Japan Has a Shortage of Ninjas and New Recruits Lack The Skills Needed To be One
There is a real concern regarding the ninja population in Japan. There is a major shortage in the country and martial arts experts are concerned that people who practice the art of ninjutsu might be disappearing. One of the craziest aspects of this is the fact that that new recruits lack the basic skills needed to be a ninja! This is sad!
I've been a fan of ninjas ever since I was a kid and now there's a shortage of them in the world! Ninjas are the most badass of the badass. One of the things that this is apparently effecting is tourism. According to Independent, "There has been an increasing demand to see the iconic warriors perform 'ninja shows' to crowds - but martial arts squads are struggling to find candidates who are up to scratch.".
Takatsugu Aoki, the manager of a martial arts squad Nayoga, Japan, told the Asahi newspaper, “With the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan on the increase, the value of ninja as tourism content has increased. There are more employment choices, while ninja shows across the country have become popular. I feel there is a ninja shortage.”
When talking about the people who want to join the ninja army, most of them don't have what it takes. They seem to lack the skills in "unarmed combat, acrobatics, concealment and first aid while also being able to use throwing stars and fight with swords."
I don't know. Maybe being a ninja as part of a tourist attraction isn't bringing out the real ninja talent. It's far from the reputation they've earned over the centuries for being fearsome warriors, who were covert agents or mercenaries that emerged in 15th century feudal Japan. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, assassination and guerrilla warfare. Being a tourist attraction just doesn't sound as cool!
Over the centuries, the ninja became a part of legend and folklore, and stories of their abilities escalated into powers such as invisibility, walking on water and control over the natural elements. It's these legendary tales that have found popularity over the years.
Regardless of what ninjas are being used for these days, it sucks to hear that there's a shortage of them. Hopefully a new generation of ninja warriors will rise so that the ninja don't completely die out and become non-existent. American Ninja Warrior just isn't going to cut it.