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Japan passengers pay cabbies to act as bodyguards, ninjas with dramatic drop-offs

There are also rides featuring a rear window projection screen displaying a popular horror movie character

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In Japan, passengers can pay an extra US$34 for taxi drivers to dress and act as ninjas, providing a unique cultural experience. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

Passengers in Japan who pay an extra 5,000 yen (US$34) can expect a dramatic drop-off as their taxi drivers transform into bodyguards or ninjas.

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Sanwa Koutsu, a Japanese taxi company with a 59-year history, offers this special customised driver service.

Dressed in black suits and sunglasses, like we often see in Hollywood films, drivers role-play as bodyguards, driving and escorting passengers with stern, expressionless faces.

Throughout the journey, they pretend to communicate with security “headquarters” using wireless devices in the taxi, reporting on the route.

As passengers exit the vehicle, the “bodyguard” driver brandishes water guns and what appears to be a bulletproof briefcase to shield their VIPs. Photo: QQ.com
As passengers exit the vehicle, the “bodyguard” driver brandishes water guns and what appears to be a bulletproof briefcase to shield their VIPs. Photo: QQ.com

As passengers alight from the vehicle, the “bodyguard” driver pulls out water guns and a supposedly bulletproof briefcase to shield their protected passenger, simulating a sniper attack scenario.

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