Ninja Warrior: Is it that big of a deal in Japan?

Question:

Some people say they take off work 6 months to train for this. Some people come back a lot. The people seem very proud when they complete different stages. (Who wouldn't ? It's hard!) It seems they take it very very seriously. So is this really that big of a deal in Japan?

Answer:

Ninja Warrior, or Sasuke, is a serious business for the top competitors at the least, and it certainly deserves serious dedication, seeing the kind of public attention that it has received for the past years in Japan. Many of them were good athletes in school days, but they weren't good enough to make it into pro or the Olympics. Somewhere on their way they gave up on their childhood dreams like most of us did, and started working as a fisherman, a delivery men, a gas station attendant, etc., leading a mundane life. Then came Ninja Warrior. All of a sudden they were given another chance at stardom in a field where ex-athletes like themselves could excel. It's a little different from the sport which they competed in, but it's still a kind of athletic competition where they can make the best use of their capacity. Plus it's been a hugely popular TV show. Why wouldn't they get excited for such an opportunity?