Central Japan's Aichi prefecture said it is hiring full-time¹ ninjas to promote tourism.

位于日本中部的爱知县近日表示，该县正在招募全职忍者，希望借此推动旅游业发展。

Newly hired ninjas will receive a one-year contract with monthly salary of 180,000 yen² plus a bonus.

新雇佣的忍者将与爱知县签约一年，月薪为18万日元，还有奖金。

Ninjas were 15th Century Japanese mercenaries specialising in espionage³, assassination⁴, sabotage⁵ and other forms of irregular warfare⁶. Such trickery was considered beneath the samurai, or military nobility, who had to observe strict rules on fighting honourably⁷.

忍者是十五世纪日本专门从事间谍、暗杀、破坏和其他非常规战争形式的雇佣兵。忍者地位在武士或军事贵族之下，他们必须遵守严格的规则，为荣誉斗争。

The job specification⁸ has been somewhat changed for the advertised roles.

然而这份广告招聘的忍者工作内容已经有了一些改变。

It involves stage performances and "PR work" for radio and television. Combat experience as a ninja is not required and a track record of killing⁹ people for money would not help your application.

忍者的工作包括舞台表演和在广播和电视台的“公关工作”。作为一个忍者，你不一定要有战斗经验，赏金杀手的工作经验也不会帮助你得到这份工作。

They will perform acrobatics¹⁰, demonstrate the use of their trademark¹¹ shuriken weapons and pose for photographs with tourists, said Satoshi Adachi of the prefectural government's tourism promotion¹² unit. Having the ability to speak Japanese is preferable, but non-Japanese individuals passionate¹³ about history and tourism are welcome, Adachi said.

爱知县旅游推广部门官员安达智表示，这些"忍者"将负责表演特技，展示忍者招牌武器手里剑的使用方法，同时负责和游客合照。安达智称，会说日语者优先，但爱知县也欢迎对日本历史和旅游业充满热情的非日本籍人士应聘。

Training is also a little quicker these days: winning applicants¹⁴ will be up to speed in the arts of wooing tourists with back flips¹⁵ and sword play by the end of April. Successful applicants will be performing in Nagoya Castle and various other locations.

目前培训时间也有一点快：在四月底前，优胜者将达到可以用后空翻和刀术表演吸引游客的水平。成功的申请者将在名古屋城和其他地方进行表演。

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to increase tourism even further in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Anyone over 18 can apply to be a ninja in Aichi, and applications close on 22 March.

日本首相安倍晋三承诺在即将到来的2020东京奥运会之前进一步促进旅游业。任何年满18岁以上的人都可以申请成为爱知县的忍者，简历投递时间截止至3月22日。