Drone Movie Contest 2020 winner pairs ninjas and drones in an impressive promotion video

Known for their stealth and speed, microdrones arguably share some of the abilities that ninjas were prized for.

Taking a hint from this possible connection between modern technology and Japanese history, Hitohata Co., Ltd. produced a "Cool Japan" promotion movie (see below) called "Drone x Ninja-Daijuji-" and entered it into the Drone Movie Contest 2020 sponsored by the Digital Hollywood Robotics Academy and the Japan UAS Industry Promotion Council (JUIDA).

Their video, which won the Special Jury Prize, is based on the Matsudaira and Tokugawa families' Daijuji Temple in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, and uses microdrones to simulate the acrobatic movements of ninjas slipping through spaces and jumping from surface to surface.

"Drone x Ninja-Daijuji-" was nominated as one of seven finalists from more than 70 entries, and was finally selected as one of the four winners. Judges rated it as "expanding the possibilities of drone usage and expression for the future."

In addition to YouTube, the video will be distributed on the Okazaki City Official Tourism Site "Okazaki Odekake Navi" and the Okazaki City Promotion Site "Okazaki Renaissance" to promote the region's touristic assets.