-shirt. "We're just little kids. We get along with other people just fine."

Japanese, Chinese, Hispanics, whites and blacks played video games such as Mortal Kombat 9 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Others played card games like Tentacle Bento, whose objective is to "capture" girls before the school year ends. Girls in this stack of cards come in four types: sexy, cute, sporty and smart.

At the convention, the people in cosplay -- Pokemon, Edward Scissorhands, Link from "Zelda," and characters from popular anime series -- turned heads and were often stopped for photos.

Ana Menjivar, who lives in Los Angeles, wore a bright pink wig and a maid costume from "High School of the Dead," an anime.

"Some outfits can be sexual and people that don't get anime might get it as the girls are being ****s or guys are being ****s," said Menjivar, 20. "But for 'otakus' (zealous fans of anime and manga), it's you look great. Your
Homemade jars were among items for sale at Ninja-con at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center on Saturday. (Keith Birmingham)
costume is amazing! Nothing sexual."

Danny "D-Boy" Gonzales, the 29-year-old founder of Ninja-con, said the inaugural convention sets up a storytelling platform for artists who are usually forced into the peripheral at large conventions such as Anime Los Angeles and Comic-Con International: San Diego. He partnered with Stefanie Warner, 28, to create a welcoming community for youngsters and people on a budget because while Comic-Con tickets are more than $100 each, Ninja-Con tickets cost $25.

Conventions "are just getting pricier and pricier," said Warner, who lives in Tujunga. "A lot of the fans have voiced that. They just can't pay for the airfare or the travel or the hotel."

As a theater director and someone who was an otaku in her teens, Warner said the anime, manga, comic book and cosplay subculture provides young folks with an avenue in which to develop their natural talents.

"I notice the elements of that creativity being applied at such a young age, and it leads to better careers," she said. "A lot of kids start with drawing fan art, and then they move to actually doing fine arts. So it's a great thing."

The eclectic event included Japanese songs, English-Japanese voice-over, a cosplay fashion show, and rap music. Though this crowd of self-proclaimed otakus might be seen as underground, some aspects of their lifestyle have transitioned into the mainstream: Gwen Stefani's "Harajuku Girls," tokidoki, Uglydoll and Munnyworld, to name a few.

Cosplay is a misunderstood lifestyle, said Ryan Almaro, 21. He has been doing it for two years, and on Saturday, he dressed as Avatar, a headstrong female protagonist, from Nickelodeon's "The Legend of Korra." He wanted to exercise his acting skills by playing a female character, he said.

Even though he was in full gear, he said he toned down the acting because he didn't want to be "obnoxious."

"A lot of fans take their costume out to the mall," said Almaro, who drove from San Diego to perform at one of the convention's dubbed shows. People "will look at you funny. Depending on how you act -- jumping on tables and acting as your character -- it can give a negative impression of cosplay as a whole."

Cosplay can be perceived as cross-dressing: Boys become female characters and girls don masculine costumes. But Jocelyn Alcazar said cosplay has no relation to LA PRIDE, which takes place in West Hollywood this weekend.

"It transcends genders," said Alcazar, who has spent as much as three hours to look perfect in her costumes. "It's about expressing your fandom. You have to love your characters to wear leggings, to bind your chest. It's harder than it looks."

[GeneChing]

I totally want to go.

Japan: Ninja Village offers activities for all ages
By Matthew M. Burke
Stars and Stripes

Published: June 14, 2013

A ninja at Hizen Yume Kaido, also known as ninja village, in Ureshino, Japan, strikes a pose after luring another ninja into a trap house where he was defeated.

Hizen Yume Kaido, also known as Ninja Village, is nirvana for a kid — or any adult who is still a kid at heart.

The ninja-themed park, located about 45 minutes east of Sasebo Naval Base by car in Ureshino, is a marvel where visitors can toss throwing stars, shoot wooden arrows and get lost in tunnels and maze houses, all under the watchful eye of a handful of stealthy assassins who roam the park.

The village is one of the more interesting theme parks one might find. It doesn’t even matter that the park is in slight disrepair after many years of use; that only adds to its charm. The park overlooks green tea fields and offers traditional Japanese architecture and quiet seclusion.

The park opened in 1990 as a Japanese garden for customers of a nearby ryokan (traditional Japanese hotel). The garden was a sprawling re-creation of an Edo-era road from Nagasaki to Kitakyushu and had various attractions for the hotel guests, from museum displays of period dress and artifacts to pottery kilns.

But the park changed hands and was eventually picked up 11 years ago by a shadowy group whose aim was to keep the traditions and spirit of the ninja alive. They left the park mostly as it was then, which can be kind of creepy but also really cool, and took over a few buildings where children can rent ninja outfits, get their fortune told and attend a ninja show where ninjas battle in a trap house (once per day on weekends at 1 p.m.).

The park’s main attraction is Chibikko Ninja Academy for children, a two-hour class where children ages 4-7 dress up and learn what it takes to become a ninja. They watch ninja performances and learn how to throw shuriken (ninja throwing stars) and shoot blow darts. At the end, the children receive a ninja certificate.

The academy is held Saturdays, Sundays, on Japanese national holidays and during school holidays. It costs 3,000 yen to participate, and the price includes entrance to the park. Advance reservations via the park’s website or phone are necessary.

The park also features free street performances, which are popular among adult visitors, pottery making and painting, traditional Japanese festival games and even a Japanese haunted house for kids age 4 and older.

The fee for entry varies based on what you want to do but can start as low as 1,000 yen for adults, 800 yen for junior high school students and 500 yen for children age 4 and older; pets enter for free. You can pay for individual things as you prefer — throwing ninja stars costs 300 yen per game. All-inclusive passes are also available for an additional fee.

If you are lucky, you might bump into an apple-slicing ninja named Tsurugi Genzo. Genzo is the leader of the park’s ninjas. In July 2012, during his fifth attempt, he sliced through 28 apples in a minute, having to toss them in the air himself, take his samurai sword out of its sheath while it was in the air, cut the apple in two, and sheath his sword before picking up another. He holds the Guinness World Record for the feat.

The ninjas were kind and very welcoming. Throwing the ninja stars was the highlight for me. I even purchased a few to practice on my own. The park’s only drawback is that some of it is in disrepair. But that made it special. It isn’t so much a ninja park, but a park with ninjas in it.

In July, the park is adding horses and will offer riding lessons. Visitors can also feed the animals.

Who needs to patch an outer wall or replace a fraying carpet when throwing stars and horses await?

To see Genzo take the world record, visit tinyurl.com/qg69pkq.

burke.matt@stripes.com

Stars and Stripes reporter Hana Kusumoto contributed to this report.

Directions
From Sasebo, take the Nishi Kyushu expressway toward Nagasaki expressway. At Takeo Junction, go right towards Ureshino and Nagasaki city. Get off at the Ureshino Interchange exit. Then turn left onto Route 1. Turn right at Miyuki Koen (park) intersection and follow Route 1 for about 300 meters, then you should see Ninja Village.

Times
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

Costs
The entrance fee for Ninja Village varies depending on the course. The Ashigaru course, which just includes the entrance fee, is 1,000 yen for adults, 800 yen for junior high and high school students and 500 yen for children four years of age and older (pets can enter for free).

The Tonosama course, which includes the entrance fee and a free pass that can be used for the majority of attractions, costs 2,500 yen for adults, 2,200 yen for junior high and high school students and 1,800 yen for children four years of age and older. Ninja costumes that visitors can rent in the park are free on weekdays (excluding holidays and Japanese Golden Week) with this course.

Visitors have many other options for activities, shows, costume rentals and games. Prices vary.

There are also various mazes that visitors can experience for free.

Food
A small store on site sells beverages and snacks.

Information
Web: www.hizenyumekaidou.info (in Japanese)

[GeneChing]

Tell me this isn't trending. And we killed NinjaStar last year?

Toei Kyoto Studio Park turns to ninja, samurai to save the day
June 15, 2013
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

KYOTO--Just like in the movies, with the Toei Kyoto Studio Park on the ropes, it turned to some familiar forces to turn the tide of battle: ninja and samurai.

Home to replicas of traditional buildings used for period films and dramas, the movie theme park had been suffering from declining attendance after one large amusement park after another opened. The 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake also dealt the park a severe blow.

But the park is now attracting children and foreign tourists, thanks to its focus on its favorite attractions.

At the park on a recent day, stealthy ninjas on a mission to infiltrate a samurai residence crawled on hands and knees. Suddenly an alarm sounded.

"No!" the chagrined children in ninja costumed exclaimed as wooden bird clappers made clanging sounds. The kids were playing the roles of covert agents of the feudal time on a mission to infiltrate a samurai residence. But the alarm was set off when they touched the ropes running around the house--meaning that they were detected by the "enemy."

The facility is the Ninja Shugyo Dojo (ninja training center), which opened in March. It offers visitors a chance to experience some ninja skills such as castle wall climbing and log crossing. It has become so popular that during the recent spring Golden Week holiday season, that long lines meant waits of up to 80 minutes.

"I became a ninja, which was something I wanted to do. I want to come again," said Hayate Konishi, a 12-year-old first-year junior high school student from Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture.

It was in or around 2009 when Toei Co. president Yusuke Okada called for a need to initiate discussions to revamp the Toei Kyoto Studio Park, which was suffering from low visitor numbers. The film studio is the parent company of a subsidiary that operates the park.

What they kept in mind was how to promote the park and draw the interest of children and foreign tourists. As they conducted extensive market research, they found out that Japanese comics and animation featuring young ninja had become widely popular at home and abroad. "Sasuke," a Japanese sports entertainment show in which competitors take on obstacle courses, had also been gaining popularity outside Japan as "Ninja Warrior."

In the end, they learned how competitive ninja could be.

In 2011, the park operator started removing three studio buildings open for public viewing of on-location shootings of samurai dramas. With about 3 billion yen ($29.9 million)--one of the largest expenditures in its history--the company built new attractions in a vacant lot measuring about 10,000 square meters, including the Karakuri Ninja Yashiki (ninja trick house), where visitors must find secret routes to escape; the Dojo (training center), where they can learn how to throw ninja stars; and the Kashidashi-dokoro costume rental house, where they can suit up as ninja.

"What we aimed for was a premise where visitors can act like ninja, not one that offers virtual reality experience like movies and video games," said Norihiro Yamaguchi, 52, head of the planning and production department of Toei Kyoto Studio Co.

The official website is also promoting the park in multiple languages including English and Chinese, saying that visitors can enjoy the old Japan with ninja shows, and that they can have their pictures taken in ninja costumes.

"I was impressed by how ninja from a movie I saw a long time ago placed importance on integrity," said a 23-year-old visitor from Switzerland. "I want to know more about ninja and Japan."

But ninja is not the only attraction the park operator introduced. The company also holds live samurai shows on a daily basis, with actors dressed as feudal warriors showing visitors how to perform sword-fighting tricks. It also increased the number of staff members dressed as young girls in kimono and samurai who will pose for photo shoots with visitors.

The park operator was hoping that the revamp would make visitors feel like they had traveled back in time to the Edo Period (1603-1867) and were not simply visiting location sites.

Its efforts gradually started to show positive results. The number of visitors stood at about 700,000 in business year 2010, but it reached 790,000 in 2011 and 830,000 in 2012.

The Toei Kyoto Studio Park opened in 1975. It was the year when Toei started producing the period drama series "Toyama no Kin-san" starring Ryotaro Sugi at Toei Studios Kyoto, which stood next to the theme park.

At the time, period dramas were in their heyday. Visitors to the park could observe productions of "Mito Komon," "Abarenbo Shogun" and other popular shows on outdoor sets. About 2 million people visited the theme park every year.

But the number of visitors started to drop after the peak year of 1982, when it drew 2.6 million people.

Then Tokyo Disneyland opened in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, in 1983. And a new law concerning the development of resort areas in 1987 accelerated moves to build theme parks across Japan. People were drawn to thrill rides and interactive attractions.

Many students on school trips, who made up a majority of the visitors, shunned the Keihanshin region in the aftermath of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995.

Then came Universal Studios Japan, which opened in Osaka in 2001. The number of annual visitors fell below 1 million within a few years.

"What the renovated facilities have in common is that they are set to rediscover their original charms and present them in new forms," said Nobuo Ide, a head researcher at Yoka Sangyo Kenkyujo, a private research institute specializing in the recreational industry.

He also mentioned that Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise suffered from low attendance after it stepped up efforts to implement thrill rides. But the seaside aquatic park attracted public attention this spring when it opened the Umi Farm interactive aquarium, where visitors can enjoy various activities in the sea and learn about the ocean.

"The fact that it went back to its origin, 'sea,' won popularity. It can be said that the movie park took a page out of its playbook when it came to working out its strategy to focus on ninja to redefine the charm of period dramas," the researcher said.

(This article was written by Masaomi Ogawa and Ami Nomura.)

[GeneChing]

Paris to welcome ninja performers at Japan Expo 2013
Posted on July 2, 2013 by Faith Aquino in Entertainment



Not the typical venue for action-driven ninjas, but Paris will be expecting a number of ninjas to perform at the Japan Expo this year. The Ashura Ninja Clan, based from the city of Iga in Mie Prefecture, will have five members to demonstrate ninja skills at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center from July 4 to 7.

Ashura, named after the god of war, is a well-known group of ninjas in Japan, as well as in other countries. The members have already performed in other countries like China, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States. Their show in Washington D.C. back in April last year was a success and gained them popularity. The five members’ appearance in Paris will be their first time to perform together.

The Japan Expo has been an annual even in the romantic capital since 2000, and featured Samurai culture in 2012. Buke-Bunka Kenkyukai, a Nagoya-based study group, was responsible for bringing Samurai performers and craftsmen during the expo. With the reception received last year, the organizer of the convention has requested them to also “send ninja.”

Ninja culture will also be featured in this year’s Japan Expo. The five members of Ashura will have three main performances in the main venue, where as many as 15,000 people can attend. The group will also have four small performances in a venue where about 400 people can watch. Those who want to attend the Japan Expo this year can expect the ninja perform using ninja weapons like kama (sickle), kumade (ninja-rakes), and shuriken (throwing knives). “We want to show how skillful ninja are by performing shows no one has ever seen,” promised Kazuki Ukita, a 53-year old representative of the Ashura Ninja Clan.

"performing shows no one has ever seen"? Shouldn't ninjas, by definition, be invisible?

[GeneChing]

...a ninja musical....wait...what?

Ninja Katie Wilbert (Photos)

Performing Arts
June 30, 2013
By: Andrea Kittelson

Katie Wilbert's one-woman play "This Life Chose Me: A Ninja Musical" plays July 14 at iO West and August 5-17 in Edinburgh.Katie Wilbert's one-woman play "This Life Chose Me: A Ninja Musical" plays July 14 at iO West and August 5-17 in Edinburgh.

Every so often you meet a real-life ninja -- one who boasts multiple talents and is completely fearless. Katie Wilbert is one such ninja. Wilbert is presenting the ninja musical she wrote as part of the Solo Performance class at iO West Sunday, July 14 on the iO West Main Stage, and again August 5-17 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland where ninjas especially reign.

Here is Ninja Katie in action, artfully handling an amass of questions, some of them kooky:

AK: When did you first know you wanted to perform for a living?

NK: You know, I really grew up knowing from a young age that I loved performing and I guess I never really considered anything else as a real alternative. I wondered if perhaps I couldn't be a baker or party planner or psychologist, but anytime I tried to switch my energy over to some other field, I'd find myself procrastinating by writing songs, or making youtube videos or creating comedic characters. I think it's a desire that was just built into my DNA, because no matter what I try, my heart always brings me back to performing, whatever the avenue.

AK: What is your favorite word to sing?

NK: You know, no one has ever asked me what my favorite WORD to sing is. LOL -- I like that. I really like singing longer more syllabic words. I like the challenge of having to bend them into my songs to make them sound right melodic. In my ninja musical I do that a lot. I'm really picky about the words I use, and if I land on something that explains what I'm thinking or feeling perfectly, even if it doesn't initially rhythmically flow, I'm determined to make it work. In my song "Hero's Life" I sing words like "all sorts of corrupt politicians." It's wordy -- that one sentence alone, but I like the challenge of making things work. Because to me the lyrics are the meat of a song. That's where all the good stuff is.

AK: Which of your family members is the most theatrical?

NK: Aside from myself I'd have to say that my Father, Tom, is the most theatrical in our family. However, his theatrics involve danger and adventure sporting. He's participated in an Iron Man Triathlon; he convinced my whole family to skydive; and he's now a professional motorcycle racer. [Motorcycle racing] was always his dream, and at 50 he will be racing with the big boys this summer at Laguna Seca Moto GP in the AMA division. I'm sure my father would deny he's theatrical at all, but he likes entertaining people through sports, and I've got to say, he's secretly one goofy dude.

AK: From where/whom to you get your confidence?

NK: I definitely get my confidence from my parents. My mother is this total super human who can do anything and everything. She's tried her hand at every profession, and she's legitimately good at all of them. I think this is due to her confidence. She can complete any given task. I've watched her multi-task and say "yes" to so many things over the years, so surely I get my confidence for trying new things from her. My father, as I've mentioned, is a real dare-devil-go-getter. He's just not afraid to try anything! For as long as I can remember he's told me that if I want something bad enough and I work hard, I can truly achieve anything. He's right. I never would have imagined that at 22 I'd have written my own one-woman musical and be taking it to the biggest arts festival in the world. I attribute to my parents the self confidence to believe that I could ever do something as crazy as this.

AK: What do you hope/expect the Edinburgh Festival to be like?

NK: Ha! To be honest I'm still not even sure what I've gotten myself into. Bringing my solo show to Fringe means that I am doing all the marketing, publicity, tech, etc on my own. Something I've never done before. It's been a wild ride and I've learned so much already. For me going to Edinburgh is primarily about the experience and opportunity of taking something I've created and showcasing it to other people who love theater. Would I love to sell out all the shows? Absolutely, yes. But for me, it's more about hearing people laugh and enjoy themselves. That's why I perform at the end of the day, to share an experience with people. Plus, I'm stoked to see the other shows and meet new people from all around the world! I feel so blessed to have this opportunity.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

There are more pix if you follow the link in the previous post.

AK: Which real-life ninjas do you most admire?

NK: I'm obsessed with the whole Chuck Norris phenomenon. I know more Chuck Norris jokes than is probably appropriate. I also LOVE the Bill Bill movies, probably because she's a woman assassin and that really expanded my ideas of just how bad-ass women can be. A woman with a katana is a sexy and frightening thing.

AK: What made you decide to do a ninja musical?

NK: It was sort of by accident honestly. I was working with my solo performance teacher (you) and you were asking me what kind of characters I have opinions about, and I replied "Ninjas." I'm not sure I even realized at the time that I had real opinions about ninjas, but apparently I did. It makes sense now that I think of it. My favorite movie growing up was "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles;" I dated a Power Ranger at one point; and my favorite book series is all about, wouldn't you guess it, ninja assassins. I explained that "It must be a hard life being a ninja; you have to be invisible, you can't ever fall in love, all because you're job is to kill people. That's rough." And that was essentially the birth of my musical. Me sympathizing with the hard-knock life of Ninjas.

AK: Are you still afraid of all the ways you might die at any given moment?

NK: I won't lie, I definitely have a tsunami/earthquake survival kit in my house, because I live 1 mile away from the beach in Huntington. I watched too many news reports after Hurricane Katrina and the Tsunami in Japan. I'm not fearing for my life at every moment, but I like the comfort of knowing I'm somewhat prepared for a disaster should it strike. And yes...I do plot out how to thwart of the inevitable robbers and rapists who might break into my house. I have this elaborate escape plan mapped out in my mind which involves turning on my curling iron and using it as a flaming nunchuck. I think that's ingenuity, not insanity. Others, however, might disagree.

AK: You took the solo performance class where you created the ninja musical; you just performed original folk music at a Music Festival in New Zealand; you take classes at Second City and The Groundlings; you record music; and you regularly perform improv around town. Where do you get all the energy, and which vehicle of expression do you most love?

NK: It's going to sound so cheese-ball of me, but I find the energy from my passion to create and perform. AND from coffee. I'm hungry to learn and grow and create new and better things every day. I do wear a lot of hats, it's true, but I'm just determined to do it all, and I don't want to have to put down one thing to do another, so I just make it work. It means that my schedule can be a little crazy sometimes, but I thrive when I'm busy and creative. I think my soul withers a little when I'm resting on my laurels and doing nothing. I also firmly believe that everything I do separately ends up contributing to my overall collective goal. Everyone always asks me, though, 'If you had to choose one thing, what would it be?' and truthfully, gun to my head and everything, I'd pick singing/songwriting. I LOVE comedy, but when I am procrastinating and alone in my room, I'm writing songs. Even when I'm in Los Angeles traffic. I'm always writing songs. That's just, I think, wear my heart defaults.

AK: What is your ultimate writer-performer goal?

NK: It's a two-pronged thesis really: I want to be a professional, world touring singer/songwriter- who's also an an actor on Saturday Night Live. It's not a ridiculous goal at all...Ha! Realistically, I might be able to pull off being a professional recording artist who guest stars on SNL, but until then, I'm gonna keep dreaming of pulling off both. Why not, right? Who's to say I couldn't be the first Singer/Songwriter-SNL hybrid? In fact, that's who I'd like to be.

AK: If you could do a two-person musical, whom would you like that other person to be? It could be ANYONE who is currently living.

NK: Aw crap. There are SO many people who just popped into my head. Will Ferrell is taking the lead on this one, though. Could you imagine how ridiculously fabulous that would be, to be in a two person musical with Will Ferrell? Um, yes. Final answer. Will Ferrell. I forgot all the other names in comparison to him. He's my favorite.

AK: If you could choose someone no longer living, who would it be?

NK: Jesus, obviously. That's because my version of Jesus is this super hot surfer dude who's like "Chill everybody, let's listen to some Bob Marley, take a little stroll on some water, and then I'll turn that business into wine." Jesus would be the ultimate. Jesus Christ and Will Ferrell. No man could dream of topping that mystical combination. Heck, take me out of the mix, I'd like to see a musical with those two. It'd be wild!

AK: What is your greatest fear?

NK: That I'll die before I get the chance to either burn or edit the diaries I've had since I was 12. I feel like I only write in them when I need to vent or have a good cry, so people would find it and be like "Wow, Katie, really?" You know, that or Alzheimer's. I don't want to lose myself. Of course, if I continue to keep a diary, I can probably remedy that. I'll still need to do some editing and burning though...haha.

See Katie Wilbert's "This Life Chose Me: A Ninja Musical" Sunday, July 14 at 10:30pm at iO West and August 5-17 in Edinburgh, Scotland as part of the Edinburgh Fringe.

It's what Jesus, Will Ferrell and Katie's parents would do.

[GeneChing]

I would totally do this.

Japan: Ninja camp trains tourist novices
A town in Japan is encouraging tourists to sign up to its ninja-training school and learn the art of warfare.

Iga, where the camp is located, has a proud ninja history stretching back to the 15th century

By Natalie Paris
11:46AM BST 08 Aug 2013

Ever fantasised about throwing a ninja star? No? Perhaps silent stealth is a more useful skill for the 21st century.

In Japanese folklore, ninjas were some of the country’s most legendary assassins but now tourists can heed the call of the black robes too.

Anyone fascinated by ninja culture and in possession of a warrior spirit can learn what it takes to become a modern-day fighter spy at a camp in Iga, east of Osaka.

Hopefuls are told they will be schooled in skills essential to ninjitsu warfare, such as the arts of espionage, sabotage and infiltration.


To begin with, novices are invited to select robes which come in a range of colours, reports the EPA news agency.

Then they are tested with various training exercises. Some, you might imagine, are intrinsic to life as a ninja, such as star-throwing target practice and scaling vertical walls.



Others, including crawling along a rope and hauling yourself across a river, would not look out of place at a fitness bootcamp or a children’s adventure weekend.



There may be no better place to train however. Iga, where the camp is located, has a proud ninja history stretching back to the 15th century.

It was here, on plains protected by mountains, that many ninjas – a more working class warrior than the samurai – rose to become the Iga-ryu, a force of clans to be reckoned with in feudal Japan.



There is a museum in town (iganinja.jp/en/) containing centuries-old ninja texts and shows are put on for tourists to demonstrate traditional assassination methods used by the ninja. There is also a shop where the whole family can deck themselves out in ninja dress.



The White Phoenix Castle, also known as Iga Ueno Castle and Hakuho, is nearby. Built in 1585 it has the highest walls of any castle in Japan in order to prevent them being scaled by enemies.

Iga also holds an annual ninja celebration called the Iga-Ueno Festival.

The hour-and-a-half training course that shines a light on ninjitsu’s “world of shadows” costs around £10.

[GeneChing]

Honestly now, how safe would you feel biting into one of these?

Ninja Cupcakes

[GeneChing]

Ridic!

[GeneChing]

OMG. Next time I'm in KY....

Ninjas - Kentucky's First Indoor Throwing Star Range

[GeneChing]

...nevertheless, Onoda's story was remarkable and his passing deserves some acknowledgement here.

Hiroo Onoda, World’s ‘Last Ninja’, Dead at 91
Author Jon Man describes the Japanese intelligence officer, who passed away Thursday, as the end of a 1,000-year tradition
By Noah Rayman Jan. 17, 2014

The world may have lost its last ninja Friday.

Hiroo Onoda, the World War II Japanese intelligence officer who died Thursday at age 91, drew from ninja-like military training to survive nearly thirty years fighting a long terminated war, according to ninja historian John Man.

“Other people would dispute this, but I’d say he’s the last of the ninja,” Man told TIME last year. Man devoted a chapter of his book Ninja: 1,000 Years of the Shadow Warrior to Onoda.

The intelligence officer was a graduate of the elite Nakano Spy School, which Man described as something of a modern ninja training ground. The school taught officers stealth tactics and values like integrity and — above all — completing the mission, which aligned with the basic tenets of the centuries-old traditional ninja practice.

Man wrote:

“The man who claims to be the inheritor of the ninja tradition, Masaaki Hatsumi, lists eighteen fundamental areas of expertise, eleven of which were echoed in Nakano’s training: spiritual refinement, unarmed combat, swordsmanship, fire and explosives, disguise and impersonation, stealth and entering methods, strategy, espionage, escape and concealment, meteorology and geography … There was enough in common between traditional ninja training and Nakano’s to call these men modern ninjas. The two shared loyalty, secrecy, a sense of duty, a sense of integrity.”
Onoda was deployed toward the end of the war to an island in the Philippines under orders to sabotage harbor and airport installations ahead of an expected U.S. invasion. There he remained for 29 years, hiding from search teams, stealing food and sometimes clashing with local civilians he thought to be the enemy. He refused to believe the war had ended until the retired Major who had given him his initial orders returned in 1974 to relieve him of his duty.

“Ninjutsu seems to have found its final and most extraordinary expression” in Onoda, Man wrote. “In his commitment to survive, in the techniques he used to do so, and in his humanity, Onoda … is in many ways the real last of the ninjas.”

[GeneChing]

I just watched the Batman episode with Kato in it again, just to prove to my kid that I wasn't making that up.

3 larger-than-life ninja tales
Scott R DixonScott R Dixon 20 hours ago



More than likely, you’ve heard of the legend of the ninja, the stealthy hired hands and spies for regional warlords in feudal Japan. But considering how popular ninjas are in the modern world, from video games to ninja-themed American bars, it can be pretty hard to separate historical fact from fiction. And today we have three stories for you about this secretive bunch that may help to give a little more light to the mythos surrounding ninja and the truth behind some of these larger-than-life tales. Click below to read three anecdotes (of varying veracity) about what made ninjas into the legend they are today!

The legend of “Flying Kato”

First up is the ninja master Kato Danzo who was known as “Flying Kato” for his supposed ability to fly. Danzo lived during the Sengoku or Warring States period in Japanese history and had a reputation for being able to perform unbelievable feats.

One such feat was when he swallowed a bull in front of a very surprised crowd. According to legend, a man who had been watching out of a nearby tree loudly claimed that Danzo was a fraud. The man told the crowd to look closely because Danzo had used sleight of hand to make it seem like he swallowed the bull, but had actually just covered it up with a cloth.

Danzo didn’t say anything directly to the man, instead he proceeded with his next trick to wow the crowd. He pulled out a gourd he was carrying that was full of seeds. He threw a handful of the seeds onto the ground and flowers started sprouting immediately where each seed fell. Danzo then kneeled down, took his knife out and cut one of the flowers off at the stem. As soon as the flower was cut, the freshly severed head of the man who publicly shamed Danzo came rolling out from the direction of the tree where the man was sitting.

Word of Danzo’s magical abilities reached the ears of powerful warlords who courted the ninja master to join their side as a skilled mercenary. He served several different warlords where his stealth skills were highly valued. He met his demise when the warlord Takeda Shingen ordered Danzo’s execution after suspecting the ninja of being a double agent. Now, Flying Kato has come to be the perfect example of a real-life historical ninja spliced with a healthy dose of unbelievable legend.

The shameful race of Ninokuruwa Isuke

Ninokuruma Isuke was a ninja who was a part of the Odawara Hojo clan and served underneath the ninja leader Fuma Kotaro. His fellow ninjas called him “bony” for his lean frame, which made him a swift and agile ninja.

During the Seige of Kawagoe where the Hojo clan was vastly outnumbered, Isuke was able to inconspicuously sneak around to inform his side about the enemy’s position. But one day, Isuke was recognized by the enemy who sent their own ninja, Ota Inunosuke, to pursue him.

Isuke ran about 20 km without stopping, but Inunosuke was a quick runner and caught up to him. Isuke was close to being caught when he noticed a horse at a farm off in the distance. Isuke stole the horse and made a clean getaway.

But using a horse to outrun a fellow ninja was considered very shameful and Isuke began to pay the price. The enemy’s camp began making satirical poems about the “cowardly” Isuke who couldn’t truly outrun his opponent. The songs came to be quite popular and pretty soon every knew about the ninja who had used a horse instead of his own legs.

Isuke was embarassed by all of this and felt so much shame that he asked Hojo clan leaders to accept his resignation. He would then ask his former racing partner Inunosuke for a rematch where they could test their ninja skills since ninjas did not duel. From Kawagoe in what is now Saitama Prefecture, they would run west over the flat Kanto plains. But about 40 km into the race, Inunosuke dropped dead, meaning that Isuke had truly outrun his opponent.

Although he won the race, Isuke still felt a huge amount of shame and later went to the ninja capital of Iga to teach others about the values and skills of being a ninja. He hoped that this would ease his guilt.

A ninja aboard Commodore Perry’s ship

One of the last ninjas to receive official orders was when U.S. naval commodore Matthew Perry famously forced Japan to open up to the outside world in 1853 by showing up with four massive and technologically advanced ships. As the Japanese government evaluated Perry’s “suggestion” to start trading with the rest of the world, the ninja Sawamura Jinzaburo was ordered to board Perry’s ships and search for anything that showed the true intentions of the Americans.

The leaders of the Japanese government wanted the very best ninja to search the ships, so they went to local leaders in Iga, a place that was famous for its skilled ninjas. Sawamura was chosen to disguise himself as an ordinary Japanese government worker to get on board the ship where he would infiltrate and look for anything that hinted at what the Americans were really thinking.

Sawamura was specifically ordered to look for a document that could crack the Americans’ secret code. He ended up finding and bringing back the document, some bread, tobacco and some candles. But when they translated the document, it ended up just being some sailor talk about what they thought of women around the world. That was enough to prove to the government that the Americans weren’t keeping any big secrets from them. Even though the stolen document turned out to be a dud, there is still historical record of one warlord eating the bread stolen from the ship!

Now that you’ve had a triple dose of ninja legend, folklore and history, we would love to know what you think! Let us know in the comments below if you have any other equally fantastic ninja tales!

[GeneChing]

wonder if they come in nacho flavored....

Maker of new “Ninja Snack” promises chips that “move like a ninja”, vanish without a trace
Philip Kendall yesterday


2014-02-04 at 5.16.00 PM

Heads up, snack fans! Japan’s Tohato foods has just announced a new brand that will hit shelves later this month. Called “Ninja Snack Fuwamaru“, they’re purported to melt away like a ninja into the night. Hmmm…

The corn chips’ makers claim that their shuriken-shaped snacks are so amazingly light that they will vanish as if into thin air when placed on the tongue. Apparently aimed at those who eat on-the-go, the chips weigh almost nothing and won’t leave their consumer feeling uncomfortably full or spoil their later meals, so these might be a good choice for people who are trying to go easy on the treats more than anyone looking to satisfy a real hunger.

To be fair, most of the chips we eat tend to “vanish” like ninjas, too, since we stuff them into our faces like there’s no tomorrow, so we’re withholding judgement on this one until we can grab a few bags for one of our taste tests. Even so, we’re looking forward to this one.

Ninja Snack Fuwamaru go sale in Japan from February 17 for 126 yen (US$1.24), and will come in two flavours, lightly salted and menkaiko, the latter being a kind of marinated pollock roe which often has a slightly spicy kick to it and is far tastier than it may sound.

[GeneChing]

.ninja domain name dominance!

Enter the .NINJA

Software. Cooking. Dancing. That thing you do better than anyone else, that’s your ninja. Release your ninja with a .NINJA web and email address.

The .NINJA Top Level Domain is giving experts everywhere a new way of presenting themselves online. Professionals will appreciate the casual, yet authoritative way of expressing their expertise. Gamers will enjoy the instant recognition a .NINJA domain name brings. All will be the envy of their peers because, let’s face it, being a .NINJA is just plain cool.

With nearly 200,000 ninja references in Twitter profiles, and roughly 20,000 references in LinkedIn profiles, the term “ninja” has never been more popular. Act like a ninja now to ensure you get your domain name before it’s gone!

Be the grandmaster of your domain. Get a .NINJA web domain.

[GeneChing]

I am not a videogamer. But this does look amusing...

Cheeky TV ads for ninja booby video game get full marks for honesty and humor【Video】
Casey Baseel 3 days ago

Even though it was first released way back in 2012 in Japan, the rest of the world is only now getting its first taste of video game Senran Kagura Burst. The Nintendo 3DS game saw a North American release last November, and was finally made available to European gamers just days ago.

But for an 18-month-old title to attract buyers who could be playing with their shiny new PlayStation 4s and Xbox Ones, Senrann Kagura Burst’s European publishers have to be very clear about what the game excels at, which is just what they’ve done with their tongue-in-cheek ads that make no bones about the game’s most distinguishing feature: gigantic bouncing boobs.

To be fair, the Senran Kagura franchise isn’t outright pornographic, nor are its ninja protagonists’ physical assets the only thing the series has to offer. There’s fast-paced ninja action and sharp anime character designs with bold colors. Still, you could drop the last of title Senran Kagura Burst’s three Rs without fear of misrepresenting what the series is really about.

▼ Believe it or not, they’re ninjas, and not strippers.


Seeing as how the first game in the series was released in 2011, everyone already knows what the score is with Senran Kagura. With that in mind, the game’s European commercials don’t try to hide the newest title’s titillating content, even while acknowledging that gamers might want to hide the game itself from their family

As the ad opens, we see a mother tidying up her son’s room.

As she cleans under his bed (a brave thing for the mother of any young man to do), she comes across an apple core, as well as a few less wholesome items.

Mom apparently understands, and has made peace with, the psyche of a young male, though, as she barely bats an eye when she comes across a….”gentlemen’s publication” and used tissues. But how will she react to the scandalous discovery that her son has purchased a copy of Senran Kagura Burst?

continued next post