Members of ninja group Ashura show their martial-art skills during a press conference held by Japan Ninja Council at Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ) in Tokyo on Feb 22, 2017. Photo: AFP
A Japanese university is planning what it says will be the world's first research centre devoted to ninja – the black clad assassins known for secrecy and stealth.
While mostly confined to history books and fiction, ninja have been enjoying something of a resurgence as Japanese authorities increasingly deploy them to promote tourism ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
