A national council will be established to expose the secret ways of ninja to the world.

Tourist agencies and local governments plan to set up the tentatively named Japan Ninja Council in six months to lure more overseas tourists to their areas.

The planning organization comprises four cities and five prefectures that are associated with the highly trained covert agents who specialized in espionage during Japan’s feudal times.

Details of the ninja council will be announced at a March 8 news conference in Tokyo by mayors of member cities. Local governments involved include Iga in Mie Prefecture, Koka in Shiga Prefecture, Ueda in Nagano Prefecture, Odawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, and Saga Prefecture.

“(The council will) bind together as one the public relations activities related to ninja that each local government is executing,” said an official involved in setting up the organization.” We anticipate that foreigners seeking access to more ninja-related information will visit Japan.”

The project is led by the Igaueno Tourist Association in Iga and other entities. They have called for a nationwide effort for a “ninja tourism” strategy with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in mind.

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