TOKYO: A Japanese city has been left fighting off wannabe ninjas after a news report on local labor shortages that suggested it wanted to hire the traditional assassins went viral.
The western city of Iga was featured in a report by American radio station NPR this month about Japan’s depopulation and labor shortage problems.
The report said Iga was trying to capitalize on its history as home to ninjas by building a new museum focused on the warriors, but was struggling to hire staff, including ninja performers.
In its reporting, NPR said ninja performers in Japan can earn anywhere between $23-85,000 a year. But a number of copycat reports by other media or viral sites went with less nuanced headlines such as: “This town in Japan will pay you an $85,000 salary to train as a ninja.”
By Wednesday, at least 115 aspiring assassins had contacted the city and its local tourism association, puzzled Iga officials said.
Would-be warriors from at least 14 countries had been in touch, they added.
“Iga didn’t put out information about ‘a lack of ninjas in Iga’ or the ‘annual income of ninjas’, that is currently reported by some news sites on the Internet,” the city said on its website.
In a statement issued in Japanese, English and three other languages, the city tried to squelch the hopes of applicants, adding: “Please be careful about fake news.”
“We are just puzzled,” Motoyoshi Shimai, a city official, said.
“So far, neither the city nor ninja performing groups here have any plans to recruit ninja performers.”
The official said the city’s mayor had expressed “surprise at how big the impact of the word ninja is.”
But the viral mix-up could end up being a boon for Iga, which might not be hiring ninjas, but is hoping its association with the feudal fighters will draw more tourists.
It already hosts one ninja museum, boasting a house rigged with hidden ladders, false doors and an underfloor sword box.
Visitors can watch a ninja performance or rent ninja costumes.
And they can even join a one-day ninja training program — just don’t ask about job openings.
Wannabe ninjas plague Japan town after viral mix-up
Wannabe ninjas plague Japan town after viral mix-up
- At least 115 aspiring assassins had contacted the city and its local tourism association
- The viral mix-up could end up being a boon for Iga, which might not be hiring ninjas
Thai coffee chains cut default sugar content in coffee and tea drinks in a new health push
- The Health Department says Thais consume 21 teaspoons of sugar daily, far exceeding the World Health Organization’s recommended six teaspoons
- Officials warn this increases obesity and diabetes risks. A survey found iced coffee and bubble tea contain high sugar levels
BANGKOK: For many Thais, a meal doesn’t feel complete without an iced coffee or tea so sugary it could pass for dessert. The government, concerned about the health consequences, wants them to dial it back.
Starting Wednesday, nine major coffee chains across the country have pledged to cut the default sugar content in some of their drinks by half in a government initiative aimed at tackling excessive sugar consumption.
According to the Health Department, Thais consume an average of 21 teaspoons of sugar per day, more than three times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of six teaspoons. Health officials warn that such high intake increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and other diseases.
The initiative is the first significant step to change consumers’ sugar consumption behavior, said Amporn Benjaponpitak, the director general of the department.
Pakorn Tungkasereerak, the department’s deputy, said 2025 data show that about 45 percent of Thais aged 15 and older are obese, while 10 percent of the population has diabetes.
A survey by the Bureau of Nutrition found that a 22-ounce (650-milliliter) iced coffee contains an average of nine teaspoons of sugar, while a 10-ounce (300-milliliter) serving of bubble milk tea — an iced milk tea with tapioca pearls known as boba — can contain as much as 12 teaspoons.
Sirinya Kuiklang, an office worker, said she approves of the changes. She already orders her drinks at just 25 percent of the standard sugar level, but she is aware that many others consume too much sugar.
“It’s good for Thai people,” she said.
Another office worker, Porwares Tantikanpanit, said he has enjoyed his non-coffee beverages at their current sugar levels but is willing to adjust if shops reduce the sweetness.
However, putting the policy into practice may prove challenging. Officials have said each brand can apply the initiative as they see fit.
Some customers have expressed confusion in response to social media posts promoting the initiative, asking how to order drinks with the level of sweetness that they prefer. Several brands said that the reduction applies only to certain menu items.
