User:VxJasonxV/List of Notable Sasuke Competitors

Participants

One particular point of interest is the broad spectrum of participants. Most are amateur athletes hailing from Japan, although some national television personalities and Olympians from other countries (including the USA, Bulgaria, China, Korea, Australia and Iran) 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. This group includes:

Kazuhiko Akiyama -- a 51-year-old massage therapist and former crab diver from Tokoro, Hokkaidō. He is the first competitor to have completed Sasuke, doing so on his third try in the 4th Competition. He has had varying levels of success since, primarily due to failing eyesight. Before becoming a crab fisherman, entering his family business, he was in the Japan Self-Defense Forces where he took up Greco-Roman wrestling. In 2005 his height and weight was recorded at 5 feet, 3 inches and 123 pounds. He made his debut in the 2nd competition and only missed the 5th. Akiyama announced a retirement from Sasuke after the 17th competition to focus on his fatherhood and work, but then he returned to Sasuke to compete in Sasuke 20, ultimately failing on the First Stage's Halfpipe Attack.

Makoto Nagano -- a 52-year-old fisherman living near Kagoshima and the second man to complete the course. He spends 300 days a year at sea captaining his ship, the 28th Konpira Maru, where he works as a commercial fisherman as well as train for the competition. Clips of him training are shown frequently during the broadcast and include him doing sit-ups off the side of the boat, handstands on the top mast, and hanging off a bridge crossing it like the Cliff Hanger obstacle. In 2005 his height and weight were recorded as 5 feet, 3 inches and 134 pounds. After failing to scale the Warped Wall in the 7th and 8th Competitions, Nagano made it to the Third Stage and failed on the Pipe Slider in the 9th. He failed the Jump Hang in the 10th competition and since then has reached the Third Stage in every competition except the 15th in which he failed on the Metal Spin (Second Stage), the 19th where he failed on the Flying Chute (First Stage), and the 20th where he failed the Downhill Jump (Second Stage). He has reached the Final Stage four times (in the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 17th Competitions), more than any other competitor, and finally completed it in the 17th Competition. His three consecutive Final Stage appearances are a record shared with Akira Omori, who accomplished the feat in the first three competitions.

Toshihiro Takeda -- a 48-year-old fire rescue worker from Ibi District, Gifu Prefecture. He has reached a level of fame both in Sasuke and in his career that he became the poster boy for Japan's firefighting recruitment drive for 2006. Takeda always competes in his orange firefighter trousers and a blue or white fire rescue t-shirt. Takeda has passed the First Stage in all except the 7th Competition where he timed out on the Rope Climb, the 10th Competition where he fell on the Jump Hang, the 19th Competition where he timed out after the Warped Wall, and the 20th Competition where he timed out on the Rope Ladder. He is the only All-Star to not compete in the final stage. He had considered retirement after the 17th competition, but his son convinced him to return to Sasuke.

Shingo Yamamoto -- a 49-year-old oil company manager from Tokyo, he is the only person to have competed in every Sasuke competition, and the only person to have attempted the first and second version of the Final Stage. During his first attempt in the 3rd Competition he was only about 3 meters short, but his second appearance in the 7th Competition ended almost immediately when he dislocated his shoulder just seconds after beginning the Spider Climb. He usually competes in his gas station uniform shirt and cap (always with Esso/Mobil branding); both times he competed without it, the 1st Competition and 4th Competition (in which he failed on the Balace Bridge). Much note is made of his career and personal successes, including his promotions at the Hasegawa service station, where he started as a gas jockey in the 1st Competition, manager at the 6th, and was announced as a district manager at the 17th; his marriage after the 5th; and the building of his home in Tokyo, complete with a Sasuke training course. In the 20 Tournaments he has entered, he has passed the First Stage 12 times, the Second Stage 10 times, and the Third Stage twice.

Bunpei Shiratori -- a 56-year-old health-services government employee from Inba Village, Chiba Prefecture. He is a track and field athlete specializing in the triple jump; he even competes in his track uniform. In 2005, his height and weight were recorded as 5 feet, 9 inches and 145 pounds. He reached the Final Stage in the 12th competition, his only time doing so, and timed out on the Rope Climb. During the 15th Competition, Bunpei overcame heat exhaustion to complete the First Stage and advance to the Climbing Bars (Bridge of Destiny) in the Third Stage; temperatures that day were reportedly at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. He has built a full-sized model of the course in his backyard known as the Shiratori Shrine, where he trains. He invites the other Sasuke All-Stars to train there, and even invited the G4 American Ninja Challenge finalists, Colin Bell and Brett Sims, to his course in 2007. Unfortunately, due to a back injury, Shiratori was unable to compete in Sasuke 20.

Katsumi Yamada -- 59 years old from Harima, Hyōgo Prefecture, he is known as "Mr. Sasuke". Due to Yamada's success in the earlier competitions, he was once thought to be the most likely to complete the entire course. The only time he reached the Final Stage was in the 3rd Competition, when he timed out just a few inches from the buzzer. In the 6th and 10th Competitions Yamada reached the end of the Pipe Slider only to fail the jump to the final mat. He is particularly notable for his unusual devotion to the Sasuke competition; many times he has sworn to retire from the competition only to resurface again, at one point alienating his family in the process. Despite his frequent claims that he will never compete again, Yamada has only missed the 13th Competition. After failing on the Pipe Slider in the 10th Competition, he never returned to the Third Stage. Since being disqualified in the 12th competition on the Second Stage (for finishing the Second Stage wearing gloves that contestants start with, for safety reasons on the Chain Reaction, but are required to remove before the third obstacle, the Spider Walk), he has never completed the First Stage. Since the factory where he once worked has closed down, he never acquired another full-time job, and spends the rest of his time training. There is a rumor that Yamada is training his son to compete in upcoming tournaments.

Shunsuke Nagasaki -- This 37-year-old is the newest member of the Sasuke All-Stars, and one of the most promising of recent competitors. A skilled trampolinist who is scheduled to perform in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, he has won several medals in the Trampoline World Cups and Doha Asian Games. Shunsuke first appeared at the 14th Competition and became the youngest person to reach the Second Stage. Although that record has since been broken, Nagasaki still holds the distinction of being the youngest competitor to reach the Third Stage, which he did at age 18, during the 15th competition. However, despite popular belief, he is not the youngest competitor to reach the Final Stage, which he did at age 19, during the 17th competition. That record belongs to Takayuki Kawashima who, at age 18, made it to the Final Stage in the 1st Competition. In the 18th competition, due to the modifications in the Cliff Hanger, he failed the Third Stage. In the 19th competition, he was eliminated in the First Stage by falling off the Flying Chute; this was his first time failing 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, possibly due to his training for the 2008 Olympics.

Athletes

Many world-class athletes who have attempted Sasuke include American gymnasts (and twin brothers) Paul and Morgan Hamm, American decathlete Paul Terek and Bulgarian gymnast Jordan Jovtchev. Jovtchev reached the Final Stage during the 8th Competition, but became the first and only competitor to suffer a 15-second timeout on the initial Spider Climb portion, falling when it spread apart. It might be noted that it was raining during this attempt. He then made the Third Stage three more times (competitions 12, 14, 16), failing the Cliff Hanger each time. He later returned after a lengthy absence for Sasuke 20, where he failed on the First Stage obstacle, the Warped Wall. Paul Hamm made it to the second stage in the 14th and 16th competitions but failed to make it further (in the 14th he cleared the Wall Lift but forgot to hit the button at the end before time ran out), and Morgan made it to the third stage in the 15th competition, failing there on the Curtain Cling. Terek made it to the third stage in the 17th competition, failing on the "Cliff Hanger", and returned in the 19th, failing on the first stage on the "Jumping Spider".

Several world-class Japanese athletes (in addition to the aforementioned Bunpei Shiratori and Shunsuke Nagasaki), including gymnast Naoki Iketani and trampolinist Daisuke Nakata, have competed. They have both reached the Third Stage numerous times, but never the Final Stage. Nakata has performed at the Olympic Games in the past, and Nagasaki aspires to represent Japan for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Both Iketani and Nakata are performers on the Muscle Musical travelling show, and Shunsuke made a guest appearance performing with Nakata on the show in 2003, when he was 15. Nakata was the victim of a hit-and-run accident in 2004, an incident that severely damaged his hands and wrists. He came back after the accident in the 17th competition, but due to the weakness in his hands, he failed on the Third Stage's Arm Rings, and has not competed since then. Iketani returned to Sasuke in the 20th competition, his first since the 16th, but failed on the First Stage's Jumping Spider.

Iketani's brother, Olympic medal-winning gymnast Yukio Iketani, debuted in the 1st Competition and made it to the second stage. He returned in the 20th competition, but he failed on the Log Grip in the first stage.

Shunsuke Nagasaki'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.

Spanish gymnast Gervasio Deferr competed in the 10th Competition, but timed out just a few feet from the buzzer on the First Stage's Rope Climb.

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 Cliffhanger. 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 his footage was cut from the TBS broadcast. In the 20th Competition, he failed the Halfpipe Attack.

Runner Yoshiyuki Okuyama, who participated in the 1991 World Championships in Athletics - Men's 200 metres, debuted in the 20th Competition, and made it to the Second Stage; unfortunately, he failed on the Stick Slider (which is the obstacle that immediately follows the Salmon Ladder).

Team handball player Daisuke Miyazaki, who took the title of Pro Sportsman No. 1 in 2006 and 2008, competed in the 20th competition, but failed in the First Stage by falling off the Halfpipe Attack.

K-1 mixed martial artist Genki Sudo (12th and 13th tournament) has also competed. He only made it as far as the Jump Hang though. Fellow 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 Twelfth 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), Andy Ologun (18th competition, failed on the Rope Glider; 20th Competition, failed on the Log Grip), and Bernard Ackah (19th competition, failed on 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 and Hiroshi Tanahashi. 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 made the Third Stage twice (6th and 7th competitions), but 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, and ultimately 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; neither he nor Shane have competed since then. Other entertainers include Hiromichi Sato, host of several NHK children's programs, as well actor/announcer Kenjirō Ishimaru and actors Masaki Nomura and Shōei. Ishimaru has never made it past the First Stage, and his two closest chances had him timing out on the Rope Climb in the 16th and 17th competitions; 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 on the First Stage obstacle, the Flying Chute. In the 19th Tournament, he failed the Log Grip, and in the 20th Competition he timed out before he attempted the Tarzan Rope.

Japanese comedians

Several Japanese comedians have taken part in Sasuke. Some of them include Akira Omori (aka "The Monkey"), Koriki Choshu (15th, 18th, 19th, 20th Competitions), Masaki Sumitani (AKA Razor Ramon H.G.), Yoku Hata (AKA "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, but since then has not been able to clear the First Stage), and 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.

Other notable competitors

Some other participants notable for their success in Sasuke include garbage man Shinji Kobayashi. Shinji Kobayashi has competed nine times and has made it to the Third Stage in the 11th Competition (failing there on the Pipe Slider) as well as the 14th (where he failed on the Devil's Swing). He also made the Second Stage in the 16th tournament but failed there on 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 on the Jumping Spider in the first stage.

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. 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 on the Second Stage's first obstacle, the Chain Reaction. In the 15th Tournament, which was his last, he failed the First Stage's Rope Climb. Currently, Asaoka works on his career as an illustrator for graphic novels.

Delivery man Kenji Takahashi has only competed five times, with a 5-year break between his first and second attempt (7th competition to 16th competition, respectively); he has reached the third stage on each attempt except his 4th attempt (where he failed the First Stage's Jumping Spider in the 19th tournament) and his 5th attempt (where he failed the First Stage's Flying Chute in the 20th tournament). Takahashi was one of three competitors to reach the third stage in the 18th competition, ultimately failing on the redesigned Cliff Hanger.

The only woman to have completed the 1st Stage is former Super Sentai stuntwoman Chie Nishimura, who did so in the 2nd Competition; she attempted to do the Second Stage's Spider Walk in a very unoptimal fashion resembling the proper method of the later obstacle, the Third Stage's Body Prop. Consequently, she failed the Spider Walk. It was noted that this was because her legs were too short to reach across as is normal for the Spider Walk.

American Navy 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, thereby disqualifying Schraeder. 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.

Another notable competitor is Tomihiro Tachikawa, 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.

Sou Takei, a dancer who goes by the stage name of 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.

60-year-old Minoru Kuramochi, an octopus bar owner who is known as the Octopus (he usually brings an octopus with him every time), 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). Despite this, he seems to be a fan favorite.

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

51-year-old Yasuo Aoki, a 3-D artist and sculptor, has also competed in several tournaments. He always wears a helmet and protection pads but never makes it past the first obstacle of the first stage. He usually brings a sculpture or two to the start. However, due to his weak stature, he's never made it to that obstacle that he made a sculpture of (In the 19th competition, he brought in the Barrel Climb, a obstacle in the first 7 competitions).

Hiromitsu Takahashi, a former ballet dancer, always competes in nothing but a black thong. 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. He has, however, once cleared the Marine Stage in Viking in 2005. Takahashi returned to Sasuke for the 20th Tournament, ultimately failing the Halfpipe Attack.

Kazuhiko Akiyama's brother, scallop fisherman Kimihiro Akiyama, competed in the 11th Competition but failed the newly-redesigned Balance Bridge in the First Stage.

Toyohisa Ijima, a 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.

Hibari, a transsexual who is a former dancer-turned-action star 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). In the 7th competition her last name was revealed to be Igano.

Hidenori Nagasawa, a Jaguar mechanic, competed on Sasuke 8 times but only made it past the First Stage once. However, he holds the distinction of being the oldest competitor to pass the First Stage, doing so at age 40 during the 16th competition.

The youngest competitor to pass the 1st Stage, Kota Honma, was 16 years old during the 17th Competition. He was also the youngest to participate in Sasuke at 13 years old in the 13th Competition. Before him, Shunsuke Nagasaki held the record at 17 years old. Kota has built a model of the full 16th Sasuke course. 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. Kota Honma returned in the 20th Competition, but failed the Pole Maze when he jumped to grab the pole but his feet hit the water.

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 fifth and thirteenth tournaments, fell off the Rolling log and took the log with him into the water both times.

Koji Yamada (not related to Katsumi Yamada), a fireman from the Gifu Prefecture (like Toshihiro Takeda) with just three percent body fat, made it to the third stage on his first try through Sasuke in the 12th Competition. He also made it to the third stage in the 15th and 16th competitions. He was also one of the only two competitors to pass the first stage of the 19th competition. 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. Note: While he's originally named Koji, G4TV dubs his first name as Yasushi for possible clarification.

Yuji Washimi, a 30-year-old who is a former international motocross star-turned-mechanic, first appeared on Sasuke in the 17th competition as its top qualifier, failing on the Warped Wall, but then he made it to the second stage in the next two tournaments (18th and 19th competitions), but failed on 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, he was the only other competitor to pass the first stage in the 19th competition. In the 20th Competition, Washimi failed the Halfpipe Attack.

American Ninja Challenges

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 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 on the Jumping Spider. The second contest by G4 wrapped up in March 2008, and Levi Meeuwenberg from Ann Arbor, Michigan and Brian Orosco of San Francisco, California were both chosen. Both competitors, listed as free runners, competed in the 20th competition alongside Brett Sims (who was given the opportunity to return, presumably by TBS). Brett failed the First Stage's Warped Wall this time, while Brian failed the Flying Chute. Levi, however, made it to the Third Stage (and was the only competitor to do so in the entire tournament) before he ultimately failed on the Cliff Hanger. The 20th Competition is scheduled to air on May 18 and is part of G4's second Ninjafest.