On 14 June, 131 aspiring modern-day ninjas descended on Koka City in Shiga Prefecture to test their ninja prowess by taking a special ninja certification test. Known as the Koka-ryu Ninja Certification, with “Koka-ryu” meaning “Koka School”, the exam is divided into three levels – beginner, intermediate, and advanced – and includes written questions as well as marks for shuriken throwing and ninja attire. For the 18th iteration of the exam this year, participants came from across Japan and even overseas, including Singapore and Hong Kong. With ages ranging from 9 to 76, there were 93 beginner-level candidates, 28 intermediate,…