Japan Is Hiring Full-Time Ninjas to Promote Tourism

Six professionals working in Japan will soon be able to add "ninja" to their resumes. As reported by the BBC, the nation's Aichi Prefecture will be hiring six full-time ninjas in an effort to promote "warlord tourism" in the region.

According to the job description, the ninjas will be paid 180,000 yen ($1600) a month to perform on stage and make occasional radio and TV appearances. Required skills include the ability to do "backward handsprings" as well as "some dance moves," according to JapanToday. One poster from the prefecture says that the ideal candidate should "enjoy being under the spotlight even though he or she is a secretive ninja." Additional training in skills like sword play and the use of shuriken throwing stars will be provided to get the ninjas ready to perform by the end of April.

Japanese nationals aren't the only applicants being considered for the positions. The troupe will be performing a portion of their shows in English as well as Japanese, so any English-speaker who's ever dreamed of becoming a modern-day ninja can also apply.  

The centuries-old craft of stealth and espionage is all but extinct in Japan, but popular culture has helped the ninja to become one of the county's most recognizable icons worldwide. Other attractions, like the Ninja Museum in Japan's Mie Prefecture, have been using this part of history to draw in tourists for years. 

Men and women over 18 with a passion for history and tourism can apply to be a part of Japan's newest generation of ninjas from now until March 22.

[h/t BBC]