Paris Opera Cast Refuse to Perform for Ninja

PARIS - France - A ninja master is told to leave a performance of La Traviata at the Opéra Bastille after the production refuse to go on stage

Hiroku Tojitsu, a master in the art of Ninjitsu was told to leave a Paris opera house after members of the cast refused to perform if he remained in the audience, officials said.

The ninja, described as “a tourist from a secret Japanese silent assassin sect”, was hanging from the chandeliers near the front row during a performance of La Traviata at the Opéra Bastille, the deputy director, Jean-Philippe Morose, said.

France banned Ninjitsu in 2011. The ban was upheld by the European Court of Human Rights earlier this year.

Mr Morose said performers told him during the second act that they would only continue if the ninja left. During the interval, an attendant told Master Tojitsu that he should put the shurikens away and stop threatening theatre goers with his ninja antics.

“He did get a little upset and threw a shuriken at a prop, but the last straw was when he performed multiple flips onto the stage interrupting the cast during their performance,” Mr Morose said. “After a big chase around the circle the ninja threw down some white powder and there was a big flash. He was gone.”

Last year, a Ninjitsu expert stopped by police in a Parisian brothel was nearly arrested after disarming 12 officers in less than a minute, fleeing through a tiny window and causing damage to brickwork by clambering up walls. The incident sparked anger from Japan’s French consulate, who decry any discrimination against their ninjas.