If for some reason you’re visiting a Japanese office this week, chances are you’ll find a bunch of ninja going through their day behind desks.
That’s because it’s National Ninja Day on February 22, but we say week just because some have already kicked off the celebration a few days earlier.
If you haven’t noticed, the celebration falls on 2/22, and Kotaku said it’s word play. In Japanese, the number 2 is “ni” just like in “ninja,” but with “nin” which points to “endurance, patience or restraint.” Sounds like qualities of Japanese workers!
In the city of Kōka, Shiga Prefecture, tourism office employees have started working in the traditional shozoku, RT News noted.
Office employee Tatsuya Makino said:
“The most important thing for ninjas is to be able to handle information. As we are working in tourism, it is also very important for us to release information about sightseeing spots.”
Shozoku is the garment of choice for ninjas. Sewed from cotton, it absorbs the body’s moisture and is generally thought to be pleasant for wearers.
According to Murioto, the full dress consists of a fukumen (scarf headband), uwagi (pocketed jacket), tekko (hand covers), dodzime (wide belt), igabakama (trousers with secret pocket) and kyahan (leg wraps with secret pocket).
It must be noted that the National Ninja Day is NOT an official holiday, which explains why people show up to work. We hope they don’t go overtime, though.
