Elderly Man Obsessed With Ninjas Arrested for Carrying 170 Knives and Shurikens

When an officer on patrol approached a parked car on a lot in Joestsu, Japan earlier this month, he was surprised to find a 58-year-old man sleeping inside it.

While questioning the elderly Japanese man, the police officer made an even more startling discovery: the man was hiding an arsenal of ninja weapons, RocketNews24 reported. The man, who identified himself as a company man in the city, was found to be carrying a variety of bladed instruments, such as knives and shurikens (throwing stars) inside his vehicle.

In Japan, carrying such items is strictly prohibited under the country’s Swords and Firearms Control Law, so the man was immediately arrested and brought to the local station for further questioning. He reportedly told the police that he bought the knives from military shops and mail order services. The shuriken blades are a little bit more special as he claimed to have hand-crafted them himself from lawn mower blades. He also said he made them so he can throw them for his personal enjoyment.

The reason he gave the police when asked why he owned such a collection of dangerous weapons was simple: “I like ninja.”

For someone found with approximately 170 knives and shurikens, he might just be stating the obvious. However, claiming an illegal act such as carrying dangerous weapons as a hobby wouldn’t really count as a valid excuse.

Had he focused on honing his stealth skills first before hoarding all the weaponry, he could’ve at least avoided the possible jail time.