During my recent trip to Japan, I spent a day at the Kyoto aquarium with my son (who was studying in Japan at the time). While there, we had the chance to witness one of the most entertaining zoo-related behaviors I’ve ever seen: the “penguin walk.” I’d heard that some Japanese zoos and aquariums “walk” the penguins to keep them in shape (and also to check for injuries), but never anticipated getting to witness the process for myself. I also had no idea how amusing it would be. Just as we reached the penguins, a trio of keepers entered the exhibit wearing full-length
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Know Your Ninjas – Shinobi Spies of Medieval Japan
Ninjas are a popular part of 21st century culture. We see them in films and on television, in Internet memes, and even on chocolates and coffee mugs – but how much do you know about who ninjas really were? In medieval Japan, ninja assassins represented a very real, and dangerous, threat. Ninjas – also called shinobi (“ninja” is based on a Chinese pronunciation of the characters, whereas “shinobi” is the more accurate Japanese term) – were highly trained spies and assassins. The word “ninja” translates “shadowed person” – and like most spies, real ninjas knew how to use the shadows to their advantage.
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