Have you got what it takes to be the deadliest shuriken slinger?

Remember the younger days when folding your own origami throwing stars and planning an ambush on friends was a thing? We quickly learned that for all the coolness that came with throwing ninja stars, we could never come close to the fabled shadow warriors themselves.

But for those who still hold a glimmer of hope of joining the shadow ranks, the 10th Igaryu shuriken-throwing contest might be just the thing for you. Preliminaries will be held at seven locations across Japan from September to December, culminating in an ultimate showdown of honed wits and skill in March next year.

▼ All compete to be the meanest slinger in the Old East.

Participants are to hurl five shuriken at a target situated a fair distance away from them, six meters (19.7 feet) for men and five meters for women to be exact. Aside from accuracy, proper etiquette and conduct are also factored into the final score. So while loudly invoking the names of forbidden ninjutsu while throwing stars might sound cool and all, the silent dignity befitting a ninja will score contestants more points.

An awesome shuriken made of solid gold will be bestowed on the grand champion, while the runner-up receives a silver star and third place gets a bronze one. And if you thought Japanese people have some kind of upper hand in throwing those stars, think again.

▼ Because last year’s competition saw a Brazilian beating 239 competitors
to take home that sweet golden shuriken grand prize.

Participants must be at least 15 years of age, and each preliminary location only accommodates 50 people. From the preliminaries, only the top 40 of all participants will proceed to the final round held at the Ninja Museum of Igaryu. The 1,000 yen (US$9.10) registration fee includes insurance, which comes in handy in the unlikely case someone cuts themselves with shuriken.

The preliminaries will be held as follows:

2 September – Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Store (Osaka-shi, Abeno-ku)
9 September – Inuyama Ninjutsu Dojo (Aichi Prefecture, Inuyama-shi)
14 October – Hizenyumekaido (Saga Prefecture, Ureshino-shi)
4 November – Ueda Shiritsu Museum (Nagano Prefecture, Ueda-shi)
2 December – Ninja Museum of Igaryu (Kyoto-shi, Shimogyo-ku)
9 December – Uesen Hakuho Plaza (Iga-shi, Ueno Higashi-cho)
16 December – Mie Terrace (Tokyo-to, Chuo-ku)

Since each location only holds a limited amount of people, prospective ninja should quickly write in directly to the Ninja Museum of Igaryu here to reserve their spots.

We foresee lots of candidates from Nara Prefecture’s awesome Ninja Academy taking part in this competition, but even if you aren’t a shadow warrior yet, why not give it a try? You might just unleash that inner ninja in you.

Source: Livedoor News, Ninja Museum of Igaryu via Hachima Kiko
Top image: Photo AC
Insert images: Photo AC, Pakutaso