Osaka: 40 Ninjas Display Shuriken Throwing Skills at Japan Championship in Ninja Costumes

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:01 JST, February 21, 2026

KISHIWADA, Osaka — Top shuriken throwers across the country competed at the finals of the ninja event last month in Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture.

The All Japan Ninja Shuriken Throwing Championship, which is organized by the Japan Ninja Council, is held to promote the sport of shuriken throwing, with this year marking its 13th edition.

Participants compete for points by throwing a total of five shuriken at a target. The throwing distance is 5 meters for men and 4 meters for women.

Preliminary contests were held in 10 locations across Japan, with about 40 top scorers advancing to the finals.

It was the first time for the finals to be held in Kishiwada, which has a rich ninja history. A group of ninjas from Koka, a famous ninja village in what is now Shiga Prefecture, are said to have guarded the lords of Kishiwada Castle during the Edo period (1603-1867).

The participants, who were dressed in ninja costumes each, received a round of applause after they had thrown their final shuriken.

“I was nervous but managed to throw rather well,” said a 42-year-old office worker from Kyoto who was participating for the first time. “The exhilaration of hitting the target and the seriousness of the ninja-loving competitors are appealing. I hope to participate again next year.”