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Performers sought to play the role of two of Nagoya’s greatest historical heroes.

If you’re still kicking yourself for not applying for that job last year as a ninja master, here’s another chance to get paid for taking on the persona of a Japanese warrior, this time a noble samurai. And not just any samurai, but two of the most well-known and respected figures from Japan’s feudal period.

The Nagoya area was the home of an inordinate number of prominent samurai, so for the past few years visitors to Nagoya Castle have been greeted by the Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai (“Nagoya Hospitality Generals Brigade”), a team of costumed actors representing samurai such as Tokugawa Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, The group is a hit with history buffs (and also young women), but now, two of its members are “graduating,” as Japanese show business likes to call it when a performer moves on to other projects.

Specifically, the Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai is about to lose the actor portraying Oda Nobunaga, whose military exploits during Japan’s Sengoku Period paved the way for the country’s unification which ended centuries of civil war. Also leaving the group is the actor playing Kato Kiyomasa, another famous samurai.

▼ The armor sets worn by Kato Kiyomasa (left) and Oda Nobunaga (right)

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As such, the group will be holding auditions in Nagoya and Tokyo to find the actors’ successors. The successful candidates will primarily be making appearances in and around Nagoya, but the Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai has also travelled as far as Italy to help promote tourism to the Japanese city.

▼ The Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai at an event in Milan

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The organization is looking to hire two actors between the ages of 18 and 30 who are willing to relocate to within one hour of Nagoya. Both positions have a base salary of 180,000 yen (US$1,610) per month plus work volume-based commissions, as well as social security benefits. As Nobunaga is the nominal leader of the Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai, qualified candidates for his position should be particularly comfortable being in the spotlight.

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Applications are being accepted between now and March 31, and can be found online here.

Source, images: Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai
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