If you happen to be in Japan this Sunday, chances are you’ll be seeing a lot more ninjas than usual. That’s because February 22nd is National Ninja Day in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Although not yet an official holiday, Ninja Day has been getting a lot of media attention in Japan, ever since the cities of Iga and Koka started organizing ninja-themed events to boost tourism. Both historical ninja strongholds, they feature a variety of themed attractions, like ninja villages and schools, but authorities go all out on Ninja Day, to really bring out the spirit of the skilled assassins that once thrived there.

For instance, imagine going to the city hall and being served by a ninja instead of the usual clerk. That’s exactly what goes on in Koka these days, where city hall employees answer phones, operate computers and greet citizens dressed in ninja outfits. Since Ninja Day isn’t an official holiday, they don’t get the day off, but they make the best of it anyway. Oh, and they also hand out free origami shurikens to everyone.

via Kotaku