Sasuke (TV series)

"Ninja Warrior" redirects here. For the unrelated arcade game, see The Ninja Warriors.

Sasuke
Genre	Sports Entertainment, Obstacle Course
Narrated by	Ichiro Furutachi (1997-Fall 2003) Keisuke Hatsuta (1998-Fall 2008, 2010) Kengo Komada (April 2004) Wataru Ogasawara (2005- ) Fumiyasu Sato (2009- )
Country of origin	Japan
Original languages	Japanese; English subtitles and dubbed contestant profiles in United States broadcast; English voice-over in United Kingdom broadcast.
No. of seasons	25 competitions
Production
Executive producer	Ushio Higuchi
Producers	Kogake YoshiyukiGr Makoto Fujii
Production locations	Midoriyama, Aoba-ku, Yokohama
Running time	2-hr 53-min specials in Japan, 30-minute episodes in the United States, France and Finland 23-minute episodes in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, 30- or 60-minute episodes in Singapore
Original release
Network	Tokyo Broadcasting System
Release	September 26, 1997 – present
Related
KUNOICHI, Pro Sportsman No.1, Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course

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.

Filmed 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 have been 25 specials, approximately one new special per season (twice per year). The show is produced by Monster9 and is one of the spin-offs of Muscle Ranking (筋肉番付, Kinniku Banzuke), 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 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, rain or shine or into the darkness, until completed.

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.

Through an interview or audition as well as trial rounds to test physical ability, the field of applicants is narrowed to 100 who will be allowed to compete in the 1st Stage. Sasuke consists of four stages of increasing difficulty; competitors must complete a stage to advance. For the purposes of fairness, a 1200-meter run was held before the 18th tournament. This run determined the competitors' starting positions. Each competition is taped prior to the air date and broadcast as a 3-hour show edited for time.

An online game based on the show has been made by G4 in the United States and is available on the network's website.

Competitors

One particular point of interest is the broad spectrum of participants. Most are amateur athletes from Japan, although some national television personalities and Olympians from other countries (including the USA, Bulgaria, China and Korea) occasionally take 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 favored competitors who in many people's eyes 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). This group of six was supposedly established by the TBS network. In the 24th tournament a third man Yuuji Urushihara cleared all four stages, but his status is known as a New Star.

The six consist of:

• Kazuhiko Akiyama, a 37 year old 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 Nagano, a 38 year old fisherman.

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

Nagano touched the top of the Shin-Cliff Hanger after swinging from the second to the third ledge

• Toshihiro Takeda, a 34 year old firefighter.

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 36 year old gas station manager.

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

• Yamamoto was hurt in the 7th competition when he dislocated his shoulder and in the 23rd he re-injured his shoulder.

• Bunpei Shiratori, a 43 year old 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
22nd	Did Not Compete (injured)
23rd	Did Not Compete (injured)
24th	Did Not Compete (injured)

• Katsumi Yamada, a 44 year old known as Mr. Sasuke.

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

• *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 competitors who came through recently and have made a name of themselves already.

Koji Hashimoto, a sports 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

Hitoshi Kanno, a professional gymnast.

Competition	Start Position	Obstacle	Stage
20th	1976	Failed Jumping Spider	First
21th	Did Not Compete
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

+ Kanno touched part of the frame with his foot and climbed along the side of the platform, thereby going off the course.

Yuuji Urushihara, a shoe salesman and an Unlimited Cliffer Member.

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	Completed Final Stage (3.57 seconds to spare)	Final
25th	100	Failed Double Salmon Ladder	Second

Athletes

World-class athletes, including Olympians, have attempted Sasuke:

Japanese athletes

Several world-class Japanese athletes have competed, with one of the most notable being trampolinist Shunsuke Nagasaki. This 22-year-old was one of the most promising of recent competitors. This skilled trampolinist who is called "Prince of the Trampoline" has won several medals in the Trampoline World Cups and Doha Asian Games. Shunsuke first appeared in the 14th Competition at age 17 and made it to the Second Stage, where after struggling on the Spider Walk he timed out on the Wall Lifting obstacle. He shares the distinction of being the youngest competitor to reach the Third Stage, which he did at age 18, during the 15th competition (Takayuki Kawashima had also reached the Third Stage at age 18, during the 1st competition). He made it to the Third Stage's Cliff Hanger in both the 15th and 16th tournaments. In the 17th competition, he finally got by the Cliff Hanger obstacle and completed the Third Stage, along with eventual champion Makoto Nagano. Although he timed out on the Final Stage, it was this competition that people really took notice of Nagasaki as a serious contender. In the 18th competition, due to the modifications of the Cliff Hanger, he failed that obstacle. In the 19th competition, he was eliminated in the First Stage by failing to completing the Flying Chute. This was the first time he failed the First Stage. In 2007 his height and weight was recorded as 5 feet, 8 inches and 152 pounds. Shunsuke did not compete in the 20th Sasuke competition due to his training for the 2008 Olympics (though he was seen training G4TV's American Ninja Challengers on the trampoline a couple of days before the competition). As of 2008, Nagasaki has completed the First Stage 5 times in a row, the Second Stage 4 times, and the Third Stage once.

Shunsuke's younger brother, Takamasa Nagasaki, who is also a trampolinist, made his debut in the 18th competition. Takamasa was the first to reach the Second Stage in that tournament, where ultimately he failed the Salmon Ladder. In the 19th competition, like his brother, he was eliminated by the Flying Chute. In the 20th Competition, he timed out after he completed the Flying Chute.

Two more of Japan's most-recognized athletes are Naoki Iketani and trampolinist Daisuke Nakata, both of whom have reached the Third Stage numerous times, but never the Final Stage. Both Iketani and Nakata are performers on the Muscle Musical traveling show (Shunsuke Nagasaki made a guest appearance on the show with Nakata in 2003, when he was only 15). Nakata, known to many as the "King of the Trampoline," has performed at the Olympic Games in the past and made his debut in the 8th competition. He made it to the Third Stage in three consecutive competitions (9-11), although he failed the Lamp Grasper obstacle each time. In the 12th competition, he failed the Rolling Log on the First Stage. Then in the 13th, he timed out before he could complete the Second Stage's Wall Lifting. Nakata was the victim of a hit-and-run accident in 2004, an incident that severely damaged his hands and wrists. He missed several tournaments due to this injury before coming back in the 16th competition. Due to the weakness in his hands, he failed the First Stage's Rope Climb (after having difficulty with the Jump Hang) as well as the Third Stage's Arm Rings in the 17th competition. After a 2 year absence, Daisuke Nakata returned to compete on Sasuke in the 21st competition. He cleared the first stage with 4 seconds left, however, after reinjuring his hands from landing from the Downhill jump, he was unable to beat the Salmon Ladder. Iketani debuted in the 2nd competition and failed the Spinning Log. He first made it to the third Stage in the 4th competition by getting all the way to the Pipe Slider. Iketani made 5 more appearances in the 3rd Stage but never completed it as he was defeated by the Cliff Hanger (10-11) or the Body Prop (13,14,16). He recently returned to Sasuke in the 20th competition, his first since the 16th, but failed the First Stage's Jumping Spider. In Sasuke 21, he failed the Flying Chute. In Sasukes 22 and 24, he timed out on the Warped Wall. Iketani usually starts his run with a back flip.

Iketani's brother, Olympic medal-winning gymnast Yukio Iketani, who had also completed Hand Walk 1 on Kinniku Banzuke, debuted in the 1st Competition and made it to the second stage but failed the Hammer Dodge. He returned in the 20th and 24th competitions, but he failed the Log Grip in the first stage. He also competed in SASUKE 25 only to fail the Bridge Jump.

Japanese cyclist Masaki Inoue, who took the silver medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, competed in the 17th competition. He grabbed onto the netting of the First Stage's Jump Hang, but was disqualified when his foot hit the water as he tried to clear the obstacle.

Another cyclist at the 2004 Olympics, Yasutaka Tashiro, competed in the 15th competition, but failed on the Hurdle Jump in Stage 1.

Japanese surfer Kiyomi Inoue is the oldest contestant to ever past the first stage, doing so at age 44 during the 1st competition; however, he then failed the Spider Walk in the 2nd stage. He also competed in the 2nd Sasuke, but failed to reach the 2nd stage.

Gymnast Takayuki Kawashima, who placed sixth in the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in 1995, made it to the Final Stage in the 1st Tournament when he was only 18, making him the youngest person to attempt the Final Stage. He made it back to the 3rd Stage in the 4th Tournament, ultimately failing the Cliff Hanger. Recently, he has come back to compete in Sasuke. He returned in the 18th Tournament, but ultimately timed out on the Great Wall. He also competed in the 19th Competition, but he timed out before he reached the Halfpipe Attack. In the 20th Competition, he failed the Halfpipe Attack. In the 21st Competition, he failed the Jumping Spider. In the 22nd Competition, he failed the new obstacle, the Slider Jump.

Other Japanese gymnasts, including Hikaru Tanaka, Yoshiaki Hatakeda, Masaaki Kobayashi and Terukazu Ishikawa , have competed on Sasuke. Tanaka and Hatakeda both competed in the 1995 World Artistics Gymnastics Championships and the 1996 Olympic Games. Hatakeda won a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympic Games. Kobayashi was formerly a gymnastic champion, but now he trains other youths in the sport. Ishikawa was another member of the Muscle Musical (like Iketani and Nakata). G4 referred him as a gymnast. Tanaka was one of two men to make the Final Stage in the 2nd Competition, ultimately timing out on the Rope Climb; in the 3rd Competition, however, he was defeated in the First Stage by the Rolling Log. Hatakeda competed in the 6th competition and made it to the Third Stage, where he failed the Cliff Hanger. Kobayashi debuted in the 11th tournament where he failed in the First Stage. He then went on to the Third Stage three times, failing on the Body Prop(12th and 14th tournaments) and the Curtain Cling in the 13th competition. He timed-out at the Warped Wall in the 15th tournament.He made it to the Second Stage in the 16th Sasuke, only to fail on the Metal Spin. Ishikawa competed in the 14th tournament, but went out on the Third Stage's Body Prop. He returned in the 22nd tournament but timed out on the Rope Ladder. He also competed in Sasuke 24 and cleared the First Stage, but he failed the Metal Spin.

Tomoki Kameda, a boxer who is the youngest of the brothers Kameda, took on Sasuke 16, when he was only 14 at the time. He failed the Jump Hang in the First Stage.

Model and captain of the Tokai University karate club, Tomoyuki has competed seven times.He's also another member of the Muscle Musical. In his debut,the 10th Sasuke, he timed-out on the Rope Climb of the 1st Stage. In Sasuke 12 and the Sasuke 13 trials, he failed the Tarzan Jump. He was cut in Sasuke 13. In the 14th competition he failed on the Rope Climb again after missing it by 0.2 seconds. He returned to Sasuke 16th where he got past the 1st Stage, but failed the Metal Spin. He competed in Sasuke 18 and 19, but was all cut.

Yuki Fukushima competed in the 17th tournament.He was first in the bus-tour qualifiers for Sasuke and was the record holder for Bench press of the under 18 category. He failed the 1st Stage's Cross Bridge, however. He starts by doing weightlifting.

Sprinter Yuta Izumiyama competed in the 16th tournament. He managed to get past the 1st Stage with just 1.1 seconds left. While in the 2nd Stage, Izumiyama struggled and once he completed the Spider Walk, he only had 10 seconds left. By moving too fast, he lost his balance and fell while at the Delta Bridge. He is the only challenger to have failed this obstacle.

Former track star Yoshiyuki Okuyama, who participated in the 1991 World Championships in Athletics - Men's 200 metres, debuted in the 19th Competition, were he failed the warped wall. In the 20th Competition he was one of only three competitors to make the Second Stage. There, he cleared the Salmon Ladder only to fail on the Stick Slider immediately after. He competed in Sasuke 21 and wore #95 and failed the Warped Wall. Okuyama competed in the 22nd Competition, where he returned to the Second Stage, beat the modified Stick Slider, and completed Stage 2. He ultimately failed the Shin-Cliff Hanger. In Sasuke 23, Okuyama made it past the Shin-Cliff Hanger but failed on the Spider Flip. In Sasuke 24, he got revenge on the Spider Flip and made all the way to the Final Stage. Only to time out on the G Rope. In the 25th competition he made to the Third Stage, but failed the Ultimate Cliff Hanger.

Japanese team handball players have also challenged Sasuke. The most notable competitor is Daisuke Miyazaki, who earned the title of Pro Sportsman No. 1 in 2006, 2008 and 2009. He debuted in the 20th competition but failed the Halfpipe Attack in the First Stage. In Sasuke 21, he managed to clear the first two stages and made it all the way to the Devil Steps before failing. In the 22nd Competition, Miyazaki timed out on the Rope Ladder. In 2008, his height and weight was recorded as 5 feet, 8 inches and 161 pounds. Several of Miyazaki's teammates have also competed in Sasuke. Izuma Masakatsu has competed three times. In the 20th competition, he failed the Halfpipe Attack in the First Stage. In Sasuke 21, he timed out at the Rope Ladder. In Sasuke 22, he failed the Slider Jump. Another handball player, Kenji Toyoda, also competed in the 20th competition but failed the First Stage's Log Grip. Katsuyuki Urawa also failed the Log Grip in Sasuke 21. Another one of Miyazaki's teammates, Sho Iwanaga, failed the Flying Chute in Sasuke 21.

Underwater hockey player and finswimmer Kosuke Yamaguchi, who participated in the 2006 CMAS Underwater Hockey World Championships in Sheffield, competed three times. In the 12th competition he failed the Rope Climb in the First Stage, in the 13th he made it to the Second Stage but ran out of time on the Wall Lift, and in the 14th he made it to the Third Stage but went out on its first obstacle, the Rumbling Dice. Yamaguchi also competed on Viking in 2005, but was eliminated during the Brain Ship Stage.

Freestyle wrestler Tomohiro Matsunaga, who earned a silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, competed in the 21st competition. He made it to the Second Stage, but was defeated there by the Salmon Ladder. He returned in Sasuke 22, but failed the Jumping Spider.

American athletes

Various American athletes, including gymnasts (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 also, but 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 did make it to the Third Stage in the 15th, failing there 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 lbs) as a barrier to his advancement. After earning the title of Pro Sportsman No. 1 in 2007, Terek came back to compete 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, free runner, failed in the third stage in the 20th when he failed the Shin-Cliff Hanger. In the 21st competition he failed the Salmon Ladder in the second stage. He then failed the new Slider Jump in 22. In the 23rd competition 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.

Brian Orosco, 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 however he avenged his past two defeats and made it to the Third Stage only to fail the Doorknob Grasper.

Bulgarian athletes

Bulgarian gymnast and five-time Olympian (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008) Jordan Jovtchev 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. The area was raining during this attempt. He also started 2 seconds late, resulting in further disadvantages. He then made the Third Stage three more times (competitions 12, 14, 16), failing the Cliff Hanger each time. He had also competed in the 15th competition, but failed the Warped Wall in the First Stage. In 2005 his height and weight was recorded as 5 feet, 3 inches and 132 pounds. He later came back to compete in Sasuke 20, but failed the Warped Wall again. He also competed in Sasuke 23, where he managed to past all of the obstacles but ultimately timing out on the rope ladder.

Korean athletes

South Korean gymnast Yeo Hong Chul, silver medalist on the men's vault at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, competed in three competitions, 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. Then in the 11th, he timed out on the Warped Wall.

Spanish athletes

Spanish gymnast Gervasio Deferr (2000 and 2004 Olympic Champion on the vault and 2008 silver medalist on the floor exercise) competed in the 10th Competition, but timed out just a few feet from the buzzer on the First Stage's Rope Climb.

Taiwanese athletes

Li En Zhi(incorrectly listed as Lee Yen Chi in the US version, and was mistakenly called Lee Enchi for years), a professional rock climber from Taiwan, has competed 7 times. 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. After a two tournament absence, he competed in Sasuke 21 as one of the 9 competitors to make it to Stage 2, timing out on Wall Lifting after using too much time on the Salmon Ladder. In the 22nd Competition, he was one of four people to make it to Stage 3, ultimately failing the Shin-Cliffhanger. Then he competed in Sasuke 23, but failed the Second Stage's Metal Spin again. In Sasuke 24 he got revenge and cleared the first 3 stages but timed out in the Final Stage. In Sasuke 25 he went to the third stage, but he failed the Ultimate Cliff Hanger.

Mixed martial artists and wrestlers

K-1 mixed martial artist Genki Sudo (6th, 12th, 13th, 23rd and 24th tournaments) has also competed. He only made it as far as the Jump Hang though. Also, in Sasuke 23, Sudo returned and failed the Duodectuple Step. In Sasuke 24, he failed the Log Grip. Another mixed martial artist, Sanae Kikuta competed in the Eighth and Tenth tournaments but fell off of the Rolling Log in the first stage. Then he competed in the 12th tournament and 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 (22 Competition, failed the Log Grip), and Bernard Ackah (19th competition, failed the Jumping Spider).

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. Both Suzuki and Tanahashi were the All Japan Triple Crown champion and IWGP Heavyweight Champion respectively during their runs in the course.

Japanese entertainers

Several Japanese or Japan-based entertainers have taken part in Sasuke such as action movie star Kane Kosugi and his brother, Shane—sons of Sho Kosugi. 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. He then made the Third Stage twice (6th and 7th competitions, failing both times on the Body Prop), but then shocked everyone in the 8th competition when he failed to get past the First Stage's Warped Wall. 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 finally reached the Final Stage in the 8th Competition (and alongside Jordan Jovtchev, was the first foreigner to make it that far). That day, heavy rains were falling on Midoriyama, and Kane timed out on the rope climb; he has not competed since. Shane competed one more time without his brother, in the 9th Competition, but failed the Big Boulder in the First Stage.

Other entertainers include Hiromichi Sato, host of several NHK children's programs, as well as Shigeyuki Nakamura (who was a champion of the Muscle Gym event in Kinniku Banzuke), actor-singer Kazumi Morohoshi (a former member of the band Hikaru Genji; now a solo artist), actor/announcer Kenjirō Ishimaru and actors Masaki Nomura and Shōei. 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. Ishimaru has never made it past the First Stage, in his first attempt, failed the Jump Hang and his two closest chances had him timing out on the Rope Climb in the 16th and 17th competitions. He recently returned in the 21st competition, where he failed the Flying Chute. He also competed in the 24th competition but he got disqualified on the Jumping Spider for touching the mat below the trampoline resulting in a "Course Out". Shōei made it to the Third Stage during the 8th competition, ultimately failing on the Body Prop. 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 Stage 1, but went out on the Metal Spin in Stage 2. In Sasuke 23, he failed the Jumping Spider. In Sasuke 24, he failed the Metal Spin again. Morohoshi debuted in the 20th tournament, but failed the Log Grip in the First Stage.

Actor James Okada was a graduate from a martial arts academy. He competed in the 7th and 8th competition. In his first attempt, he failed the Jump Hang in Stage 1, but in the next tournament, he made it all the way to Stage 3(he even cleared the Jump Hang by leaping to the top of the netting). Unfortunately, he was quickly defeated by the first obstacle, the Propeller Bars. In the 8th competition he failed the Rolling Log.

Japanese comedians

Several Japanese comedians have taken part in Sasuke. Some of them include Akira Omori ("The Monkey"), Koriki Choshu ("the most famous gut in Japan" and 2nd on G4's Craziest Contestents 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. While most of these are mainly 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), some have seen success. Most notably, Omori made it to the Final Stage three times in a row(1st-3rd competitions), record that is shared with Sasuke all-star Makoto Nagano, but since then has not been able to clear the First Stage failing on the Rolling Log and the Jump Hang twice. Omori made a return in Sasuke 23 after a 16-tourney absence, but he failed the Jumping Spider. He also competed in Sasuke 24 and failed the Dodecatuple Step. 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 just missed hitting the Second Stage's final button by a split-second. He has also struggled to pass the First Stage as well. In the 8th Competition, he failed the Warped Wall, in the 10th Competition, He failed the Tarzan Jump, in the 12th Competition, he failed the Rope Climb and in the 13th he failed the Cross Bridge. Kinnikun's last tournament was the 15th, where he failed the Warped Wall again. In 2003 Nakayama's height and weight was recorded as 5 feet, 9 inches and 161 pounds. Another notable comedian is Wakky who competed in Sasuke 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24. In 20 and 24 he failed the Halfpipe Attack, in 21 and 22 he failed the Jumping Spider. His best performance was Sasuke 23 where he failed the Slider Jump.

Other notable competitors

Some other participants notable for their success in Sasuke - not really fitting into any notable category - include Shinji Kobayashi, a 37-year-old garbage man from Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, who has competed ten times and made it to the Third Stage in the 11th Competition (failing there on the Pipe Slider) as well as the 14th (where he failed the Devil's Swing). In the 15th tournament he failed the First Stage's Crooked Wall, and then in the 16th he was one of 16 contestants who made the Second Stage, but was also one of several contestants who was eliminated by the Metal Spin. Since his debut in the 11th Tournament, he has only missed the 17th Tournament. However, much of his footage has been cut from the TBS broadcast. He was shown in Sasuke 20 and wore #1985, but failed the Jumping Spider in the first stage. In 2008, Kobayashi's height and weight was recorded as 5 feet, 5 inches and 132 pounds. 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 also competed in several tournaments. He first competed in the 3rd competition, failing the Second Stage's Hammer Dodge. Asaoka was also one of the three men to have reached 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. He also cleared the first stage in the 11th Tournament but then stunned the crowd when he failed the Second Stage's first obstacle, the Chain Reaction. In the 15th Tournament, he failed the First Stage's Rope Climb. He returned on the 20th tournament, which was his last, but he failed the First Stage's Rope Ladder. Currently, Asaoka works on his career as an illustrator for graphic novels.

Kenji Takahashi, a 33-year-old delivery man from Saitama Prefecture, has competed nine times, with a 5-year break between his first and second attempt (7th competition to 16th competition). He reached the Third Stage on his first three attempts (competitions 7, 16, 18) but failed the Cliff Hanger each time. He then failed the First Stage four times; in the 19th and 21st tournaments, he failed the Jumping Spider, in the 20th he failed on the Flying Chute, and in the 22nd he timed out on the Rope Ladder. In the 23rd competition however, Takashi defeated the Cliff Hanger and made it all the way to the Gliding Ring before failing. In the 24th competition, he took his revenge on the Gliding Ring and made it all the way to the Final Stage for the first time ever. He was a few meters short due to the fact that his support cable got tangled with the G-rope. In the 25th competition he made it to the Third Stage, but failed the Ultimate Cliff Hanger. In 2008, Takahashi's height and weight was recorded as 5 feet, 10 inches and 160 pounds.

Jaguar mechanic Hidenori Nagasawa has participated in 9 tournaments, starting in Sasuke 10. He failed the Jump Hang on his first two attempts, and then defeated by the Warped and Crooked Walls in the next two tournament. Since then he has ran out of time a lot on the last few obstacles, with Sasuke 16 being an exception as he finally cleared stage one. He went onto fail the Metal Spin in stage 2. He returned in the 23rd competition but timed out before attempting the Tarzan rope

American Navy salvage diver Travis Schraeder made his debut in the 4th competition, and impressed many by making it all the way to the Third Stage. There, he reached the Pipe Slider, but unfortunately pushed it too hard to the point that it fell off its tracks, resulting in disqualification. He did earn the distinction of being the first American competitor (not counting Kane Kosugi since he's half Japanese) to reach the Third Stage. In the 5th competition, he stunned many when he ran out of time on the First Stage's Rope Climb (this could be attributed to the fact that he was tangled in the Jump Hang for a good portion of the time). These were his only two appearances.

Schraeder's partner, Kevin Lee, competed in the 6th competition but failed the Jump Hang.

Another notable competitor is Tomihiro Tatsukawa, aka the Japanese "Clark Kent." He is an insurance salesman who usually dressed like Superman. He competed in the first ten tournaments and never cleared the first stage, getting as far as the Jump Hang. Tatsukawa has also competed on Kinniku Banzuke's Daruma 7 event, but failed it after knocking out the first three blocks. He is No. 4 on the G4 Wardrobe Malfunction poll.

A dancer named Goku has also competed in many of the earlier competitions. He is commonly seen for the fact he takes off almost all his clothes except for a white old-fashioned thong before he begins. He has never made it past the first stage. The furthest he has made it is the Warped Wall. In the G4 Broadcast of the 12th competition, he was honored on the "Warrior Wipeout" for his failure on the Jump Hang, but was mislisted as Sou Takei (who also failed the same obstacle.) Goku has been listed No. 5 on the Wardrobe Malfunction poll on G4.

61-year-old Minoru Kuramochi a.k.a the Octopus (as he usually brings an octopus with him every time), who is the owner of the Edokko Izakaya octopus bar in Tokyo, is one of the oldest competitors. He has competed several times, but never made it very far into the first stage (the furthest he has gone was the Pole Maze in the 19th competition, though he didn't fall into the water, but timed-out because he could not "lift off" the pole off the platform and move on). 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. Kuramochi also competed on Viking where he made it as far as the Math Parley in the 1st Marine Stage. He also made an appearance on Family Viking, making it into the 2nd Adventure Stage making him the oldest person to do so. He is also 4th on G4's Craziest Contestant poll.

46-year-old Masami Harashima, a businessman who is also an avid hang glider (earning him the nicknames "Hang Glider Man" and "The Butterfly"), has competed twelve times, but has never made it far into the first stage. The furthest he made was reaching the Cross Bridge in the 16th tournament. He appears to be good friends with Kuramochi.

52-year-old Yasuo Aoki, a 3-D artist and sculptor, has also competed eight times. He always wears a helmet and protection pads but never makes it past the first obstacle of the first stage (In Viking, he made it as far as the second obstacle). He usually brings a sculpture or two to the start. However, due to his weak stature (in 2009 his height and weight was recorded at just 5 feet and 83 pounds), he's never made it to that obstacle that he made a sculpture of. (In the 19th competition, he brought in a sculpture of the Barrel Climb, an obstacle from the first 7 competitions.)

Hiromitsu Takahashi, a former ballet dancer, always competes in nothing but a black thong or a black dance outfit. Though he has competed in several competitions, he has never made it past the first stage. The furthest he has progressed is the Warped Wall. Prior to the 12th competition, he vowed never to compete again if he didn't complete the first stage; he went out on the Jump Hang. However, he returned for the 20th and 21st tournaments, failing the Halfpipe Attack both times.In Sasuke 22 and 24, he failed the Warped Wall. In Sasuke 23 he failed the Curtain Slider. He has made it as far as the 2nd Adventure Stage in Viking three times, all in 2005. However, he failed two obstacles of that stage; the first time, he failed the Galleon, while the second and third times, he failed the Rope Maze.

Kazuhiko Akiyama's brother, scallop fisherman Kimihiro Akiyama, competed in the 11th Competition but failed the newly redesigned Balance Bridge in the First Stage. He competed in SASUKE 17 but was all cut.

Toyohisa Ijima, a martial arts dance instructor and former member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, competed in the first several tournaments. He was known as the "Japanese Bruce Lee" because of not only his resemblance to the late action star, but because he also dressed and acted like him. He has only made it past the first stage in the 1st tournament; the 11th tournament was his closest chance to defeat the First Stage once more, but unfortunately he just missed hitting the final button on the Rope Climb by a split second because he wasted so much time posing for the crowd after completing each obstacle. It was metioned that he trains for Sasuke with Hibari Igano, the worlds toughest transsexual. He is 3rd on G4's Craziest Contestant poll.

Hibari Igano, a transsexual who is a former dancer-turned-action star usually referred to as simply Hibari and known as the "World's Toughest Transsexual," also competed in several tournaments in the earlier years. She never made it past the first stage though; the farthest she has made it was the Warped Wall (at least twice). She is number two on G4's Wardrobe Malfunction poll for her appearance in the 7th competition.

The youngest competitor to pass the 1st Stage, Kota Honma, was 16 years old during the 17th Competition. He is the youngest to participate in Sasuke at 13 years old in the 13th Competition, until Sasuke 24. Kota has built a model of the full Sasuke course from numerous tournaments including a qualifying round. He has also demonstrated his hobby of juggling on the First Stage starting platform. Before the 17th Competition, Kota trained six days per week with his school's track and field team. Honma returned in the 20th Competition, but failed the Pole Maze when he made it to the other side and tried to land on the platform but slid down the pole and into the water. He returned 3 competitions later and failed the Half Pipe Attack. He competed again in the 24th competition where he failed the Jumping Spider

Masaharu Yanagawa who competed in the seventh tournament tried to hop on the rolling log, but the log rolled backwards and toppled out of the course and Yanagawa was disqualified

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 taking the log with him into the water.

Koji Yamada (not related to Katsumi Yamada) is a 34-year-old fireman from the Gifu Prefecture (like Toshihiro Takeda) 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, (however, he's the second No. 1 to make it to the second 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 Competition, 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 Competition, he failed the 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. Like Takeda, Yamada competes in a pair of orange firefighter trousers, but unlike Takeda, he competes shirtless, presumably to show off his muscular upper body. Also, Takeda is from Ibi in Gifu Prefecture, while Yamada comes from Gujō in Gifu. Note: While he is originally named Koji, G4TV dubs his first name as Yasushi possibly to avoid confusion with Katsumi Yamada or because of translation issues.

Yuuji Washimi, a 31-year-old who is a former international motocross star-turned-mechanic, first appeared on Sasuke in the 17th competition as its top qualifier. In this attempt, he failed the Warped Wall, but in the next two tournaments (18th and 19th competitions), he advanced to the second stage, but failed the Salmon Ladder both times. After failing the Salmon Ladder in the 18th competition, it was shown that Washimi built one at his home to practice on, hoping to get past the real obstacle in the 19th competition (to no avail, ultimately). Besides Koji Yamada, Washimi was the last man standing in the 19th competition. In the 20th Competition, Washimi failed the Halfpipe Attack. In the 21st competition, he failed the Flying Chute. After his 2 tournament hiatus, Washimi came back in the 24th competition. He then failed the Second Stage's Metal Spin. Washimi usually competes in his mechanic uniform (the only time he competed without it was during his debut in the 17th competition). In 2008, Washimi's height and weight was recorded as 5 feet and 130 pounds.

Tomokazu Tanaka is the show's very 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.

Eiichi Miura, a construction worker who competed in the first 9 Sasukes. He failed the Hammer Dodge in Sasuke 1. In both Sasuke 2 and 4 he was defeated by the Pipe Slider. In the rest of his attempts he failed the First Stage. Sasuke 3 he failed the Barrel Climb. the Jump Hang is his enemy and has failed there in Sasuke 5,6,8, and 9. In Sasuke 7 he ran out of time on the Warped Wall.

Women in Sasuke

The only woman to have completed the 1st Stage is former Super Sentai stuntwoman Chie Nishimura, doing so in the 2nd tournament. () She then attempted the Second Stage's Spider Walk in a very unoptimal fashion, resembling the proper method of the future obstacle, the Third Stage's Body Prop; she failed, incidentally. It was noted that this was because her legs were too short to reach across the obstacle the proper way. She also competed in Sasuke 3 and wore #93, but failed the Rolling Log. She hasn't competed in Sasuke since.

Masami Yusa (G4 mislists her first name as "Miyabi" in a couple tournaments), a beach flag champion, has competed 7 times. She debuted in Sasuke 6 but failed the Barrel Climb. In Sasuke 7, she failed the Jump Hang, while in Sasuke 8, she failed the Quintuple Step. She continued to struggle in the 1st Stage, failing the Jump Hang and the Rolling Log in Sasuke 10 and 11, respectively. In the Sasuke 13 trials, she became the first woman (second if you count Hibari) to ever beat the Jump Hang although she timed out there. During the actual competition, she was able to grab on to the redesigned Jump Hang but she misjudged her jump, slammed into the platform, and fell into the water. She got her revenge however in Sasuke 14. She became the first woman (second if you count Hibari) to beat the Jump Hang and the Crooked Wall in competition, but she ultimately timed out on the Warped Wall.

Mika Izumi, jazz dance instructor and Kunoichi 3 finalist, has competed twice. She first competed in Sasuke 12, but failed the Jump Hang. During the Sasuke 13 trials, she became only the second woman (third if you count Hibari) to beat the Jump Hang. In fact, she was able to beat the Warped Wall before timing out, making her the only woman who has completed the Warped Wall. Unfortunately during the actual competition, she shocked many when she failed the Prism See-Saw.

Two time Kunoichi finalist Yuko Mizuno has competed 6 times. She debuted in Sasuke 8, where she failed the Quintuple Step. She also failed the first obstacle in Sasuke 13, the Prism See-Saw. The Rolling Log and Jump Hang have given her the most trouble, as she has failed both those obstacles twice. She failed the Rolling Log in Sasuke 9 and 11 and the Jump Hang in Sasuke 10 and 14.

Other Kunoichi competitors to appear on Sasuke include Olympian Miho Yamada and three time Kunoichi champion Ayako Miyake. Yamada has competed one time (Sasuke 12), where she failed the Jump Hang. Miyake competed in Sasuke 18, as evidenced by her interview for G4's Sasuke 18 preview special, but her run was cut from both the TBS and G4 versions. It is unknown if she has competed more than that.

Charisma model Yuumi Seimiya (who first competed in Kunoichi 7) competed in the 20th and 21st competitions, failing the First Stage's Sextuple Step both times.

Since the course re-design in Sasuke 18, American Ninja Challenge 3 winner Luci Romberg has made it the furthest, reaching the Half Pipe Attack in Sasuke 21. She also competed in Sasuke 22, but failed the Jumping Spider when she failed to set her feet properly at the entrance to the obstacle and couldn't maintain enough pressure to support herself (a common malady at that part of the course).

Kunoichi Finalist Rie Komiya competed in Sasuke 22 and made it to the Jumping Spider. She was able to land on the walls, but fell backwards onto the padding below the trampoline resulting in a "Course Out" at the same spot that Luci Romberg failed. In Sasuke 23, she defeated the Jumping Spider but failed the Halfpipe Attack. In Sasuke 24 she failed the Log Grip.

American Ninja Challenges

Main article: American ninja challenge

In Fall 2007, the G4 network held a contest called the American Ninja Challenge, with the grand prize being a trip to Japan to compete in Sasuke's 19th competition. Ten semifinalist videos were selected on August 3 via internet poll to determine three finalists who would appear on G4's Attack of the Show! on August 28–30 to demonstrate their Ninja Warrior skills. On August 31, Michigan State University Economics student Colin Bell and the runner-up, Greenville, South Carolina native Brett Sims, were both selected, and they became the subjects of an hour-long G4 special on November 14 during G4's Ninja Fest. Ultimately, both Colin and Brett qualified for the course thanks to their impressive physical abilities, but they both failed the Jumping Spider.

The second contest by G4 wrapped up in March 2008, and it aired as part of G4's Ninjafest 2 on May 18, 2008. Levi Meeuwenberg from Ann Arbor, Michigan and Brian Orosco of San Francisco, California were both chosen to compete in Sasuke's 20th tournament; both are freerunners. They competed alongside surprise guest Brett Sims (who was given the opportunity to return by G4). Brett failed the First Stage's Warped Wall this time, while Brian failed the Flying Chute. Levi, however, made it to the Third Stage before he ultimately failed the Shin-Cliff Hanger.

The third contest by G4 wrapped up in August 2008, and aired as part of G4's Ninjafest 3 on November 12, 2008. Viewers got to vote for their favorite competitors and the top three would be picked and flown directly to Japan to compete in Sasuke's 21st tournament. The winners were Brian Orosco (who qualified with a different video), gymnast Mark Witmer of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and freerunner/stuntwoman Luci Romberg (the first woman to qualify) of Valley Village, California. They joined American Ninja Challenge 2 winner Levi Meeuwenberg and both hosts from Attack of the Show!, Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira to compete in Sasuke 21. In that tournament, Munn failed the Sextuple Step, while Pereira's run ended after his feet hit the water on the Log Grip; on the TBS broadcast, Munn's run was shown only in part while Pereira's run was cut completely. Romberg failed the Halfpipe Attack, while Witmer failed the Log Grip due to a severe ulnar nerve injury that he suffered while warming up. Orosco got his revenge on the Flying Chute and completed Stage 1 with just 0.6 seconds left on the clock. However, he was ultimately brought down by the Second Stage's Salmon Ladder. Meeuwenberg cleared Stage 1 with the fastest time with 21.5 seconds remaining but similarly failed the Salmon Ladder, an obstacle he had cleared the tournament before.

The fourth contest by G4 wrapped up in March 2009, and it aired on June 21, 2009 on G4 as part of Ninjafest 4. The competitors' videos were supposedly judged and selected by Attack of the Show's Olivia Munn. The winner was David Campbell and he was joined by Munn and previous competitors Levi Meeuwenberg (Sasuke 20 & 21) and Luci Romberg (Sasuke 21). Munn failed the new Circle Hammer in the First Stage (her run was cut out of the TBS broadcast, however, was shown in a small preview), Romberg failed the First Stage's Jumping Spider, Campbell timed out on the final First Stage obstacle, the Rope Ladder, telling the sideline reporter that he "underestimated the cardio" involved in the course, and the fact that he used up too much time untangling his footing from the netting in the Slider Jump. Meeuwenberg, who passed Stage One in both of his previous attempts, failed another new First Stage obstacle, the Slider Jump.

American Ninja Warrior

The popularity of the American Ninja Challenge has led G4 to produce a version of the series featuring American contestants. The program, American Ninja Warrior, is produced by Pilgrim Films and Television, Inc. Auditions on G4's website ended on August 18, 2009. Open tryouts were held in Los Angeles on August 29 and 30, 2009, and were taped for the show, with ten finalists competing on the original Ninja Warrior course in Japan in September 2009. The eight-episode series began airing on December 12, 2009. This is treated as a modification of the American Ninja Challenge, inspired by "Ninja Killer Day" in Santa Monica, California before the 22nd competition.

The qualifying round consists of over 300 competitors, running a obstacle course strongly influnced by Sasuke first stage and the "Ninja Killer". The course consist of the Quintuple Step, a Rope Swing, the Jumping Spider, a modified version of the pipe slider, and a much smaller Warped Wall. The perlimiaries used a "leaderboard" record, and the 30 fastest times moved on to the Semi-finals, that was the pre-lim course and three more obstacles, the Tarzan Jump, the Jumping Bars, and a Net Climb.

American Ninja Warrior aired only the American finalists during the Sasuke obstacle course and didn't air Sasuke 23 and the Japanese competitors at all. The Japanese competitors were later aired on April 10, 2010.

A second season is being cast on G4's website as of April 10, 2010.

Stages and Obstacles

See article List of Sasuke stages.

Broadcast

United States

The program can currently be seen in the United States as Ninja Warrior on the G4 channel. There is no set schedule of when it is on G4. There have also been occasional marathons of the program on weekends. The play-by-play commentary and interviews with participants are subtitled in English while the introduction, player profiles, and replays have been dubbed by voice actor Dave Wittenberg. Each episode is a 30-minute portion of the Japanese broadcast. Episodes also feature segments such as "Ninja Killer" (an obstacle from a stage that took out the most contestants in a single episode) and "Warrior Wipeout" (the best wipeout from a Sasuke contestant). As of April 17 2010, 24 out of 25 competitions have been aired. The 25th tournament is the only one not yet aired.

United Kingdom

The American-edited Ninja Warrior episodes began broadcasting in the United Kingdom on Challenge and Virgin 1. The show has been re-edited again to remove the subtitles. The on-screen graphics have also slightly changed by the red box in the corner being made smaller for the Challenge logo. The whole show is voiced-over by Stuart Hall. The "Ninja Killer" and "Warrior Wipeout" sections also remain but there is only one advertisement break halfway through the show.

Series 1 (40 episodes)

Series 1 premiered on October 1, 2007 covering Sasuke 9-17 and Kunoichi 4.

Series 2 (34 episodes)

Series 2 split into 2 halves. The first half of series 2 premiered on March 17, 2008 covering Kunoichi 5-6 and Sasuke 6-8 although on the night (March 17, 2008) they broadcasted the last episode of series 1, by mistake. The second half of series 2 premiered on December 4, 2008 covering Sasuke 2-5 and Kunoichi 3. The second half of series 2 began after series 3 had ended.

Series 3 (16 episodes)

Series 3 premiered on November 24, 2008 covering Sasuke 18-20 and Kunoichi 7.

Series 4

Series 4 hasn't been commissioned at the moment but it has been rumored that it will cover Sasuke 21-24 and Kunoichi 8.

Greece

The program can currently be seen in Greece as Sasuke on the Skai TV network every day at 17:30 (GMT+2). The show is voiced-over by Akindynos Gikas and Kostas Papageorgiou.

Serbia

The program can currently be seen in Serbia as Nindža Ratnici (Ninja Warriors) on the Fox Televizija every day at 20:00 (GMT+1). The show is voiced-over by Ivan Tešanović and Miljan Milićević.

Singapore

The program broadcast in Singapore is the non-edited version of Ninja Warrior with the exception of the subtitles being white instead of yellow. The program broadcasted on MediaCorp Channel 5 every Wednesday at 20:30 (GMT + 8) and screened 2 episodes back to back. It was later moved midway through its run to Thursday at 20:30 (GMT + 8), and it only aired one episode, and ended at 21:00.

The show's run went ended at the 17th competition.

The show returned on December 23, 2009 every Wednesday at 20:00 (2 episodes back to back). It now shows 3 episodes back-to-back, on Wednesdays from 20:00 to 21:30.

Indonesia

The program broadcast in Indonesia is the G4 version of Ninja Warrior along with the "Ninja Killer" and "Warrior Wipeout" sections. The show is dubbed in Indonesian language. The show is broadcasted in TPI everyday at 17:00 (GMT+7). Usually they run 2 thirty-minute episodes during a broadcast.

South Africa

The program broadcast in South Africa in ANIMAX CHANNEL version of Ninja Warrior along with "Ninja Killer" and "Warrior Wipeout" sections.

Germany

The program broadcast in Germany in RTL 2 version of Ninja Warrior. Also in DSF.

Turkey

The program broadcast in Turkey in Fox TV version of Ninja Warrior.

Bulgaria

The program broadcast in Bulgaria in bTV Comedy version as Най-добрият нинда (Ninja Warriors) every day at 19:30 (GMT+2).

Results

The following is a list of currently available information of people who managed to reach at least the Third Stage in each competition. Under each competition, the results are listed in order of who went the farthest first. Their names are listed along with their number (1-100) from the competition, and the obstacle/stage they failed to complete. In the 10th competition the number system ran from 901-1000 to indicate that 1000 attempts have been made to complete the First Stage, and then ran from 1901-2000 in the 20th competition to indicate that 2000 attempts have been made to complete the First Stage.

1st Competition

Aired: September 26, 1997

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 97 Akira Omori	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 96 Ken Hasegawa	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 72 Takashi Yo	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 49 Takayuki Kawashima	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 89 Kane Kosugi	Third	Failed Pole Bridge
No. 18 Yoshihito Yamamoto	Third	Failed Pole Bridge

2nd Competition

Aired: September 27, 1998

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 97 Hikaru Tanaka	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 99 Akira Omori	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 95 Shigeyuki Nakamura	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 83 Hiroaki Yoshizaki	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 70 Masakazu Ebihara	Third	Disqualified on Pipe Slider
No. 65 Ken Hasegawa	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 42 Tatsuya Yamamoto	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 30 Eiichi Miura	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 20 Shingo Yamamoto	Third	Failed Pipe Slider

Ebihara pushed one side of the pipe harder than the other, causing the pipe to fall off the tracks.

3rd Competition

Aired: March 13, 1999

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 89 Katsumi Yamada	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 13 Shingo Yamamoto	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 49 Minoru Matsumoto	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 100 Akira Omori	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 54 Tatsuya Yamamoto	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 10 Ken Hasegawa	Third	Failed Pipe Slider

4th Competition

Aired: October 16, 1999

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 86 Kazuhiko Akiyama	Final	Completed Final Stage (6.0 seconds to spare)
No. 40 Eiichi Miura	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 3 Hiroyuki Asaoka	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 81 Naoki Iketani	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 94 Travis Schraeder	Third	Disqualified on Pipe Slider†
No. 100 Katsumi Yamada	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 97 Kane Kosugi	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 95 Hiroaki Yoshizaki	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 71 Takuyu Ueda	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 43 Takayuki Kawashima	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 64 Shusuke Sato	Third	Failed Pole Jump

† - When Schraeder tried to get the pipe across the tracks, he pushed one side harder than the other, causing it to fall off the tracks.

5th Competition

Aired: March 18, 2000

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 98 Shingo Yamamoto	Third	Failed Pipe Slider

6th Competition

Aired: September 9, 2000

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 99 Katsumi Yamada	Third	Failed Pipe Slider^
No. 83 Yoshiaki Hatakeda	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 93 Toshihiro Takeda	Third	Failed Body Prop
No. 98 Kane Kosugi	Third	Failed Body Prop
No. 97 Shane Kosugi	Third	Failed Body Prop

^He cleared the Pipe Slider but after the landing he fell side ways off the mat.

7th Competition

Aired: March 17, 2001

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 97 Shingo Yamamoto	Final	Failed Spider Climb (injured)^
No. 46 Kenji Takahashi	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 40 Hironori Kuboki	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 81 Shane Kosugi	Third	Failed Body Prop
No. 95 James Okada	Third	Failed Propeller Bars

^Climbed two and a half meters before slipping and dislocating his shoulder, falling to the safety mats below.

8th Competition

Aired: September 29, 2001

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 91 Kane Kosugi	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 59 Jordan Jovtchev	Final	Failed Spider Climb^
No. 71 Toshihiro Takeda	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 81 Shōei	Third	Failed Body Prop

^ Jovtchev fell off the Spider Climb after the walls split at the 15 second limit.

9th Competition

Aired: March 16, 2002

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 61 Makoto Nagano	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 97 Toshihiro Takeda	Third	Failed Lamp Grasper
No. 71 Daisuke Nakata	Third	Failed Lamp Grasper
No. 98 Shingo Yamamoto	Third	Failed Rumbling Dice

10th Competition

Aired: September 25, 2002

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 1000 Katsumi Yamada	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 961 Naoki Iketani	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 940 Daisuke Nakata	Third	Failed Lamp Grasper
No. 954 Hiroyuki Asaoka	Third	Failed Body Prop

11th Competition

Aired: March 21, 2003

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 96 Makoto Nagano	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 74 Shinji Kobayashi	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 98 Shingo Yamamoto	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 61 Naoki Iketani	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 95 Daisuke Nakata	Third	Failed Lamp Grasper
No. 97 Toshihiro Takeda	Third	Failed Body Prop
No. 99 Kazuhiko Akiyama	Third	Failed Body Prop

12th Competition

Aired: October 1, 2003

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 100 Makoto Nagano	Final	Failed Final Rope (by 0.11 seconds)
No. 77 Bunpei Shiratori	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 72 Hiroyuki Asaoka	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 95 Toshihiro Takeda	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 97 Kazuhiko Akiyama	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 99 Jordan Jovtchev	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 96 Shingo Yamamoto	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 70 Manabu Satou	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 1 Koji Yamada	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 92 Masāki Kobayashi	Third	Failed Body Prop

13th Competition

Aired: April 6, 2004

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 100 Makoto Nagano	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 99 Bunpei Shiratori	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 98 Toshihiro Takeda	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 97 Masāki Kobayashi	Third	Failed Curtain Cling
No. 90 Naoki Iketani	Third	Failed Body Prop

14th Competition

Aired: January 4, 2005

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 68 Shinji Kobayashi	Third	Failed Devil's Swing
No. 100 Makoto Nagano	Third	Failed Jumping Bars
No. 97 Toshihiro Takeda	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 91 Jordan Jovtchev	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 80 Hiroyuki Asaoka	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 98 Shingo Yamamoto	Third	Failed Curtain Cling
No. 81 Naoki Iketani	Third	Failed Body Prop
No. 87 Masāki Kobayashi	Third	Failed Body Prop
No. 76 Terakazu Ishikawa	Third	Failed Body Prop
No. 88 Kosuke Yamaguchi	Third	Failed Rumbling Dice

15th Competition

Aired: July 20, 2005

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 96 Toshihiro Takeda	Third	Failed Devil's Swing
No. 94 Bunpei Shiratori	Third	Failed Climbing Bars
No. 70 Koji Yamada	Third	Failed Jumping Bars
No. 65 Shunsuke Nagasaki	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 93 Morgan Hamm	Third	Failed Curtain Cling
No. 95 Shingo Yamamoto	Third	Failed Body Prop

NOTE: In Stage 1 Bunpei Shiratori was the last competitor to go due to suffering from heat exhaustion.

16th Competition

Aired: December 30, 2005

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 96 Bunpei Shiratori	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 91 Koji Yamada	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 100 Makoto Nagano	Third	Failed Devil's Swing
No. 98 Toshihiro Takeda	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 95 Jordan Jovtchev	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 89 Shunsuke Nagasaki	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 66 Kenji Takahashi	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 90 Naoki Iketani	Third	Failed Body Prop

17th Competition

Aired: October 11, 2006

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 99 Makoto Nagano	Final	Completed Final Stage (2.56 seconds to spare)
No. 87 Shunsuke Nagasaki	Final	Failed Final Rope
No. 91 Toshihiro Takeda	Third	Failed Pipe Slider
No. 86 Paul Terek	Third	Failed Cliff Hanger
No. 67 Yuta Adachi	Third	Failed Body Prop
No. 81 Bunpei Shiratori	Third	Failed Body Prop
No. 98 Shingo Yamamoto	Third	Failed Body Prop
No. 96 Daisuke Nakata	Third	Failed Arm Rings

18th Competition

Aired: March 21, 2007

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 96 Makoto Nagano	Third	Disqualified on Shin-Cliff Hanger†
No. 97 Shunsuke Nagasaki	Third	Failed Shin-Cliff Hanger
No. 98 Kenji Takahashi	Third	Failed Shin-Cliff Hanger

NOTE:When Nagano crossed the second gap of the Cliff Hanger he grabbed the top of the frame with one hand, therefore going off the course.

19th Competition

Aired: September 19, 2007

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 79 Koji Yamada	Second	Failed Salmon Ladder
No. 86 Yuji Washimi	Second	Failed Salmon Ladder

20th Competition

Aired: March 26, 2008

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 1989 Levi Meeuwenberg	Third	Failed Shin-Cliff Hanger

21st Competition

Aired: September 17, 2008

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 100 Makoto Nagano	Third	Failed Gliding Ring
No. 98 Toshihiro Takeda	Third	Failed Hang Climbing
No. 97 Daisuke Miyazaki	Third	Failed Devil Steps

22nd Competition

Aired: March 30, 2009

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 77 Yuuji Urushihara	Final	Failed G-Rope
No. 49 Hitoshi Kanno	Third	Disqualified on Spider Flip†
No. 79 Li En Zhi	Third	Failed Shin-Cliff Hanger
No. 84 Yoshiyuki Okuyama	Third	Failed Shin-Cliff Hanger

†When Kanno climbed up to the Spider Flip he touched part of the frame with his foot and climbed along the side of the actual platform, therefore going off the course.

23rd Competition

Aired: September 27, 2009

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 100 Makoto Nagano	Final	Failed G-Rope
No. 96 Hitoshi Kanno	Final	Failed G-Rope
No. 84 Kenji Takahashi	Third	Failed Gliding Ring
No. 92 Yoshiyuki Okuyama	Third	Failed Spider Flip
No. 97 Toshihiro Takeda	Third	Failed Spider Flip
No. 95 Levi Meeuwenberg	Third	Failed Shin-Cliff Hanger
No. 93 Shingo Yamamoto	Third	Failed Arm Rings (injured)

NOTE: Due to the failure of the Slider Jump during Nagano's run, Nagano was given a second run for the first stage.

24th Competition

Aired: January 1, 2010

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 93 Yuuji Urushihara	Final	Completed Final Stage (3.57 seconds to spare)
No. 85 Koji Hashimoto	Final	Failed G-Rope
No. 94 Kenji Takahashi	Final	Failed G-Rope
No. 95 Yoshiyuki Okuyama	Final	Failed G-Rope
No. 92 Li En Zhi	Final	Failed G-Rope
No. 73 Naoya Tajima	Third	Failed Gliding Ring
No. 98 Toshihiro Takeda	Third	Failed Spider Flip

25th Competition

Aired: March 28, 2010

Competitor	Stage	Obstacle
No. 80 Li En Zhi	Third	Failed Ultimate Cliff Hanger
No. 60 Koji Hashimoto	Third	Failed Ultimate Cliff Hanger
No. 40 Kenji Takahashi	Third	Failed Ultimate Cliff Hanger
No. 50 Yoshiyuki Okuyama	Third	Failed Ultimate Cliff Hanger
No. 69 Brian Orosco	Third	Failed Doorknob Grasp

26th Competition

To Be Aired: Unknown

Related events

The show Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course airs on ESPN2, and is also produced by Monster9 for Fuji TV. Many of the same competitors from Sasuke also compete in the Viking competition.

Sasuke executive producer Ushio Higuchi has also co-created Muscle Musical, a live athletic and comedy-oriented performance featuring several notable Sasuke and Kunoichi competitors (such as Ayako Miyake (now since left), Naoki Iketani, Sayaka Asami (now since left), Terukazu Ishikawa, Kayo Haga (now since left), Daisuke Nakata and Rie Komiya), as well as other Japanese athletes and entertainers. Its popularity in Japan and ever-growing popularity in the United States has resulted in it securing a long-term run at the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Every January TBS also airs the Pro Sportsman No.1 competition, also produced by Monster9. Several people who have competed on Sasuke have participated in this competition. It is a series of events contested by celebrities and professional athletes. In 2006, Daisuke Miyazaki earned the title of Pro Sportsman No. 1. In 2007 it was Paul Terek who won that title. Miyazaki won the title again in 2008 and 2009.

On Aodi-ba island, Monster9 has built Muscle Park, an indoor theme park based on events from Sasuke and other Muscle Ranking related programs. Some well-known Sasuke participants such as Katsumi Yamada have made live appearances there. Sasuke champion Makoto Nagano was honored in a celebration where he participated in the ribbon cutting there. Since April 2007 Monster9 has been airing episodes of Muscle Channel, a show to promote Muscle Park and the Muscle Musical as well as people and events related to Sasuke. Muscle Channel usually airs on BS-i on Thursdays from 8:00 to 9:53 JST and is hosted by Hiromichi Sato. Past guests include Katsumi Yamada and Shunsuke Nagasaki.

See also

• Kinniku Banzuke (known in America as Unbeatable Banzuke)
• Kunoichi (Women's version of Sasuke)
• Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course

External links

• 11th Sasuke 2003 (Sasuke 2003 Springs) - Tokyo Broadcasting System Template:Ja icon
• Sasuke 2007 (Sasuke 2007 Autumn) - Tokyo Broadcasting System Template:Ja icon
• Sasuke 2006秋 (Sasuke 2006 Autumn) - Tokyo Broadcasting System Template:Ja icon
• Sasuke 2005・(Sasuke 2005 Winter) - Tokyo Broadcasting System Template:Ja icon
• Diagrams of the 11th course with measurements - Tokyo Broadcasting System Template:Ja icon
• Ninja Warrior on Challenge
• Ninja Warrior on G4
• Sasuke at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com

ak:SASUKE