Recently, we were asked by a foreign medical company in Tokyo to conduct an in-house ninja training program.
The 90-minute training, conducted in English, was for nearly 20 executives from the U.S., India, China, Korea, Singapore, and other countries who had come to Japan for training.
The request was because “we can come to the company’s meeting room to conduct the seminar” and “we can flexibly respond to requests.” We custom-made the ninja seminar based on the following three points: (1) provide an opportunity for people from other countries to have fun, (2) provide an opportunity for teamwork, and (3) provide unique experiences in Japan.
However, we wanted to convey the real historical facts about the ninja, and since the audience was from the medical field (especially in the research field), we wanted to mention the Koka Ninja, who were well versed in medicine. After much trial and error, we came up with the original seminar, as outlined below.
The first part of the course was a classroom lecture on ninja missions and the Koka Ninja, followed by rubber shuriken throwing, a ninja sneaking foot relay for physical exercise, the Shirafumi no Hou, a calligraphy experience, etc., a team competition for points, a ninja meditation to cool down, and finally, a certificate of completion with a souvenir. The 90-minute session was the most luxurious and rewarding of all.
The number and variety of equipment we brought with us were sizable. Since the attendee were meticulous about each experience, we were pressed for more time than expected. We found ourselves floundering like a scene from “Dfifters” (a popular old Japanese TV program) from beginning to end. I wanted to proceed one after another with a calm face like a ninja. (laugh).
The questionnaire results showed that the average overall satisfaction score was 4.8 (out of 5), which was high considering the foreign participants’ honest responses. In addition, the participants’ expressions and words conveyed that everything was a fresh experience, and we were relieved to hear that.
Regarding operational management, even if one ninja took time to respond to a situation, another ninja was able to proceed while observing it, which was a successful point.
I would like to thank the company staff for this opportunity and their help.
