Ninja picked as "Japan Heritage" aimed at boosting tourism

The government said Friday it has picked a pair of cities known for ninja, Japan's feudal mercenaries, among 17 newly designated assortments of cultural assets aimed at boosting tourism ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.The cities straddling the border of central and western Japan -- Iga in Mie Prefecture and Koka in Shiga Prefecture -- known for the two most famous ninja clans, respectively, were included in the third batch of "Japan Heritage" properties, the Cultural Affairs Agency said.The government seeks to recognize tangible and intangible cultural assets in regional ar…READ FULL ARTICLE