OK, I promised Ninja pictures... Kumam0to Castle part 2

OK, I assume you saw the castle pictures HERE in my entry yesterday, right? Well there was a surprise waiting for us when we got up to the upper tier to the castle grounds (much like Kareem waiting at the top level in Game of Death).... Take a closer look at this picture:

Hey, those aren't gardeners, are they? No, they are slightly authentic Japanese Ninjas... but not the murdering kind... rather the gentle kind... who like to hang out in front of castles and take pictures with tourists... (yes, you know, kind...)

So we went up to them to ask if it was OK to take a picture, and not only did they say yes... but they even posed... AND handed over a sword...

Ninjitsu! ha! no match for my years of deadly Chanbara experience!

If only all ninjas were this gentle and kind?

Actually they were really friendly and fun, running around all Ninja like, practicing their ninja sword moves, and generally cheesing things up for people... The camoflague guy would hide behind the corner and poke his head out threatening to toss his deadly shuriken at people (1.5 Mb video)... etc

Doh, your forearm is not going to protect you kid!

Even better... after we came out of the gift shop, as third ninja appeared (but as I saw no cloud of smoke, I assume she just walked over...)

Yes thats right... SHE... apparently in addition to the regular black ninjas, Kumam0to is home to camo and female ninjas (in styling grey ninja fuku too!)

I guess the camoflague one hadn't seen the girl ninja in a while, cause he appeared to forget that he was a ninja and was just stood around chatting for a while -- while the dilligent black ninja practiced his deadly skills on his own (400kb video).

I actually also saw him sneaking his cell phone back into his ninja pockets (perhaps he keeps it in the pocket that the ninja shuko clawsare normally stored in?).

Later on the way out, we went out the main tour group gate, and got a picture with the finest in imperial guardsmen:

Actually the guy on the left had dyed hair, and the guy on the right was wearing ski gloves... but hey, I don't think they had camoflague ninjas in medeviel Japan either.

Actually the camo and girl ninja were out here by the time we got here:

He was coaching her on some ninjitsu stuff... but it was clear that she had very little if any ninja experience.

Which is unfortunate... especially be the time this group of drunken Japanese men guys came by...

They were pretty loud and annoying. Camo ninja should have busted out his Manrikigusari("...popular among the Ninja!") or perhaps popped a shuriken in one of their eye sockets to put them in their place...

Junko put up her Kumam0to pictures (including her ninja pictures) here.