Planet Rinda

Ninja Warrior

Ninja Warrior, or SASUKE as it’s known in Japan, has become a guilty pleasure for me. I’m not much of sports fan but I love this show. There is something about this competition that gets me. I think part of it’s charm is that you never know who’s going to do well. Athletic prowess alone is not enough. Strength, stamina, balance, speed…they all play a part! To give you some idea how hard the competition is, since it’s inception back in 1997, over 2,000 challengers have attempted it. Only two have completed all four stages and won.

The show originally was originally broadcast in 1997 on Japan’s Tokoyo Broadcasting System. It is a three-hour special shown on Japanese TV. Over here, G4 has picked up the broadcasts , subtitled them with voice-overs in English and called it Ninja Warrior. There are several different versions of the competition. The original, including men and women, is the toughest. Then there’s Women of Ninja Warrior (KUNOICHI in Japan) and two others, with only one stage each, designed for children and the elderly.

There are two competitions a year, one in the summer and one in the winter. Since 1998, the courses have been set up outside on the infamous Mt. Midoriyama in Yokohama. The competition includes a series of four courses known as stages. Each course has multiple obstacles. Because the order and type of obstacles change from year to year, it’s impossible to predict what the course will look like completely. Despite this, many of what have come to be known as Sasuke AllStars build mock-ups in their homes so that they can practice. All but one of the stages are timed.

The four stages can be hellish. Each has their own unique challenges. To even make it to the competition, participants must go through an interview and physically challenging trial rounds. Of these, 100 competitors go forward to the first stage. Each stage is demanding but they become more and more arduous until reaching the climax of a 22.5 meter climb, including a 10 meter (32.8 feet) rope climb, in less than 30 seconds.

The competitors are another part of the TV show’s appeal. They come from all over the world, though the majority are Japanese. They come in costumes and work uniforms sometimes. They’re not all professional athletes. In fact, neither of the two men who have won were athletes. One is a former crab fisherman with bad eyesight and the other captain’s a fishing boat. There are a lot of Olympic caliber athletes who do participate and do well. But that’s the thing, you never can tell what’s going to happen! There’s also an obvious camaraderie between the competitors that’s amazing. They cheer each other and are visibly upset when one of them falls. You can’t help but cheer and cry out with them. This show really pulls you in. Sometimes, I get so involved in the individual runs that I’m not even aware that I’m doing it!

This is really a entertaining show. It’s a competition of honor. Most compete simply to see if they can win. It’s not about the money or a medal, although the title of Sasuke or Ninja Warrior must be a treasure to the few who have won it. I’m proud to say that my personal favorite, Makoto Nagano, won the challenge in 2006. If you haven’t seen the show, you should try and catch it. It’s only half an hour long. And you don’t have to be a sports fan to enjoy it. It’s a lot of fun!