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Mie University to add “ninja section” on entrance exams

Master Blaster Aug 28, 2017
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If you don’t know your mizugumo from your kunai, then I’m afraid you might not be Mie University material.

It has been reported that Mie University will be adding ninja and ninjutsu-related material to their entrance exam, which judges whether students can enroll in their university. The very thought of that is sure to make imaginations run wild of a *Naruto-*style exam in which applicants must pull off a Demon Black Flare Jutsu to gain admission to this institute of higher learning.

▼ Bubbles?! Man, take that crap over to Waseda University.

However, Professor Yuji Yamada throws a wet blanket on everything by saying it will mainly involve an understanding of Japanese history, ability to read historical documents, and overall communication skills. That being said, he is open to some sort of physical requirements if the demand is there.

Reaction to the news was a mixture of amusement, embarrassment, and interest.

“This sounds like a good way to become Hokage.”
“No thanks, I don’t want ‘Phd (Ninja)’ next to my name.”
“Wow, that sounds exciting!”
“Is this that ‘fake news’ I keep hearing about?”
“Mie University, what are you doing?”
“Well, it looks like we’re heading for WWIII anyway. This might be a viable career path.”
“Meh, I didn’t like Naruto*. Let me know when they offer Soul Reaping courses.”*

By the way, in Japan high school students advancing to university must fist take a nationally standardized test covering the essentials of education like language and math, but after passing that they take further tests which each school offers and are more tailored to the courses students plan to take.

In the case of Mie University ninja knowledge is an merely an optional part of their entrance exam. So for anyone planning to attend there, don’t worry if you don’t know how to blend in with your surroundings. You still have a chance.

Mie University has offered ninja-related elective courses for years such as Ninja in Film and Ninjutsu (ninja techniques). In 2012 they even hired Jinichi Kawakami, the 21st head of the Koga Ninja Clan, as a lecturer.

This may all sound like a joke, but ninjas mean serious business in Mie Prefecture where Iga City resides. With its tight connection to ninja history, Iga is a major tourist destination and enjoys all the revenue that comes along with it. So believe it or not, knowing a thing or two about ninjutsu is actually a valuable job skill around these parts.

It can be hard work as well. The ninjas we all know and love are works of fiction based on exaggerated legends, but the truth about how ninjas really operated back then is still largely unknown and very little of it is recorded.

▼ We’re still trying to figure out how those water shoe things really worked.

https://twitter.com/npql3wv428bh/status/895240673191800832

So a large part of ninja research is scouring old texts written in archaic dialects and characters and interpreting them accurately for even the slightest references to ninjas. Mie University remains at the forefront of this effort having established the International Ninja Research Center in July of this year. It was nice of them to make it international, but I have to imagine the lion’s share of the work on this topic is being done domestically.

So there you have it — ninja school does exist. And while mom and pop might have a hard time boasting that their child is minoring in ninjutsu, it actually is a worthwhile program for anyone looking for a job in the Mie tourism industry that is also helps preserve this history of the country.

Source: Livedoor News, My Game News Flash
Images: SoraNews24