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Normally you wouldn’t see a ninja until it’s too late…

If you follow the news, you know that the G7 leaders gathered yesterday at Ise-Shima in Japan for the 2016 summit, bringing with them flocks of related personnel and international press.

As those journalists disembarked at Chubu International Airport, they were greeted as usual by volunteer staff with signs directing them to a press information counter. There was something a bit different about this year’s volunteers though…

Ninjas! Pink ninjas, no less! That’s going to catch your attention quicker than a shuriken to the face.

While you might think that ninja cosplay is a little on the nose for a Japanese event, the shadow warriors actually have a particular connection to the area. The style of warfare practiced by ninjas was developed largely in Iga, along with the city of Koka in Shiga Prefecture, who have also used ninja cosplay to great effect. Iga’s school, called Iga-ryu Ninjutsu, features the use of magic, illusion and explosives.

▼ Like this guy, but better.

giphy

We think the gesture gave the proceedings a nice local touch and definitely made the guides easy to spot. We just hope it didn’t make the G7 leaders nervous to have so many gifted assassins hanging around!

Featured image: Twitter/@Mulboyne Top image: G7 Summit
Ninja GIF: Giphy