Sharpen your shuriken, Japan's Aichi prefecture is looking to hire six ninjas in a bid to boost tourism.

 

是时候亮出你的忍者飞镖了——日本爱知县正欲招募六名忍者，以推动当地旅游业的发展。

 

The roles are full time and the pay is ¥180,000 ($1,600; £1,100) a month, the job ad says (in Japanese).

 

Physical fitness and acrobatic skills are a must says Aichi prefecture, which hopes to promote "warlord tourism".

 

Ninjas were 15th Century Japanese mercenaries specialising in espionage¹, assassination², sabotage³ and other forms of irregular warfare⁴.

 

Such trickery was considered beneath the samurai, or military nobility, who had to observe strict rules on fighting honourably⁵.

 

The job specification⁶ has been somewhat changed for the advertised roles.

 

It involves stage performances and "PR work" for radio and television. Combat experience as a ninja is not required and a track record of killing⁷ people for money would not help your application.

 

Ideal candidates should "enjoy being under the spotlight⁸ even though he or she is a secretive ninja," Satoshi Adachi of the prefecture's tourism promotion⁹ unit, told AFP.

 

As the troupe¹⁰ will sometimes perform in English, Japanese language skills are preferred rather than essential, Mr Adachi said, although a passion for history and tourism is a requirement.

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