Ninja will help boost tourism in Japan in the run-up to the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Ninja are a symbol of Japan. The dark-clothed figures, who are great at fighting and can run across rooftops at great speed, are famous worldwide. Several ninja showed their skills on Wednesday. A group of them "sneaked" into the office of Japan's Prime Minister. This was the start of the tourism campaign. The Prime Minister joked with the ninja. He said: "Even though you're all wearing such bright colors, you were still able to slip through the tight security of my office."

A ninja was a secret agent, spy and fighter, which first appeared in 15th-century Japan. He or she was a specialist. They were skilled in assassination, fighting, infiltration (getting into an enemy area or building), sabotage and spying. They helped warlords win land and power. In the 19th century, artists and writers surrounded them in mystery. They gave ninja great abilities, such as invisibility, walking on water and being able to control the natural elements. Today we see them everywhere – in movies, cartoons, comics, games and manga.