Sasuke (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Sasuke is a Japanese sports entertainment
television special
in which 100 competitors attempt to complete a four stage obstacle course
. An edited version, renamed Ninja Warrior, is screened in at least 18 other countries.
Shot on location at Midoriyama
, Aoba-ku
, Yokohama
, Kanagawa, Japan, it airs on the Tokyo Broadcasting System
(TBS) between Japanese television drama
seasons. Each 3-hour special covers an entire competition; there are normally 100 participants. There have been 27 specials, approximately one new special per season (twice per year). The show is produced by Monster9 and is one of the spin-offs
of , another sports entertainment competition, which currently airs on G4
under the name Unbeatable Banzuke
. Until the 10th competition, Sasuke was broadcast as a special part of Muscle Ranking, but it became an independent program when Muscle Ranking was discontinued. The first competition was held indoors, marking the only time Sasuke did not take place outside. Competitions generally start in the daytime and continue until completed regardless of weather or darkness.
There have been several programs related to Sasuke. Kunoichi
, perhaps the most well-known spin off, is a version of Sasuke restricted to female competitors only. There have also been competitions held for children and the elderly.
Applicants are interviewed or auditioned and trial rounds are held to test their physical ability until the field is narrowed to 100 competitors. Sasuke consists of four stages of increasing difficulty; competitors must complete a stage to advance. Before the 18th tournament, a 1200-meter run was held in order to determine the competitors' starting positions. Each competition is taped prior to the air date, edited for time, and broadcast as a 3-hour show.
An online game based on G4's edit of the show has been made and is available on the network's website. It is G4's highest rated show.
, China and Korea, have taken part in the competition. Some of the more enthusiastic competitors dress up in costumes, bring props to the starting stage, or show off some of their talents.
The six consist of:
Akiyama's results:
Nagano's results:
† – Nagano touched the top of the Shin-Cliff Hanger after swinging from the second to the third ledge. He disqualified himself, admitting his error and bowing out after he reached the next platform.
Takeda's results:
Yamamoto's results:
† – Yamamoto was hurt in the 7th competition when he dislocated his shoulder and in the 23rd he re-injured his shoulder.
Shiratori's results:
He hasnt competed since the 22nd competition due too injury
Yamada's results:
† – Although Yamada completed the entire course, he forgot to take off his gloves before the Spider Walk.
† – Kanno touched part of the frame with his foot and climbed along the side of the platform, thereby going off the course.
player, Daisuke Miyazaki
, who was featured in the 21st, 24th and 26th competitions. His best performance was in the Sasuke 21, where he made it all the way to the third stage. In 24 and 26, he failed in the first stage, the latter falling off the Rolling Escargot obstacle.
(and twin brothers) Paul
and Morgan Hamm
, have competed in Sasuke. Paul made it to the second stage in the 14th and 16th competitions but failed to make it further – in the 14th, he cleared Wall Lifting but forgot to hit the button at the end before time ran out, and in the 16th, he was eliminated by the Metal Spin. He competed in the 15th competition as well, but he failed to make it past the first stage's Warped Wall. Morgan timed out in the first stage before he could attempt the Rope Climb in the 14th competition, but he made it to the third stage in the 15th, failing on the Curtain Cling. In the 16th competition, he failed the first stage's Warped Wall.
Decathlete
Paul Terek
competed four times. He first appeared in the 17th competition, making it to the third stage before failing on the Cliff Hanger. The announcer pointed to his immense size (6 foot 3 and 215 pounds) as a barrier to his advancement. After earning the title of Pro Sportsman No. 1 in 2007, Terek appeared in the 19th competition but failed the first stage's Jumping Spider. He helped G4 oversee the 2nd American Ninja Challenge competition in early 2008, but he did not compete in Sasuke's 20th competition due to his training for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (though he eventually had to drop out of the running for the Olympics after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee). He made his return to Sasuke in the 22nd competition but failed on a new obstacle in the first stage, the Slider Jump. He failed the same obstacle in Sasuke 24.
Henry Cejudo
, gold medal-winning wrestler
at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, competed in the 21st competition, but failed the first stage's Halfpipe Attack.
Levi Meeuwenberg, a free runner, first competed in Sasuke 20, where he was one of only three people to clear the first stage and the only person to clear the second stage. He failed the third stage's Shin-Cliff Hanger. In the 21st competition, he failed the Salmon Ladder in the second stage; in the 22nd, he failed the new Slider Jump; in the 23rd, he made it back to the third stage but again failed the Shin-Cliff Hanger. He missed the 24th competition but returned for the 25th, where he failed the first obstacle of the second stage, the Slider Drop. Sadly, he couldn't compete in the 26th competition due to breaking his wrist while participating in Jump City: Seattle
, a televised professional parkour tournament.
In the four times he completed the first stage, he had the fastest time out of everyone else, usually around 16 to 30 seconds to spare.
Brian Orosco, also a free runner, debuted in Sasuke 20 only to fail on the Flying Chute. In his next two appearances he failed the Salmon Ladder and Unstable Bridge. In the 25th competition, he made it to the third stage for the first time, only to fail the Doorknob Grasper. In the 26th competition, he was one of the four Americans to make it to the third stage but ultimately failed on the Roulette Cylinder.
n gymnast and five-time Olympian (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008) Yordan Yovchev first competed in the 8th competition. During that competition he reached the final stage but became the first and only competitor to suffer a 15-second timeout on the initial Spider Climb portion, falling when it spread apart. Rain and a two-second late start also hurt his performance. He made it to the third stage three more times in competitions 12, 14, and 16, failing the Cliff Hanger each time. He competed in the 15th competition but failed the Warped Wall in the first stage. He later came back to compete in Sasuke 20, where he failed the Warped Wall again. He also competed in Sasuke 23, where he managed to pass all of the other obstacles but timed out on the final rope ladder.
, competed three times but has never gotten past the first stage. In the 7th competition, he was unable to beat the Rolling Log; In the 8th, he failed the Quintuple Step; in the 11th, he timed out on the Warped Wall.
, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Champion in the vault and 2008 silver medalist in the floor exercise, competed in the 10th competition but timed out a few feet from the buzzer on the first stage's Rope Climb.
in SASUKE 8. In Sasuke 25, he went to the third stage, but he failed the Ultimate Cliff Hanger. He made it back to the Ultimate Cliff Hanger in Sasuke 26, but again failed there. In Sasuke 25 and 26, Li finished overall first, becoming the only foreigner to have progressed further than any competitor in consecutive tournaments. Li failed first stage only once (Sasuke 18) in 8 attempts making him the only foreigner to clear the first stage six consecutive times (Sasuke 21 to 26).
mixed martial artist
Genki Sudo
has competed in four tournaments, failing at the Jump Hang (6th, 12th), the Duodectuple Step (23rd), and the Log Grip (24th). Another mixed martial artist, Sanae Kikuta
competed in the 8th and 10th tournaments, where he fell off of the Rolling Log in the first stage; in the 12th tournament, he fell on the Plank Bridge in the first stage. Other K-1 fighters who have competed include Tatsuji (19th competition, failed the Jumping Spider), Yudai (20th competition, failed the Rokudantobi), Andy Ologun
(18th competition, failed the Rope Glider; 20th Competition, failed the Log Grip), Bobby Ologun
(22nd Competition, failed the Log Grip), and Bernard Ackah
(19th competition, failed the Jumping Spider).
Former Pride Fighting Championships and Pancrase
Japanese mixed martial artist and pro wrestler Ikuhisa Minowa
, currently competing in DREAM
known as "Minowaman", was featured in the 26th competition wearing red wrestling tights, pads, and boots. He failed the second obstacle, "Hazard Swing" after jumping from the swing, and missing the rope on the platform, falling into the water below. Japanese featherweight mixed martial artist from DREAM Hideo Tokoro
, (announced as a "freelance fighter") was featured right after Minowaman in the 26th competition where he failed to grab the rope to swing himself to the other side in the first obstacle "Step Slider".
Several professional wrestlers have also competed, including Tiger Mask IV
, The Great Sasuke
(referred to as Great Ninja Warrior in the US and UK versions), Minoru Suzuki
, Hiroshi Tanahashi
and Naohiro Hoshikawa. Suzuki and Tanahashi were the All Japan Triple Crown champion
and IWGP Heavyweight Champion
, respectively, during their runs in the course.
and his brother Shane. Kane made the third stage in the 1st, 4th and 6th competitions, failing on the Pole Bridge, Cliff Hanger and Body Prop, respectively. In the 7th competition, he made the second stage but failed the Spider Walk. He reached the final stage in the 8th Competition, becoming, alongside Yordan Yovchev, the first foreigner to make it that far. Competing in heavy rain, Kane timed out on the rope climb; he has not competed since. Shane timed out on the second stage's Wall Lift in the 2nd competition, then failed the first stage's Rolling Log in the 3rd competition. In the 4th, he came close to completing the first stage but timed out on the Rope Climb. In the 6th and 7th competitions, he made it to the third stage, failing both times on the Body Prop. In the 8th competition, he failed to get past the first stage's Warped Wall. Unlike his brother, Shane competed in the 9th competition, where he failed the Big Boulder in the first stage.
Other entertainers who have competed include Hiromichi Sato, host of several NHK
children's programs; Shigeyuki Nakamura, a champion of the Muscle Gym event in Kinniku Banzuke
; actor-singer Kazumi Morohoshi, a former member of the band Hikaru Genji who is now a solo artist; actor/announcer Kenjirō Ishimaru
; and actors Masaki Nomura and Shōei
. Sato debuted in the 18th tournament and failed the first stage's Flying Chute. In the 19th tournament, he failed the Log Grip. In the 20th competition, he timed out before he attempted the Tarzan Rope. In the 21st competition, he timed out on the Warped Wall. In the 22nd, Sato finally cleared the first stage but failed the Metal Spin in the second. In Sasuke 23, he failed the Jumping Spider. In Sasuke 24, he failed the Metal Spin again. Nakamura made it to the third stage in the 2nd competition, failing there on the Pipe Slider, but in the 6th competition he was eliminated by the first stage's Jump Hang. Morohoshi debuted in the 20th tournament but failed the Log Grip in the first stage. Ishimaru has never made it past the first stage; his two closest attempts, in the 16th and 17th competitions, timed out on the Rope Climb. Shōei
made it to the third stage during the 8th competition, ultimately failing on the Body Prop.
Actor James Okada, a graduate from a martial arts academy, competed in the 7th and 8th competitions. In his first attempt, he failed the Jump Hang in the first stage, but in the next tournament, he made it all the way to the third, where he was defeated by the first obstacle, the Propeller Bars.
("the most famous gut in Japan" and 2nd on G4's Craziest Contestants Poll), Passion Yara
("screaming wacko" and 5th on G4s craziest contestants poll), Masaki Sumitani
("Razor Ramon H.G." or "Hard Gay"), Yoku Hata
("Guitar Samurai"), Tetsurō Degawa
, and Kinnikun Nakayama. Most of these compete for entertainment value and do not represent serious challenges – for example, Choshu's only accomplishment was being the first person to clear the Rope Glider in the 18th competition. However, some have seen success. Omori made it to the final stage three times in a row (1st–3rd competitions), a record that is shared with Sasuke all-star Makoto Nagano
, but since then he has not been able to clear the first stage. Nakayama made it to the second stage in the 9th and 11th competitions; in the 9th, Nakayama failed the Spider Walk, and in the 11th, he missed hitting the second stage's final button by a split-second.
Recent comedians include, Yoshio Kojima
, who competed in 25th and 26th competitions, where he failed at the Hazard Swing, and funnyman Masumi Yagi was featured in the 26th competition but failed on the Step Slider. Cocky comedian, Eiko Kano (aka "Mr. Narcissus") was featured in the 25th competition and failed at the Step Slider, but got past this first obstacle in the 26th competition and failed at the Rolling Escargot.
from Matsumoto
, Nagano Prefecture
, who has competed ten times and made it to the third stage in the 11th competition (failing on the Pipe Slider) as well as the 14th (where he failed the Devil's Swing). Since his debut in the 11th tournament, he has only missed the 17th; however, much of his footage has been cut from the TBS broadcast. He usually competes in a blue or gray garbage man's uniform. In the 16th competition, when the G4 commentator commented on his wipeout on the Metal Spin, Kobayashi was mistakenly called an All-Star.
Former elementary school teacher Hiroyuki Asaoka, previously known as the "Sasuke Sensei
" (in America: "Professor Ninja Warrior", in the UK: "The Professor"), has competed in several tournaments. He first competed in the 3rd competition, failing the second stage's Hammer Dodge. Asaoka was one of the three men to reach the final stage in the 12th competition, failing on the Rope Climb. He also reached the third stage in the 4th, 10th, and 14th competitions. In the 20th tournament, which was his last, he failed the first stage's Rope Ladder. Currently, Asaoka works as an illustrator for graphic novels.
Kenji Takahashi, a 33-year-old delivery man from Saitama Prefecture
, has competed thirteen times, with a 5-year break between his third and fourth attempts. He reached the third stage in competitions 7, 16, and 18 but failed the Cliff Hanger each time. He then failed the first stage four times, in the 19th through 22nd tournaments. In the 23rd competition, Takashi failed the Gliding Ring. In the 24th, he made it to the final stage for the first time, but his support cable got tangled with the G-rope, and he timed out a few meters short of completion. In the 25th competition, he made it to the third stage but failed the Ultimate Cliff Hanger. He returned in Sasuke 26, but failed the Rolling Escargot.
American Navy
salvage diver
Travis Schraeder made his debut in the 4th competition, making it to the third stage. There, he reached the Pipe Slider, but he pushed the pipe too hard, and it fell off its tracks, resulting in his disqualification. He was the first American competitor to reach the third stage. In his only other appearance in the 5th competition, he ran out of time on the first stage's Rope Climb.
Schraeder's partner, Kevin Lee, competed in the 6th competition but failed the Jump Hang.
Another notable competitor is Tomihiro Tatsukawa, the "Japanese Clark Kent", an insurance salesman who usually dressed in a Superman
costume. He competed in the first ten tournaments but never cleared the first stage. He is No. 4 on the G4 Wardrobe Malfunction poll.
A dancer named Goku who competed in many of the earlier competitions is known for removing almost all of his clothes, except for an old-fashioned white thong, before he begins. He has never made it past the first stage. In the G4 Broadcast of the 12th competition, he was honored on the "Warrior Wipeout" for his failure on the Jump Hang, but was mistakenly listed as Sou Takei, who also failed that obstacle. Goku is No. 5 on the G4 Wardrobe Malfunction poll.
61-year-old Minoru Kuramochi, known as "the Octopus" because he usually brings an octopus with him, is the owner of the Edokko Izakaya octopus bar in Tokyo and is one of the oldest competitors. He has competed several times, never making it very far into the first stage. Despite this, he seems to be a fan favorite. In the 20th Competition's preview special, he welcomed the G4 American Ninja Challengers to his bar, served them his special octopus meal, and showed off to them his physical skills. He is No. 4 on G4's Craziest Contestant poll.
Toyohisa Ijima, a martial arts dance instructor and former member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces
, competed in the first several tournaments. He is known as the "Japanese Bruce Lee" because of his resemblance to the late action star
, which extends to dressing and acting like him. He has only made it past the first stage in the 1st tournament; in the 11th tournament, he missed hitting the final button on the Rope Climb by a split second because he had wasted time posing for the crowd after completing each obstacle. He is No. 3 on G4's Craziest Contestant poll.
Hibari Igano, a transsexual who is a former dancer-turned-action star, usually referred to simply as Hibari and known as the "World's Toughest Transsexual", also competed in several early tournaments. She never made it past the first stage. She is No. 2 on G4's Wardrobe Malfunction poll for her appearance in the 7th competition.
The youngest competitor to pass the first stage, Kota Honma, was 16 years old during the 17th competition. He was also the youngest participant – 13 years old in the 13th Competition – until Sasuke 24. Kota has built a model of the full Sasuke course, including a qualifying round. He has also demonstrated his hobby of juggling
on the first stage starting platform. Before the 17th competition, he trained six days per week with his school's track and field
team.
Tien Dinh, a background dancer for Ashanti who appeared on the Soul Train Music Awards
, competed on Sasuke in 2004.
Ken Yasuda
, coach of the Tokyo Sabres
of the IFL
, competed in the 4th, 5th, and 13th tournaments. He failed the balance bridge in his first attempt. In his other two tries, he fell off the Rolling Log.
A President Barack Obama
look-alike competed on Ninja Warrior where he failed on the Circle Hammer and fell into the water on the 22nd tournament.
Koji Yamada is a 34-year-old fireman from the Gifu Prefecture with just three percent body fat. In his debut in the 12th competition, he wore No. 1 and became the first and only person to wear that number and make it to the third stage. In that competition, he made it all the way to the third stage obstacle, the Cliffhanger, before failing. In the 13th competition, he failed the redesigned Jump Hang, and in the 14th, he timed out on the Warped Wall. He made it to the third stage in the 15th and 16th competitions, failing the Jumping Bars and the Pipe Slider, respectively. In the 17th, he failed a second stage obstacle, the Metal Spin. He was one of two competitors to pass the first stage of the 19th competition, ultimately timing out on the Salmon Ladder. G4TV dubs his first name as Yasushi, possibly to avoid confusion with Katsumi Yamada or because of translation issues.
Tomokazu Tanaka was the show's first competitor. He put on an impressive run but had trouble at the Wicked Wall/Hill Climb and ran out of time at the Subduction Zone/Mountain Climb.
stuntwoman Chie Nishimura
, who did so in the 2nd tournament. She attempted the second stage's Spider Walk in a non-optimal fashion, because her legs were too short to reach across the obstacle the proper way, and failed. She also competed in Sasuke 3 but failed the Rolling Log. She hasn't competed in Sasuke since.
Sports entertainment
Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience...
television special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
in which 100 competitors attempt to complete a four stage obstacle course
Obstacle course
An obstacle course is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual or team must navigate usually while being timed. Obstacle courses can include running, climbing, jumping, crawling, swimming, and balancing elements with the aim of testing speed and endurance. Sometimes a course...
. An edited version, renamed Ninja Warrior, is screened in at least 18 other countries.
Shot on location at Midoriyama
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
, Aoba-ku
Aoba-ku, Yokohama
is one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 302,643 and a density of 8,610 persons per km². The total area was 35.14 km².-Geography:...
, Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Kanagawa, Japan, it airs on the Tokyo Broadcasting System
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
(TBS) between Japanese television drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
seasons. Each 3-hour special covers an entire competition; there are normally 100 participants. There have been 27 specials, approximately one new special per season (twice per year). The show is produced by Monster9 and is one of the spin-offs
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of , another sports entertainment competition, which currently airs on G4
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
under the name Unbeatable Banzuke
Kinniku Banzuke
a.k.a. Unbeatable Banzuke was a weekly Japanese television program and the premier sports entertainment variety show of the Tokyo Broadcasting System . Its successors were and . They succeeded by Muscle Musical...
. Until the 10th competition, Sasuke was broadcast as a special part of Muscle Ranking, but it became an independent program when Muscle Ranking was discontinued. The first competition was held indoors, marking the only time Sasuke did not take place outside. Competitions generally start in the daytime and continue until completed regardless of weather or darkness.
There have been several programs related to Sasuke. Kunoichi
Kunoichi (TV series)
was a women's obstacle course competition held in Japan and broadcast on the Tokyo Broadcasting System. It is a spin-off of Sasuke, another obstacle course series. Kunoichi is different from Sasuke in that the competitors are exclusively female.-Participants:Participants compete for a prize of 2...
, perhaps the most well-known spin off, is a version of Sasuke restricted to female competitors only. There have also been competitions held for children and the elderly.
Applicants are interviewed or auditioned and trial rounds are held to test their physical ability until the field is narrowed to 100 competitors. Sasuke consists of four stages of increasing difficulty; competitors must complete a stage to advance. Before the 18th tournament, a 1200-meter run was held in order to determine the competitors' starting positions. Each competition is taped prior to the air date, edited for time, and broadcast as a 3-hour show.
An online game based on G4's edit of the show has been made and is available on the network's website. It is G4's highest rated show.
Competitors
The show hosts a broad spectrum of participants. While most are amateur athletes from Japan, national television personalities and Olympians from other countries, including the USA, BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, China and Korea, have taken part in the competition. Some of the more enthusiastic competitors dress up in costumes, bring props to the starting stage, or show off some of their talents.
Sasuke All-Stars
The Sasuke All-Stars are a group of six favored competitors, established by the TBS network, thought to possess the greatest opportunities to clear all four stages. It includes two of the men to complete the Sasuke course, Kazuhiko Akiyama (1999) and Makoto Nagano (2006). In the 24th and 27th tournament, a third man, Yuuji Urushihara, cleared all four stages, but he is not considered an All-StarThe six consist of:
- Kazuhiko Akiyama, a crab fisherman.
Akiyama's results:
| Competition | Start Position | Obstacle | Stage |
| 2nd | 100 | Failed Wall Lifting | Second |
| 3rd | 99 | Failed Wall Lifting | Second |
| 4th | 86 | Total Victory (6.00 seconds to spare) | Final |
| 5th | Did Not Compete | ||
| 6th | 100 | Failed Jump Hang | First |
| 7th | 99 | Failed Jump Hang | First |
| 8th | 99 | Failed Jump Hang | First |
| 9th | 100 | Failed Quintuple Step | First |
| 10th | 981 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
| 11th | 99 | Failed Body Prop | Third |
| 12th | 97 | Failed Pipe Slider | Third |
| 13th | 91 | Failed Crooked Wall | First |
| 14th | 71 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
| 15th | 81 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
| 16th | 71 | Failed Metal Spin | Second |
| 17th | 71 | Failed Circle Slider | First |
| 18th | Did Not Compete | ||
| 19th | Did Not Compete | ||
| 20th | 1901 | Failed Halfpipe Attack | First |
| 21st | Did Not Compete | ||
| 22nd | 20 | Failed Halfpipe Attack | First |
| 23rd | Did Not Compete | ||
| 24th | 62 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
| 25th | 98 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
- Makoto NaganoMakoto Naganois a commercial fisherman and the captain of his vessel, and musician. He is regularly seen on the Japanese television show Sasuke where he is one of the "SASUKE All-Stars," a group of favored competitors who possess the greatest potential in completing the four grueling obstacle courses of Ninja...
, a fisherman. Known for reaching the final stage more than anyone else. To see his victorious run in Competition 17 click this link label:
Nagano's results:
| Competition | Start Position | Obstacle | Stage |
| 7th | 87 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
| 8th | 41 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
| 9th | 61 | Failed Pipe Slider | Third |
| 10th | 999 | Failed Jump Hang | First |
| 11th | 96 | Failed Rope Climb | Final |
| 12th | 100 | Failed Rope Climb (by 0.11 seconds) | Final |
| 13th | 100 | Failed Rope Climb | Final |
| 14th | 100 | Failed Jumping Bars | Third |
| 15th | 100 | Failed Metal Spin | Second |
| 16th | 100 | Failed Devil Swing | Third |
| 17th | 99 | Total Victory (2.56 seconds to spare) | Final |
| 18th | 96 | Disqualified on Shin-Cliff Hanger† | Third |
| 19th | 100 | Failed Flying Chute | First |
| 20th | 2000 | Failed Downhill Jump | Second |
| 21st | 100 | Failed Gliding Ring | Third |
| 22nd | 100 | Failed Slider Jump | First |
| 23rd | 100 | Failed G Rope | Final |
| 24th | 100 | Failed Jumping Spider | First |
| 25th | 99 | Failed Circle Slider | First |
| 26th | 99 | Failed Jumping Spider | First |
| 27th | 100 | Failed Ultimate Cliff Hanger | Third |
† – Nagano touched the top of the Shin-Cliff Hanger after swinging from the second to the third ledge. He disqualified himself, admitting his error and bowing out after he reached the next platform.
- Toshihiro Takeda, a firefighter. Reached the third stage more than any competitor.
Takeda's results:
| Competition | Start Position | Obstacle | Stage |
| 5th | 74 | Failed Spider Walk | Second |
| 6th | 93 | Failed Body Prop | Third |
| 7th | 96 | Failed Rope Climb | First |
| 8th | 71 | Failed Pipe Slider | Third |
| 9th | 97 | Failed Globe Grasp | Third |
| 10th | 997 | Failed Jump Hang | First |
| 11th | 97 | Failed Body Prop | Third |
| 12th | 95 | Failed Pipe Slider | Third |
| 13th | 98 | Failed Cliff Hanger | Third |
| 14th | 97 | Failed Cliff Hanger | Third |
| 15th | 96 | Failed Devil Swing | Third |
| 16th | 98 | Failed Cliff Hanger | Third |
| 17th | 91 | Failed Pipe Slider | Third |
| 18th | 86 | Failed Salmon Ladder | Second |
| 19th | 96 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
| 20th | 1995 | Failed Rope Ladder | First |
| 21st | 98 | Failed Hang Climbing | Third |
| 22nd | 92 | Failed Jumping Spider | First |
| 23rd | 97 | Failed Spider Flip | Third |
| 24th | 98 | Failed Spider Flip | Third |
| 25th | 70 | Failed Double Salmon Ladder | Second |
- Shingo Yamamoto, a gas station manager. Only person to compete in every tournament.
Yamamoto's results:
| Competition | Start Position | Obstacle | Stage |
| 1st | 7 | Failed Dodging Hammer | Second |
| 2nd | 20 | Failed Pipe Slider | Third |
| 3rd | 13 | Failed Rope Climb | Final |
| 4th | 98 | Failed Balance Bridge | First |
| 5th | 98 | Failed Pipe Slider | Third |
| 6th | 96 | Failed Rolling Log | First |
| 7th | 97 | Failed Spider Climb (injured†) | Final |
| 8th | 98 | Failed Rope Climb | First |
| 9th | 98 | Failed Rumbling Dice | Third |
| 10th | 998 | Failed Rope Climb | First |
| 11th | 98 | Failed Cliff Hanger | Third |
| 12th | 96 | Failed Cliff Hanger | Third |
| 13th | 76 | Failed Wall Lifting | Second |
| 14th | 98 | Failed Curtain Cling | Third |
| 15th | 95 | Failed Body Prop | Third |
| 16th | 97 | Failed Jump Hang | First |
| 17th | 98 | Failed Body Prop | Third |
| 18th | 61 | Failed Flying Chute | First |
| 19th | 81 | Failed Jumping Spider | First |
| 20th | 1981 | Failed Halfpipe Attack | First |
| 21st | 71 | Failed Flying Chute | First |
| 22nd | 31 | Failed Halfpipe Attack | First |
| 23rd | 93 | Failed Arm Rings (injured†) | Third |
| 24th | 96 | Failed Tarzan Rope | First |
| 25th | 90 | Failed Balance Tank | Second |
| 26th | 94 | Failed Rolling Escargot | First |
| 27th | 81 | Failed Spinning Bridge | First |
† – Yamamoto was hurt in the 7th competition when he dislocated his shoulder and in the 23rd he re-injured his shoulder.
- Bunpei Shiratori, a government worker.
Shiratori's results:
| Competition | Start Position | Obstacle | Stage |
| 9th | 79 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
| 10th | Did Not Compete | ||
| 11th | 66 | Failed Wall Lifting | Second |
| 12th | 77 | Failed Rope Climb | Final |
| 13th | 99 | Failed Pipe Slider | Third |
| 14th | 96 | Failed Balance Tank | Second |
| 15th | 94 | Failed Climbing Bars | Third |
| 16th | 96 | Failed Pipe Slider | Third |
| 17th | 81 | Failed Body Prop | Third |
| 18th | 95 | Failed Jumping Spider | First |
| 19th | 82 | Failed Flying Chute | First |
| 20th | Did Not Compete (injured) | ||
| 21st | 83 | Failed Downhill Jump | Second |
He hasnt competed since the 22nd competition due too injury
- Katsumi Yamada, a steel worker known as "Mr. Sasuke" or "Mr. Ninja Warrior". He was once thought to be the one most likely to complete the entire course by the tournament's producers, but has not passed the first stage in over seven years.
Yamada's results:
| Competition | Start Position | Obstacle | Stage |
| 1st | 92 | Failed Dodging Hammer | Second |
| 2nd | 91 | Failed Spider Walk | Second |
| 3rd | 89 | Failed Rope Climb | Final |
| 4th | 100 | Failed Cliff Hanger | Third |
| 5th | 100 | Failed Spider Walk | Second |
| 6th | 99 | Failed Pipe Slider | Third |
| 7th | 100 | Failed Rope Climb | First |
| 8th | 100 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
| 9th | 99 | Failed Wall Lifting | Second |
| 10th | 1000 | Failed Pipe Slider | Third |
| 11th | 100 | Failed Balance Tank | Second |
| 12th | 98 | Disqualified on Spider Walk† | Second |
| 13th | Did Not Compete | ||
| 14th | 99 | Failed Jump Hang | First |
| 15th | 99 | Failed Cross Bridge | First |
| 16th | 99 | Failed Rope Climb | First |
| 17th | 100 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
| 18th | 73 | Failed Rope Ladder | First |
| 19th | 91 | Failed Jumping Spider | First |
| 20th | 1999 | Failed Jumping Spider | First |
| 21st | 96 | Failed Warped Wall (injured) | First |
| 22nd | 81 | Failed Jumping Spider | First |
| 23rd | 71 | Failed Slider Jump | First |
| 24th | 80 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
| 25th | Did not compete | ||
| 26th | 90 | Failed Jumping Spider | First |
| 27th | 91 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
† – Although Yamada completed the entire course, he forgot to take off his gloves before the Spider Walk.
Sasuke New Stars
The Sasuke New Stars are recent competitors who have made a name for themselves.- Yuuji Urushihara, a shoe salesman and an Unlimited Cliffer member and the only man to achieve total victory twice.
| Competition | Start Position | Obstacle | Stage |
| 21st | 72 | Failed Flying Chute | First |
| 22nd | 77 | Failed G-Rope | Final |
| 23rd | 99 | Failed Unstable Bridge | Second |
| 24th | 93 | Total Victory (3.57 seconds to spare) | Final |
| 25th | 100 | Failed Double Salmon Ladder | Second |
| 26th | 100 | Failed Half-Pipe Attack | First |
| 27th | 99 | Total Victory (6.71 seconds to spare) | Final |
- Koji Hashimoto, a gym instructor.
| Competition | Start Position | Obstacle | Stage |
| 21st | 42 | Failed Warped Wall | First |
| 22nd | 76 | Failed Slider Jump | First |
| 23rd | 47 | Failed Salmon Ladder | Second |
| 24th | 85 | Failed G-Rope | Final |
| 25th | 60 | Failed Ultimate Cliffhanger | Third |
| 26th | 98 | Failed Metal Spin | Second |
| 27th | 20 | Failed Chain SeeSaw | Third |
- Hitoshi Kanno, a maintenance man
| Competition | Start Position | Obstacle | Stage |
| 20th | 1976 | Failed Jumping Spider | First |
| 22nd | 49 | Disqualified On Spider Flip | Third |
| 23rd | 96 | Failed G-Rope | Final |
| 24th | 99 | Failed Tarzan Rope | First |
| 25th | 89 | Failed Balance Tank | Second |
| 26th | 93 | Failed Rolling Escargot | First |
| 27th | 1 | Withdrew on Double Salmon Ladder* | Second |
† – Kanno touched part of the frame with his foot and climbed along the side of the platform, thereby going off the course.
- - In the First Stage, Kanno hurt his shoulder on the Spinning Bridge and had to fight through pain at the end of the First Stage and the Slider Drop. He cleared the Slider Drop but decided to withdraw to not make the pain worse.
- Naoya Tajima, a transportation worker
| Competition | Start Position | Obstacle | Stage |
| 23rd | 45 | Failed Salmon Ladder | Second |
| 24th | 73 | Failed Gliding Ring | Third |
| 25th | 49 | Failed Circle Slider | First |
| 26th | 86 | Failed Jumping Spider | First |
| 27th | 29 | Failed Slider Drop | Second |
- Jun Sato, a college student
| Competition | Start Position | Obstacle | Stage |
| 21st | 44 | Failed Log Grip | First |
| 23rd | 50 | Failed Salmon Ladder | Second |
| 24th | 78 | Failed Salmon Ladder | Second |
| 25th | 18 | Failed Unstable Bridge | Second |
Japanese athletes
Several Japanese athletes have competed in Sasuke over the years including, professional team handballTeam handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
player, Daisuke Miyazaki
Daisuke Miyazaki
is a Japanese handball player. He played for BM Alcobendas in 09/10 season, currently plays for Osaki Osol.He has competed in Pro Sportsman No. 1 five times. He has won three times in 2006, 2008 and 2009. He came close in 2007, resulting in 4th place, with Paul Terek as the winner, and in 2010 he...
, who was featured in the 21st, 24th and 26th competitions. His best performance was in the Sasuke 21, where he made it all the way to the third stage. In 24 and 26, he failed in the first stage, the latter falling off the Rolling Escargot obstacle.
American athletes
Various American athletes, including gymnastsGymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
(and twin brothers) Paul
Paul Hamm
Paul Elbert Hamm is an American artistic gymnast. He is a World Champion gymnast and three-time Olympic medalist. He won the all-around competition at the 2004 Olympic Games.-Career:...
and Morgan Hamm
Morgan Hamm
Morgan Carl Hamm is an American artistic gymnast. He represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics and at the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the 2004 Olympics, he won the silver medal in the team competition. He was a member of the silver-medal winning team at the 2003 World Artistic...
, have competed in Sasuke. Paul made it to the second stage in the 14th and 16th competitions but failed to make it further – in the 14th, he cleared Wall Lifting but forgot to hit the button at the end before time ran out, and in the 16th, he was eliminated by the Metal Spin. He competed in the 15th competition as well, but he failed to make it past the first stage's Warped Wall. Morgan timed out in the first stage before he could attempt the Rope Climb in the 14th competition, but he made it to the third stage in the 15th, failing on the Curtain Cling. In the 16th competition, he failed the first stage's Warped Wall.
Decathlete
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
Paul Terek
Paul Terek
Paul Anthony Terek is an American Olympic decathlete. He graduated from Livonia Franklin High School in Livonia, Michigan. His personal best in decathlon is 8312 points, achieved in July 2004 in Sacramento at the United States Olympic Trials. Terek won the bronze medal and was placed on the United...
competed four times. He first appeared in the 17th competition, making it to the third stage before failing on the Cliff Hanger. The announcer pointed to his immense size (6 foot 3 and 215 pounds) as a barrier to his advancement. After earning the title of Pro Sportsman No. 1 in 2007, Terek appeared in the 19th competition but failed the first stage's Jumping Spider. He helped G4 oversee the 2nd American Ninja Challenge competition in early 2008, but he did not compete in Sasuke's 20th competition due to his training for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (though he eventually had to drop out of the running for the Olympics after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee). He made his return to Sasuke in the 22nd competition but failed on a new obstacle in the first stage, the Slider Jump. He failed the same obstacle in Sasuke 24.
Henry Cejudo
Henry Cejudo
Henry Cejudo is a freestyle wrestler, Olympic gold medalist, and author. Cejudo became an Olympic gold medalist at just 21 years old, the youngest American wrestler to win a gold medal....
, gold medal-winning wrestler
Freestyle wrestling
Freestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practised throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history...
at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, competed in the 21st competition, but failed the first stage's Halfpipe Attack.
Levi Meeuwenberg, a free runner, first competed in Sasuke 20, where he was one of only three people to clear the first stage and the only person to clear the second stage. He failed the third stage's Shin-Cliff Hanger. In the 21st competition, he failed the Salmon Ladder in the second stage; in the 22nd, he failed the new Slider Jump; in the 23rd, he made it back to the third stage but again failed the Shin-Cliff Hanger. He missed the 24th competition but returned for the 25th, where he failed the first obstacle of the second stage, the Slider Drop. Sadly, he couldn't compete in the 26th competition due to breaking his wrist while participating in Jump City: Seattle
Jump City: Seattle
Jump City: Seattle is an American television series on G4 that features four of the top freerunning and parkour teams in the United States all coming together for the first U.S. freerunning competition...
, a televised professional parkour tournament.
In the four times he completed the first stage, he had the fastest time out of everyone else, usually around 16 to 30 seconds to spare.
Brian Orosco, also a free runner, debuted in Sasuke 20 only to fail on the Flying Chute. In his next two appearances he failed the Salmon Ladder and Unstable Bridge. In the 25th competition, he made it to the third stage for the first time, only to fail the Doorknob Grasper. In the 26th competition, he was one of the four Americans to make it to the third stage but ultimately failed on the Roulette Cylinder.
Bulgarian athletes
BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n gymnast and five-time Olympian (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008) Yordan Yovchev first competed in the 8th competition. During that competition he reached the final stage but became the first and only competitor to suffer a 15-second timeout on the initial Spider Climb portion, falling when it spread apart. Rain and a two-second late start also hurt his performance. He made it to the third stage three more times in competitions 12, 14, and 16, failing the Cliff Hanger each time. He competed in the 15th competition but failed the Warped Wall in the first stage. He later came back to compete in Sasuke 20, where he failed the Warped Wall again. He also competed in Sasuke 23, where he managed to pass all of the other obstacles but timed out on the final rope ladder.
Korean athletes
South Korean gymnast Yeo Hong Chul, silver medalist in the men's vault at the 1996 Olympic Games in AtlantaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, competed three times but has never gotten past the first stage. In the 7th competition, he was unable to beat the Rolling Log; In the 8th, he failed the Quintuple Step; in the 11th, he timed out on the Warped Wall.
Spanish athletes
Spanish gymnast Gervasio DeferrGervasio Deferr
Gervasio Deferr Angel is a former gymnast from Spain, who started in gymnastics at the age of five, and became the number one athlete of his country in that sport....
, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Champion in the vault and 2008 silver medalist in the floor exercise, competed in the 10th competition but timed out a few feet from the buzzer on the first stage's Rope Climb.
Taiwanese athletes
Li En Zhi (who was incorrectly listed as Lee Yen Chi in the US version and was mistakenly called Lee Enchi for years), is a professional rock climber from Taiwan. In his first attempt in the 17th competition, he cleared the first stage but failed the second stage's Metal Spin. In the 18th competition, he failed the Jumping Spider in first stage. After a two tournament absence, he competed in Sasuke 21 and was one of only nine competitors to make it to the second stage, timing out on Wall Lifting. In the 22nd competition, he was one of four people to make it to the third stage, ultimately failing the Shin-Cliff Hanger. In Sasuke 23, he failed the second stage's Metal Spin. In Sasuke 24, he made it to the Final Stage for the first time but timed out 19 meters up. Li became the third foreigner to reach the Final Stage since Yordan Yovchev and Kane KosugiKane Kosugi
born in Los Angeles, California is a American martial artist and martial arts actor. He is the son of martial arts star Sho Kosugi. In Japan, Kosugi is considered gaijin tarento due to his Nisei heritage....
in SASUKE 8. In Sasuke 25, he went to the third stage, but he failed the Ultimate Cliff Hanger. He made it back to the Ultimate Cliff Hanger in Sasuke 26, but again failed there. In Sasuke 25 and 26, Li finished overall first, becoming the only foreigner to have progressed further than any competitor in consecutive tournaments. Li failed first stage only once (Sasuke 18) in 8 attempts making him the only foreigner to clear the first stage six consecutive times (Sasuke 21 to 26).
Mixed martial artists and wrestlers
K-1K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
Genki Sudo
Genki Sudo
is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist and a kickboxer who, up until December 31, 2006 competed in the Japanese fighting organization HERO'S and before that, the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pancrase. He is notable for his elaborate ring entrances and unorthodox fighting style. His...
has competed in four tournaments, failing at the Jump Hang (6th, 12th), the Duodectuple Step (23rd), and the Log Grip (24th). Another mixed martial artist, Sanae Kikuta
Sanae Kikuta
Sanae Kikuta is a Japanese mixed martial artist who rose to popularity fighting in the Pancrase organization, and currently fights for World Victory Road...
competed in the 8th and 10th tournaments, where he fell off of the Rolling Log in the first stage; in the 12th tournament, he fell on the Plank Bridge in the first stage. Other K-1 fighters who have competed include Tatsuji (19th competition, failed the Jumping Spider), Yudai (20th competition, failed the Rokudantobi), Andy Ologun
Andy Ologun
Andy Ologun is a Nigerian professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, boxer, and actor who has fought for K-1 and DREAM. He is the younger brother of Japanese TV personality, gaikokujin tarento, and mixed martial artist Bobby Ologun....
(18th competition, failed the Rope Glider; 20th Competition, failed the Log Grip), Bobby Ologun
Bobby Ologun
Bobby Ologun is a Nigerian-born TV personality in Japan, and a mixed martial artist. In Japan, he is known simply as . He speaks English, Yoruba and Japanese. He currently lives in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture...
(22nd Competition, failed the Log Grip), and Bernard Ackah
Bernard Ackah
Bernard Ackah is a German-born, Japanese-based Ivorian taekwondo practitioner, kickboxer, mixed martial artist and comedian.-Martial arts career and background:...
(19th competition, failed the Jumping Spider).
Former Pride Fighting Championships and Pancrase
Pancrase
Pancrase is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. Pancrase is taken from Pankration, a sport in the ancient Olympic games. Suzuki and Funaki are particularly skilled in the art of catch wrestling and based the...
Japanese mixed martial artist and pro wrestler Ikuhisa Minowa
Ikuhisa Minowa
is a Japanese mixed martial artist and pro wrestler currently competing in Dream as . He was a long time veteran of Pride Fighting Championships and Pancrase and has also competed in other mixed martial arts promotions such as K-1 HERO'S, Cage Rage, UFC, and DEEP. At 5'9" he is notable for taking...
, currently competing in DREAM
DREAM (mixed martial arts)
Dream is a mixed martial arts organization promoted by former PRIDE FC executives and K-1 promoter Fighting and Entertainment Group. DREAM replaced FEG's previous-run mixed martial arts fight series, Hero's. The series retains many of the stylistic flourishes and personnel from Pride FC...
known as "Minowaman", was featured in the 26th competition wearing red wrestling tights, pads, and boots. He failed the second obstacle, "Hazard Swing" after jumping from the swing, and missing the rope on the platform, falling into the water below. Japanese featherweight mixed martial artist from DREAM Hideo Tokoro
Hideo Tokoro
Hideo Tokoro is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in Dream in the bantamweight division. He competed in many mixed martial arts fights in other various promotions such as TFC, ZST, Shooto, Rings and K-1 Hero's.-DREAM:...
, (announced as a "freelance fighter") was featured right after Minowaman in the 26th competition where he failed to grab the rope to swing himself to the other side in the first obstacle "Step Slider".
Several professional wrestlers have also competed, including Tiger Mask IV
Tiger Mask IV
Yoshihiro Yamazaki , best known by his ring name Tiger Mask , is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Yamazaki is the fourth wrestler to portray the Tiger Mask image / persona; having used it since 1995...
, The Great Sasuke
Masanori Murakawa
, , is a Japanese professional wrestler who is best known by his stage name The Great Sasuke, as well as a former Iwate Prefectural Assembly legislator. He has wrestled in Japan and in the United States in various wrestling promotions...
(referred to as Great Ninja Warrior in the US and UK versions), Minoru Suzuki
Minoru Suzuki
is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Suzuki was the co-founder of Pancrase, one of the first mixed martial arts organizations in the world. During the 1990s he was known as one of the best fighters in the Pancrase promotion and was the second King of Pancrase world champion...
, Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler who works primarily for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion in his fifth reign.-Early life:...
and Naohiro Hoshikawa. Suzuki and Tanahashi were the All Japan Triple Crown champion
AJPW Triple Crown Championship
The AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship is the top professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling. The championship is a unification of the NWA United National Championship, the PWF Heavyweight Championship and the NWA International Heavyweight Championship....
and IWGP Heavyweight Champion
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
The International Wrestling Grand Prix Heavyweight Championship is the top professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling...
, respectively, during their runs in the course.
Japanese entertainers
Several Japanese or Japan-based entertainers have taken part in Sasuke, including action movie star Kane KosugiKane Kosugi
born in Los Angeles, California is a American martial artist and martial arts actor. He is the son of martial arts star Sho Kosugi. In Japan, Kosugi is considered gaijin tarento due to his Nisei heritage....
and his brother Shane. Kane made the third stage in the 1st, 4th and 6th competitions, failing on the Pole Bridge, Cliff Hanger and Body Prop, respectively. In the 7th competition, he made the second stage but failed the Spider Walk. He reached the final stage in the 8th Competition, becoming, alongside Yordan Yovchev, the first foreigner to make it that far. Competing in heavy rain, Kane timed out on the rope climb; he has not competed since. Shane timed out on the second stage's Wall Lift in the 2nd competition, then failed the first stage's Rolling Log in the 3rd competition. In the 4th, he came close to completing the first stage but timed out on the Rope Climb. In the 6th and 7th competitions, he made it to the third stage, failing both times on the Body Prop. In the 8th competition, he failed to get past the first stage's Warped Wall. Unlike his brother, Shane competed in the 9th competition, where he failed the Big Boulder in the first stage.
Other entertainers who have competed include Hiromichi Sato, host of several NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
children's programs; Shigeyuki Nakamura, a champion of the Muscle Gym event in Kinniku Banzuke
Kinniku Banzuke
a.k.a. Unbeatable Banzuke was a weekly Japanese television program and the premier sports entertainment variety show of the Tokyo Broadcasting System . Its successors were and . They succeeded by Muscle Musical...
; actor-singer Kazumi Morohoshi, a former member of the band Hikaru Genji who is now a solo artist; actor/announcer Kenjirō Ishimaru
Kenjiro Ishimaru
is a Japanese actor and announcer. He is best known for his role in Kamen Rider series Kamen Rider Den-O as the owner of the DenLiner. He has also appeared in multiple competitions of Sasuke as a competitor and during that time has become one of only two people to fall off the Rolling Log obstacle...
; and actors Masaki Nomura and Shōei
Shoei
is a Japanese company that produces a popular line of motorsport helmets.-History:Shoei is a Japanese company producing motorcycle helmets since 1958....
. Sato debuted in the 18th tournament and failed the first stage's Flying Chute. In the 19th tournament, he failed the Log Grip. In the 20th competition, he timed out before he attempted the Tarzan Rope. In the 21st competition, he timed out on the Warped Wall. In the 22nd, Sato finally cleared the first stage but failed the Metal Spin in the second. In Sasuke 23, he failed the Jumping Spider. In Sasuke 24, he failed the Metal Spin again. Nakamura made it to the third stage in the 2nd competition, failing there on the Pipe Slider, but in the 6th competition he was eliminated by the first stage's Jump Hang. Morohoshi debuted in the 20th tournament but failed the Log Grip in the first stage. Ishimaru has never made it past the first stage; his two closest attempts, in the 16th and 17th competitions, timed out on the Rope Climb. Shōei
Shoei
is a Japanese company that produces a popular line of motorsport helmets.-History:Shoei is a Japanese company producing motorcycle helmets since 1958....
made it to the third stage during the 8th competition, ultimately failing on the Body Prop.
Actor James Okada, a graduate from a martial arts academy, competed in the 7th and 8th competitions. In his first attempt, he failed the Jump Hang in the first stage, but in the next tournament, he made it all the way to the third, where he was defeated by the first obstacle, the Propeller Bars.
Japanese comedians
Several Japanese comedians have taken part in Sasuke, including Akira Omori ("The Monkey"), Koriki ChoshuKoriki Choshu
is a Japanese comedian. He is most famous for his act in which he mocks a famous Japanese professional wrestler Riki Chōshū due to his resemblance...
("the most famous gut in Japan" and 2nd on G4's Craziest Contestants Poll), Passion Yara
Passion Yara
is a Japanese comedian. He is perhaps best known for the angry, passionate chest-beating in his comedy routine....
("screaming wacko" and 5th on G4s craziest contestants poll), Masaki Sumitani
Masaki Sumitani
is a Japanese comedian, retired professional wrestler and tarento , best known under his performing name of , which he adopted the name from the original wrestler Razor Ramon...
("Razor Ramon H.G." or "Hard Gay"), Yoku Hata
Yoku Hata
Yōku Hata is a stand up comedian in Japan. He rose to popularity in 2004 with his character "The Guitar Zamurai " on the program The God of Entertainment . Dressed in a yukata, his skit always follows the same form...
("Guitar Samurai"), Tetsurō Degawa
Tetsuro Degawa
is a Japanese comedian.- Character :Representative of the so-called "reaction entertainers." In vocational school, he was a classmate of Masato Irie and Utchan Nanchan, the owarai comedy duo.He is known for his thick voice...
, and Kinnikun Nakayama. Most of these compete for entertainment value and do not represent serious challenges – for example, Choshu's only accomplishment was being the first person to clear the Rope Glider in the 18th competition. However, some have seen success. Omori made it to the final stage three times in a row (1st–3rd competitions), a record that is shared with Sasuke all-star Makoto Nagano
Makoto Nagano
is a commercial fisherman and the captain of his vessel, and musician. He is regularly seen on the Japanese television show Sasuke where he is one of the "SASUKE All-Stars," a group of favored competitors who possess the greatest potential in completing the four grueling obstacle courses of Ninja...
, but since then he has not been able to clear the first stage. Nakayama made it to the second stage in the 9th and 11th competitions; in the 9th, Nakayama failed the Spider Walk, and in the 11th, he missed hitting the second stage's final button by a split-second.
Recent comedians include, Yoshio Kojima
Yoshio Kojima
is a Japanese comedian famous for appearing only in a small bathing suit, during both performances and interviews. Among his well-known catchphrases are Sonna no kankei nee and Oppapī , an abbreviation of "Ocean Pacific Peace",...
, who competed in 25th and 26th competitions, where he failed at the Hazard Swing, and funnyman Masumi Yagi was featured in the 26th competition but failed on the Step Slider. Cocky comedian, Eiko Kano (aka "Mr. Narcissus") was featured in the 25th competition and failed at the Step Slider, but got past this first obstacle in the 26th competition and failed at the Rolling Escargot.
Other notable competitors
Some other participants notable for their success in Sasuke include Shinji Kobayashi, a 37-year-old garbage manWaste collector
A waste collector is a person employed by a public or private enterprise to collect and remove refuse and recyclables from residential, commercial, industrial or other collection site for further processing and disposal...
from Matsumoto
Matsumoto, Nagano
is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Matsumoto is designated as a Special City.-Outline:The new city of Matsumoto is the city comprising the mergers of the old city of Matsumoto and four villages. Matsumoto officially absorbed those villages without creating a new municipal...
, Nagano Prefecture
Nagano Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...
, who has competed ten times and made it to the third stage in the 11th competition (failing on the Pipe Slider) as well as the 14th (where he failed the Devil's Swing). Since his debut in the 11th tournament, he has only missed the 17th; however, much of his footage has been cut from the TBS broadcast. He usually competes in a blue or gray garbage man's uniform. In the 16th competition, when the G4 commentator commented on his wipeout on the Metal Spin, Kobayashi was mistakenly called an All-Star.
Former elementary school teacher Hiroyuki Asaoka, previously known as the "Sasuke Sensei
Sensei
' is a Japanese word that basically means "person born before another." In general usage, it means "master" or "teacher," and the word is used as a title to refer to or address teachers, professors, professionals such as lawyers, CPA and doctors, politicians, clergymen, and other figures of authority...
" (in America: "Professor Ninja Warrior", in the UK: "The Professor"), has competed in several tournaments. He first competed in the 3rd competition, failing the second stage's Hammer Dodge. Asaoka was one of the three men to reach the final stage in the 12th competition, failing on the Rope Climb. He also reached the third stage in the 4th, 10th, and 14th competitions. In the 20th tournament, which was his last, he failed the first stage's Rope Ladder. Currently, Asaoka works as an illustrator for graphic novels.
Kenji Takahashi, a 33-year-old delivery man from Saitama Prefecture
Saitama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
, has competed thirteen times, with a 5-year break between his third and fourth attempts. He reached the third stage in competitions 7, 16, and 18 but failed the Cliff Hanger each time. He then failed the first stage four times, in the 19th through 22nd tournaments. In the 23rd competition, Takashi failed the Gliding Ring. In the 24th, he made it to the final stage for the first time, but his support cable got tangled with the G-rope, and he timed out a few meters short of completion. In the 25th competition, he made it to the third stage but failed the Ultimate Cliff Hanger. He returned in Sasuke 26, but failed the Rolling Escargot.
American Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
salvage diver
Wreck diving
Wreck diving is a type of recreational diving where shipwrecks are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificial reef sites...
Travis Schraeder made his debut in the 4th competition, making it to the third stage. There, he reached the Pipe Slider, but he pushed the pipe too hard, and it fell off its tracks, resulting in his disqualification. He was the first American competitor to reach the third stage. In his only other appearance in the 5th competition, he ran out of time on the first stage's Rope Climb.
Schraeder's partner, Kevin Lee, competed in the 6th competition but failed the Jump Hang.
Another notable competitor is Tomihiro Tatsukawa, the "Japanese Clark Kent", an insurance salesman who usually dressed in a Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
costume. He competed in the first ten tournaments but never cleared the first stage. He is No. 4 on the G4 Wardrobe Malfunction poll.
A dancer named Goku who competed in many of the earlier competitions is known for removing almost all of his clothes, except for an old-fashioned white thong, before he begins. He has never made it past the first stage. In the G4 Broadcast of the 12th competition, he was honored on the "Warrior Wipeout" for his failure on the Jump Hang, but was mistakenly listed as Sou Takei, who also failed that obstacle. Goku is No. 5 on the G4 Wardrobe Malfunction poll.
61-year-old Minoru Kuramochi, known as "the Octopus" because he usually brings an octopus with him, is the owner of the Edokko Izakaya octopus bar in Tokyo and is one of the oldest competitors. He has competed several times, never making it very far into the first stage. Despite this, he seems to be a fan favorite. In the 20th Competition's preview special, he welcomed the G4 American Ninja Challengers to his bar, served them his special octopus meal, and showed off to them his physical skills. He is No. 4 on G4's Craziest Contestant poll.
Toyohisa Ijima, a martial arts dance instructor and former member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
, competed in the first several tournaments. He is known as the "Japanese Bruce Lee" because of his resemblance to the late action star
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
, which extends to dressing and acting like him. He has only made it past the first stage in the 1st tournament; in the 11th tournament, he missed hitting the final button on the Rope Climb by a split second because he had wasted time posing for the crowd after completing each obstacle. He is No. 3 on G4's Craziest Contestant poll.
Hibari Igano, a transsexual who is a former dancer-turned-action star, usually referred to simply as Hibari and known as the "World's Toughest Transsexual", also competed in several early tournaments. She never made it past the first stage. She is No. 2 on G4's Wardrobe Malfunction poll for her appearance in the 7th competition.
The youngest competitor to pass the first stage, Kota Honma, was 16 years old during the 17th competition. He was also the youngest participant – 13 years old in the 13th Competition – until Sasuke 24. Kota has built a model of the full Sasuke course, including a qualifying round. He has also demonstrated his hobby of juggling
Juggling
Juggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer...
on the first stage starting platform. Before the 17th competition, he trained six days per week with his school's track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team.
Tien Dinh, a background dancer for Ashanti who appeared on the Soul Train Music Awards
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
, competed on Sasuke in 2004.
Ken Yasuda
Ken Yasuda
Ken Yasuda is a Japanese professional bodybuilder. He was formerly a mixed martial arts coach for the Tokyo Sabres of the International Fight League.-Biography:...
, coach of the Tokyo Sabres
Tokyo Sabres
The Tokyo Sabres are an International Fight League team based in Tokyo, Japan . The Sabres are coached by bodybuilder Ken Yasuda. Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki use to be a mentor to the Sabres but after their horrible 0-5 loss to the Los Angeles Anacondas Inoki broke all ties with the IFL...
of the IFL
International Fight League
The International Fight League was an American mixed martial arts promotion billed as the world's first MMA league. It was founded on January 7, 2006 and closed on July 31, 2008...
, competed in the 4th, 5th, and 13th tournaments. He failed the balance bridge in his first attempt. In his other two tries, he fell off the Rolling Log.
A President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
look-alike competed on Ninja Warrior where he failed on the Circle Hammer and fell into the water on the 22nd tournament.
Koji Yamada is a 34-year-old fireman from the Gifu Prefecture with just three percent body fat. In his debut in the 12th competition, he wore No. 1 and became the first and only person to wear that number and make it to the third stage. In that competition, he made it all the way to the third stage obstacle, the Cliffhanger, before failing. In the 13th competition, he failed the redesigned Jump Hang, and in the 14th, he timed out on the Warped Wall. He made it to the third stage in the 15th and 16th competitions, failing the Jumping Bars and the Pipe Slider, respectively. In the 17th, he failed a second stage obstacle, the Metal Spin. He was one of two competitors to pass the first stage of the 19th competition, ultimately timing out on the Salmon Ladder. G4TV dubs his first name as Yasushi, possibly to avoid confusion with Katsumi Yamada or because of translation issues.
Tomokazu Tanaka was the show's first competitor. He put on an impressive run but had trouble at the Wicked Wall/Hill Climb and ran out of time at the Subduction Zone/Mountain Climb.
Women in Sasuke
The only woman to have completed the first stage is former Super SentaiSuper Sentai
The is the name given to the long-running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Co., Ltd., Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi...
stuntwoman Chie Nishimura
Chie Tanabe
is a Japanese stuntwoman and "suit actor" . She was formerly associated with Japan Enterprise Action.-Biography:...
, who did so in the 2nd tournament. She attempted the second stage's Spider Walk in a non-optimal fashion, because her legs were too short to reach across the obstacle the proper way, and failed. She also competed in Sasuke 3 but failed the Rolling Log. She hasn't competed in Sasuke since.