Japan: Sightseeing tour with samurai and ninja fights

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Samurai and ninja actors stage a fight on the streets of TokyoImage source, Getty Images

Japan's largest travel agency is launching a bus tour around Tokyo that will feature flying ninjas and sword-wielding samurais, it seems.

The hour-long Samurai and Ninja Safari tour begins with a guided visit to key sights in the Japanese capital, according to The Japan Times. Then it moves on to the historic Asakusa entertainment district, where street performers dressed as samurai warriors and black-clad ninjas leap out of the shadows as the bus cruises by.

JTB travel agency and the SGRS events planner say that at one point there will even be a fight between the historical characters. "As the samurai and ninja battle in Asakusa, passengers can enjoy it from inside the bus - it's theatre in motion," Kazuhiro Kumade of SGRS says. The ride is reminiscent of New York's popular tour called The Ride, which includes theatrical performances along the bus route. Tickets for seats on the Tokyo tour with the clearest view cost £40 ($68), a little cheaper than the New York experience.

Samurai warriors and ninja spies and saboteurs are iconic figures from the Sengoku civil war period in 15th Century Japan. Contrary to their popular image ninjas did not routinely dress in black, but rather were masters of disguise.

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