By TAKUJI YOSHIZUMI/ Staff Writer
April 28, 2022 at 07:00 JST
An official of the Nabari city government in Mie Prefecture holds a screen showing a scene from a YouTube video of a ninja training session, which is proving popular outside Japan. (Takuji Yoshizumi)
NABARI, Mie Prefecture--A promotional video aimed at foreign nationals keen to learn ninja skills at the famed Akame 48 Waterfalls here is creating quite a buzz overseas.
The YouTube clip ratcheted up more than 300,000 hits in one month after it was released in February.
City officials and other project members are continuing their promotional efforts on social media in the hope of attracting inbound tourists following the easing of COVID-19 entry restrictions into Japan.
The clip was jointly produced by the Nabari city government, along with the nonprofit Akame 48 Waterfalls Association and East Nara Nabari Tourism Marketing (ENN), which comprises the city government and five other municipalities in the eastern part of Nara Prefecture.
The video shows Japanese and non-Japanese teams competing to hurl “shuriken” stars, crawl across a rope and perform other tasks as part of their ninja training.
In between the challenges, the surrounding natural environment and historical background of the area are also introduced.
A popular foreign YouTuber provides narration in English.
The clip has attracted comments from viewers outside Japan, with one interested in visiting once the pandemic is officially declared over.
Seven TikTok videos were also released in March.
Presented in English and Japanese, they feature two popular Japanese TikTokers joining local people to try their hands at specialty events held in six member municipalities of ENN, including harvesting lotus plants in Yamazoe, Nara Prefecture, and taking part in “zazen” meditation at Murouji temple in Uda, also in the prefecture.
One of the videos has been viewed more than 200,000 times.
“It was our first attempt to spread information to people outside Japan, and we have already felt the effects of social media after gaining more views than we expected,” said an official working for the tourism and exchange section at the Nabari city government. “We plan to continue our promotion efforts ahead of the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo.”
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