大象传媒

Hundreds of people have applied and auditioned for the job of a Ninja as part of a campaign to promote tourism in Japan ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Based in Nagoya the seven chosen Ninjas will earn about $1,600 a month (拢1,100).

"The aim of this is to bring in as many foreign tourists as we can. We've brought in Ninjas because they have a historical connection to the area. They will perform and they will mix with the tourists," said Aichi Tourism Bureau鈥檚 Satoshi Adachi.

"Every kid dreams about becoming a Ninja at some point in their life. For me, I just held onto that dream a little longer than most people," said Chris O'Neill.

"It's a constant progression of learning, studying and struggling with Japanese," he added, "but I love it, I have never been happier."

But some say that this sort of campaign is sending a distorted image of the Japanese icon to the rest of the world.

"The main thing about Ninjas is the mental side, how to lead and so on,鈥� said Shigeki Masuda, a Ninja, 鈥淚n the entertainment industry the physical side is exaggerated and some people think it is cool, but you have to earn it.

"I would rather other people see what real Ninjas do and then decide for themselves if it's cool. That's my goal," he added.

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