‘Ninja’ bus tour set to kick off in Tokyo

By: 10 years ago

This picture taken on July 16, 2014 shows a member of a pantomime group Gabez in clad of ninja performing in a sightseeing bus in Tokyo during a press preview for the new bus tour to enjoy ninja acts on the street and the ancient shrine. Japan’s travel agency JTB will start the new entertainment bus tour with ninja performances in Tokyo from next month. AFP

Ninja_Japan Tour — This picture taken on July 16, 2014 shows a member of a pantomime group Gabez in clad of ninja performing in a sightseeing bus in Tokyo during a press preview for the new bus tour to enjoy ninja acts on the street and the ancient shrine. Japan’s travel agency JTB will start the new entertainment bus tour with ninja performances in Tokyo from next month. AFP

TOKYO — Japan’s biggest travel agency is launching a bus tour with some decidedly homegrown touches — a flying ninja and sword-carrying samurai.

The one-hour “Samurai & Ninja Safari” tour around the Japanese capital features a bilingual guide pointing out key sights and then a roll around the historic Asakusa district where streetside performers jump out of the shadows.

When the tour launches next month, visitors will be treated to some mortal combat between the all-in-black ninja and his samurai rival, according to travel agency JTB and partner event-planning firm SGRS.

“As the samurai and ninja battle in Asakusa, passengers can enjoy it from inside the bus — it’s a moving theatre,” Kazuhiro Kumade, deputy president of SGRS, said before a media preview Wednesday.

Tickets for seats with the best view of the action cost 6,900 yen ($68) apiece.

The ride is loosely modelled on New York’s popular The Ride bus route, which bills itself as “equal parts theatrical show and immersive tour.”