Sasuke (TV series)

*Sasuke*
Sasuke
Genre	Sports Entertainment,; Obstacle Course
Narrated by	Ichiro Furutachi (1997-Fall 2003); Keisuke Hatsuta (2004- ); Wataru Ogasawara (1997- )
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	20
Production
Executive producer	Ushio Higuchi
Producers	Kogake Yoshiyuki; Makoto Fujii
Production locations	Midoriyama, Aoba-ku, Yokohama [1]
Running time	2-hr 53-min specials in Japan,; 30-minute episodes in the United States and France, ; 23 minute episodes in the United Kingdom.
Original release
Network	Tokyo Broadcasting System
Release	Sept 26, 1997 –; present
Related
	Kunoichi,; Pro Sportsman No.1,; Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course

Sasuke (サスケ, romanized in Japan as SASUKE) is a Japanese sports entertainment television special that airs on the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) between Japanese television drama seasons and consists of a competition in which 100 competitors attempt to complete four obstacle course stages. Each 3-hour special covers an entire competition, and there have been 19 specials, approximately one new special per season, since Sept 26, 1997. The show is produced by Monster9 [2] 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 the Muscle Ranking series but became an independent program when the Muscle Ranking series was discontinued. The 1st Competition in 1997 was held indoors, marking the only time Sasuke did not take place outside. The 20th competition will air on March 26th in Japan on TBS, and May 18th in the United States as part of NinjaFest 2 on G4TV.

There have also been several programs related to Sasuke. Kunoichi, is a version of Sasuke restricted to female competitors only consisting of fewer easier obstacles and rules. There have also been special competitions 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 that the competitors must complete. For the purposes of fairness, in the 18th competition, a 1200-meter run was held before the event. This run also determined the competitors' numbers. Each competition is taped prior to the air date and broadcast as a 3-hour show edited for time.

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--most notably gymnast Paul Hamm and his identical twin brother Morgan Hamm--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

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. After the 17th competition, he officially retired from Sasuke to gain more focus as a father and an owner of his own massage clinic. The only tournament he missed was the 5th. In the 11th competition, his brother, Kimihiro Akiyama, who is a scallop fisherman, competed but failed the newly redesigned Balance Bridge. He announced a retirement from Sasuke after the 17th competition to focus on his fatherhood and work. Recently Kazuhiko Akiyama announced that he is coming back to compete in Sasuke 20.

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 and the 19th where he failed on the Flying Chute. 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, and the 19th Competition where he timed out after the Warped Wall. 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, he has failed very early on. 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.

Bunpei Shiratori -- a 56-year-old health-services government employee from Inba Village, Chiba Prefecture. He is also 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 also 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 will not 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. Also 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 [3][4][5][6] and Doha Asian Games [7]. 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 Final Stage, which he did at age 19, during the 17th 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.

Athletes

As well as the Hamm brothers, other athletes to have attempted Sasuke include 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. Terek, however has 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 reached the Third Stage numerous times, but never the Final Stage. Iketani and Nakata have both 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 also 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.

Shunsuke Nagasaki's younger brother, Takamasa Nagasaki, made his debut in the 18th competition. Takamasa is a trampolinist like his brother and reached the Second Stage by failing on the Salmon Ladder in his first attempt. In the 19th competition, he, like his brother, was eliminated by the Flying Chute.

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), 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. Kane reached the Final Stage during the 8th Competition. 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, 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.

Japanese comedians

Several Japanese comedians have taken part in Sasuke. Some of them include Akira Omori (aka "The Monkey"), Koriki Choshu (15th, 18th, and 19th Competitions), Masaki Sumitani (AKA Razor Ramon H.G.), Yoku Hata, 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), 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 and former elementary school teacher Hiroyuki Asaoka, previously known as the "Sasuke Sensei" (in America: "Professor Ninja Warrior"). Asaoka currently works on his career as an illustrator for graphic novels. Asaoka was also one of the three men to have reached the Final Stage in the 12th competition, failing on the Rope Climb. Delivery man Kenji Takahashi has only competed four times, with a five year break between his first and second attempt; he has reached the third stage on each attempt failing on the Cliff Hanger every time except his 4th attempt (where he failed the First Stage's Jumping Spider in the 19th 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 went out on the first obstacle next stage, attempting to do the Spider Walk in a very unoptimal fashion resembling the proper method of the later obstacle The Body Prop. It was noted that this was because her legs were too short to reach across as is normal for the Spider Walk. This occurred during the 2nd Competition.

In that tournament, her last name was given as Tanabe because at the time she was single.

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.

A dancer named Goku has also competed in many 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's 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, 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.

Toyohisa Ijima, formerly a military serviceman, 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 never made it past the first stage; his closest chance came in the 11th tournament, just missing hitting the final button on the Rope Climb by a split second.

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).

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.

Tien Dinh, a background dancer for Ashanti who appeared on the Soul Train Music Awards, competed on SASUKE in 2004.

Matthew Hindelang, a backup singer for Britney Spears, competed on SASUKE in 2003, making it past only the first obstacle.

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 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.

*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, made it to the second stage twice in a row (18th and 19th competitions), failing on the Salmon Ladder both times. Besides Koji Yamada, he was the only other competitor to pass the first stage in the 19th competition. 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). Washimi first appeared in the 17th competition, failing on the First Stage's Warped Wall, but since the course's redesign that started in the 18th competition, Washimi is the only competitor to make it past the First Stage more than once.

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, Brett Sims, were both selected, and they became the subjects of an hour-long G4 special on November 14 during G4's Ninja Fest. [8] 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 and Levi Meeuwenberg from Ann Arbor, Michigan and Brian Orosco of San Francisco, California have been chosen. Both competitors are listed as free runners. They will compete in the 20th competition and be part of G4's second Ninjafest, scheduled for May 18.

The first American to reach the Third Stage was Japanese-American actor Kane Kosugi in the 1st Competition. The first and only foreigner and American to reach the Final Stage were Kane Kosugi and Bulgarian gymnast Jordan Jovtchev, both in the 8th Competition.

Stages

Descriptions of specific obstacles can be found in the section following this one. The time limits are in seconds. (NOTE: Since the 18th tourament, a 1.2km cross-country run was used to determine their starting numbers, with the contestants being able to pick their numbers at the end of the race)

First Stage

One hundred participants are given the opportunity to attempt the First Stage, a course which primarily tests one's speed. The object is to hit the buzzer at the end of the course before the allotted time expires. If a competitor goes out of bounds or comes into contact with the water in any of the pits below the course, he is disqualified.

Typically, 85 to 90 of the 100 original entrants are eliminated in this stage. However, in the 4th competition, a record 37 of the original 100 competitiors made it past the first stage. After the 4th, and again after the 17th competition, the first stage was thoroughly redesigned to be much more difficult and prevent large numbers of people from moving on. In fact, a recent G4 special inside the making of the Sasuke competition revealed that the redesign of the first stage for the 18th competition was done with the intention of seeing all 100 challengers fail it. This did not happen, however, and that has only spurred the production team on to make this and all stages to follow even harder.

That goal was almost met in the 19th competition, where much to everyone's surprise, only two competitors cleared the first stage (neither of the two being Sasuke All-Stars), a record in Sasuke history. The only time something similar has happened was in the first Kunoichi, where again, only two competitors cleared the first stage. Executive producer Ushio Higuchi said in interviews later that even he was surprised at the results, anticipating that around 10 to 12 people would survive in spite of the production team's attempts at making the first stage unbeatable.

Comp #	First Stage Obstacles											Time Limit
1	Barrel Climb	Spinning Log		Rapid Descent		Hill Climb		Balance Bridge	Mountain Climb			70.0
2	Barrel Climb	Spinning Log		Rapid Descent		Hill Climb		Balance Bridge	Mountain Climb			60.0
3	Barrel Climb	Rolling Log		Balance Bridge	Rapid Descent		Hill Climb		Rope Climb			60.0
4	Barrel Climb	Rolling Log		Balance Bridge	Rapid Descent		Hill Climb		Rope Climb			60.0
5	Barrel Climb	Rolling Log		Balance Bridge	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Rope Climb			75.0
6	Barrel Climb	Rolling Log		Balance Bridge	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Rope Climb			75.0
7	Barrel Climb	Rolling Log		Balance Bridge	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Rope Climb			75.0
8	Quintuple Step	Rolling Log		Big Boulder	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Rope Climb			77.0
9	Quintuple Step	Rolling Log		Big Boulder	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Rope Climb			77.0
10	Quintuple Step	Rolling Log		Dance Bridge	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	80.0
11	Quintuple Step	Rolling Log		Balance Bridge	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	85.0
12	Hill Climb ¹	Rolling Log		Plank Bridge	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	85.0
13	Prism Tilt	Rolling Log		Bridge of Blades	Jump Hang ²		Crooked Wall	Warped Wall	Rope Climb			80.0
14	Cone Jump	Butterfly Wall	Rolling Log	Bridge of Blades	Jump Hang		Crooked Wall	Warped Wall	Rope Climb			103.0
15	Hurdle Jump	Butterfly Wall	Rolling Log	Bridge of Blades	Jump Hang		Crooked Wall	Warped Wall	Rope Climb			95.0
16	Sextuple Step	Rolling Log		Bridge of Blades	Jump Hang	Rope Reverse	Reverse Fly	Warped Wall	Rope Climb			105.0
17	Sextuple Step	Log Slope	Rolling Log	Bridge of Blades	Circle Slider	Jump Hang	Warped Wall		Rope Climb			85.0
18	Rope Glider	Log Grip		Pole Maze	Jumping Spider	Bungee Bridge	Great Wall	Flying Chute	Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder ³	130.0
19	Sextuple Step	Log Grip		Pole Maze	Jumping Spider	Halfpipe Attack	Warped Wall	Flying Chute	Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder ³	115.0
20	Sextuple Step	Log Grip		Pole Maze	Jumping Spider	Halfpipe Attack	Warped Wall	Flying Chute	Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder ³	120.0

+ - This obstacle is an immediate successor to the previous obstacle, without any way to recuperate between them.

^1 This Hill Climb is completely different from the one that would later become the Warped Wall after the 4th Competition.

^2 Although referred to as the Jump Hang, the obstacle that year consisted of many ropes hanging vertically, completely different from the rope net used in all other competitions.

^3 The Rope Ladder's name and obstacle symbol was not shown in Ninja Warrior's obstacle chart due to lack of room for TV screening. However, the Japanese announcer still calls the last obstacle by its official name.

Second Stage

Those with enough skill to complete stage one then take on an even more gruelling set of obstacles in stage two. Fewer than 200 competitors have ever reached the Second Stage. Like stage one, the obstacles alter throughout the competitions, but all hold to the same principle: if the competitor makes a single mistake they fall into the water below. The obstacles determine the time limit, and it is usually between 50 seconds and 100 seconds.

Unlike the First Stage, which has always required the competitors to hit a buzzer at the end of the course to stop the clock and pass the course, the Second Stage did not have a buzzer at its end until the 8th Competition. Before then, the competitors simply walked through an open gate to stop the clock. From the 8th Competition onward, the buzzer opens the gate. If the competitor busts open the gate without hitting the button, they are disqualified. In addition, the course judges can hold the gates closed if a competitor committed a foul earlier in the Second Stage that would result in their disqualification, such as using the Chain Reaction gloves on the Spider Walk as Mr. "SASUKE" Katsumi Yamada had done in the 12th competition. (See his page for more details.)

On average, 10 to 15 competitors attempt the Second Stage on each competition. A record 37 competitors attempted the Second Stage during the 4th Competition. Also during the 4th Competition, a record 11 competitors cleared the Second Stage. During the 5th Competition, however, only three men made it to the Second Stage due to new, tougher obstacles in the First Stage. In the 19th Competition, neither of the two qualified competitors cleared the circuit (a fall and a timeout on the Salmon Ladder), marking the earliest end of a SASUKE competition.

Comp #	Second Stage Obstacles							Time Limit
1	Spider Walk				Hammer Dodge	Reverse Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	50.0
2	Spider Walk				Hammer Dodge	Reverse Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	50.0
3	Spider Walk				Hammer Dodge	Reverse Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	50.0
4	Spider Walk				Hammer Dodge	Reverse Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	50.0
5	Tackle Machine	Spider Walk			Hammer Dodge	Reverse Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	50.0
6	Ledge Walk	Spider Walk			Hammer Dodge	Reverse Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	50.0
7	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb	Spider Walk		Hammer Dodge	Reverse Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	90.0
8	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb	Spider Walk		Hammer Dodge	Reverse Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	100.0
9	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb	Spider Walk		Hammer Dodge	Reverse Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	80.0
10	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb	Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Reverse Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	85.0
11	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb	Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Reverse Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	80.0
12	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb	Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Reverse Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	70.0
13	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb	Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Reverse Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	70.0
14	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb	Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	67.0
15	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb	Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	65.0
16	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb	Spider Walk		Grip Hang	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	66.0
17	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb	Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	65.0
18	Downhill Jump	Salmon Ladder	+	Stick Slider	Net Bridge	Metal Spin	Shoulder Walk	95.0
19	Downhill Jump ⁴	Salmon Ladder	+	Stick Slider	Sky Walk	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	80.0

+ - This obstacle is an immediate successor to the previous obstacle, without any way to recuperate between them.

^4 In the 19th competition, this obstacle was dubbed as the Super Jump.

Third Stage

The third stage has no time limit, allowing contestants to go at their own pace. Contestants are allowed a few seconds of rest between obstacles during which they can apply "sticky spray" to improve their grip. While the first two stages focus on speed and agility, this course almost exclusively tests one's upper body strength and stamina.

Out of 1,900 overall competitors and less than 200 Second Stage competitors, around 100 have attempted the Third Stage. The Third Stage is so grueling that, on average, someone passes it only every other competition. Only thirteen individuals have ever passed it, and only three have passed it more than once.

Comp #	Third Stage Obstacles
1	Pillar Path	Propeller Bars				Needle Climb
2	Pillar Path	Propeller Bars		Chain Swing		Pipe Slider
3	Super Vault	Propeller Bars		Chain Swing		Pipe Slider
4	Super Vault	Propeller Bars		Arm Bike	Cliff Hanger	Pipe Slider
5	Propeller Bars	Body Prop		Arm Bike	Cliff Hanger	Pipe Slider
6	Propeller Bars	Body Prop		Arm Bike	Cliff Hanger	Pipe Slider
7	Propeller Bars	Body Prop		Arm Bike	Cliff Hanger	Pipe Slider
8	Propeller Bars	Body Prop		Arm Bike	Cliff Hanger	Pipe Slider
9	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Globe Grasp	Cliff Hanger	Pipe Slider
10	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Globe Grasp	Cliff Hanger	Pipe Slider
11	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Globe Grasp	Cliff Hanger	Pipe Slider
12	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Globe Grasp	Cliff Hanger	Pipe Slider
13	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Curtain Cling	Cliff Hanger	Pipe Slider
14	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Curtain Cling	Cliff Hanger	Jumping Bars	+	Climbing Bars ⁴	Devil's Swing		+	Pipe Slider
15	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Curtain Cling	Cliff Hanger	Jumping Bars	+	Climbing Bars ⁵	Devil's Swing		+	Pipe Slider
16	Arm Rings	Body Prop		Curtain Cling	Cliff Hanger	Jumping Bars	+	Climbing Bars ⁵	Devil's Swing		+	Pipe Slider
17	Arm Rings	Body Prop		Curtain Cling	Cliff Hanger	Jumping Bars	+	Climbing Bars ⁵	Devil's Swing		+	Pipe Slider
18	Arm Rings	+	Arm Bike	Curtain Swing	Cliff Hanger	Jumping Bars	+	Climbing Bars ⁵	+	Spider Flip	Final Ring
19	Arm Rings	Descending Globe Grasp		Devil Steps	Cliff Hanger	Jumping Bars	+	Ascending Climb	+	Spider Flip	Final Ring

+ - This obstacle is an immediate successor to the previous obstacle, without any way to recuperate between them.

^5 On Ninja Warrior, the "Climbing Bars" are called the "Bridge of Destiny" in subtitles. But the Japanese announcer calls them the "Climbing Bars", one of the many gairaigo (words borrowed from English) used to describe Sasuke obstacles.

Final Stage

To date, the Final Stage has known three forms. Each of these share a single, common goal: climb the big tower and reach the button at the top before time expires. If the competitor does not reach the top platform in time, the rope is cut and the competitor falls (they are caught by a safety line). Reaching the top is referred to as kanzenseiha (完全制覇), translated roughly as "complete domination", and rendered on Ninja Warrior as "total victory".

Of all the competitors to attempt to claim victory, only thirteen have been admitted to the final stage, and only three of them have gotten there more than once (Omori in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd competitions, Yamamoto in the 3rd and 7th, and Nagano in the 11th, 12th, 13th, and his victory in the 17th.) . Currently there are only two victors: Kazuhiko Akiyama defeated Sasuke in the 4th Competition, and Makoto Nagano in the 17th.

The original Final Stage consisted merely of climbing a 15 metres (49 ft) rope. The contestant must start climbing from a seated position.

The second version of the Final Stage was unveiled in the 7th Competition, when Shingo Yamamoto became the first to attempt it. The height of the tower was increased to 22.5 metres (74 ft). It consists of a 12.5 metres (41 ft) Spider Climb followed by a 10 metres (33 ft) Rope Climb. After 15 seconds, the walls of the Spider Climb spread apart. This ensnared Jordan Jovtchev during the 8th Competition, when he failed to complete the Spider Climb before it began spreading, and fell off the tower.

Since no one has reached the Final Stage since the 17th Competition, the new tower has not been shown clearly. Thus, details are not available on the new Final Stage. The closest details would be in this link here. http://www.maj.com/gallery/manaleader/Avatar2/finalstagev3-1.jpg

From the picture in the link, it appears to be a spider climb and three rope climbs.

The prize for completing the Final Stage was ¥2,000,000 (about USUnknown country code for year 2021: JPY ). The prize has now increased to ¥4,000,000 (about USUnknown country code for year 2021: JPY ) since the completion of the 17th tournament.

Typically, only one or two people make it to the Final Stage if they make it at all. However, the 3rd competition saw a record 5 people attempt the Final Stage. After the 4th competition, though, the Final Stage was only achieved on average every other tournament.

Comp #	Final Stage Obstacles		Total Height	Time Limit
1 → 4	Final Rope ⁶ [15m]		15 metres (49 ft)	30.0
5 → 17	Spider Climb ⁷ [12.5m]	Final Rope ⁶ [10m]	22.5 metres (74 ft)	30.0
18 →	Unknown ⁸	Rope Transfer ⁶[?m]	Unknown ⁸

^6 The name "Final Rope" is for clarification. The obstacle's real name is unknown, although Ninja Warrior calls it the "Rope Climb".

^7 If the "Spider Climb" is not completed in 15 seconds, the walls start to split, making it harder to traverse, and finally impossible if not completed soon after.

^8 Since no competitor has made it to the Final Stage since the 17th Competition, the obstacles, height, and time limit are still undisclosed.

Obstacles

First Stage obstacles

Barrel Climb: The competitor must jump over a small pit onto a staircase of logs that each freely rotate on a lateral axis, then climb that to the next obstacle.
Quintuple Step: The competitor must jump across 4 platforms that are angled 45° degrees toward the center of a water pit, and then jump to the platform at the end. The platforms are positioned alternately, left and right, across the length of the pit. They are each 60 centimeters (1 ft 11.62 in) wide, and the total length of the obstacle is 6.2 meters (20 ft 4.09 in).
Hill Climb (12th competition): The competitor must cross over two small hills which are at a 60° incline.
Prism Tilt: The competitor must jump over a small pit onto a large triangle which is supported by an axis in the center. The weight on one side of the triangle will tilt it into the water, so it must be crossed quickly.
Cone Jump: The competitor must cross two large cones that are spinning and jump to the next platform.
Hurdle Jump: The competitor must cross three pits, the first one where the platforms they jump from have bungee-rope hurdles. The first platform is shaped like an opening quarter-pipe, the second is flat and inclined to about 30°, and the landing platform is inclined to about 45°.
Sextuple Step: A modification of the Quintuple step, the number of intermediary platforms was increased from 4 to 5.
Rope Glider: The competitor must hold onto a rope as it slides down a track, and then let go to land on a mat floating in the water.
Butterfly Wall: The competitor must jump and grab onto a vertical wall that spins around a central vertical axis to reach the platform on the other side.
Spinning Log: The Competitor must cross a horizontal log that freely rotates around a central axis parallel to the course. The log is about 3 meters long and 20cm in diameter.
Log Slope: A modification of the Spinning Log, the log is now on an incline of about 15°, and the exit ground is placed above the log. It is also positioned like a platform rather than a balance beam and requires an additional climb to a platform leading to the next obstacle.
Rolling Log: The competitor must straddle and cling to a log 40 centimeters (1 ft 3.75 in) in diameter before kicking the ground to begin its roll down a 15° decline. Since the 13th competition, drops were implemented into the two supporting rails causing the log to fall, jarring the competitor. The log is also notorious for coming off the tracks and halting its spin midway.
Log Grip: The competitor must hold onto a vertical log with their arms and legs while it slides down a track with drops to the next platform. The log contains small indentations to provide some grip. The track is similar to the one previously used for the Rolling Log, but the the drops are are bigger and the track is longer.
Rapid Descent: Exactly like starting from the other end of the Barrel Climb, the competitor must jump over a large gap.
Balance Bridge: There is a large board that freely rotates along an axis parallel to the course. Along with this, there is an extension along the axis that sticks straight up. When the Balance Bridge was reused in the 11th competition, the axis was further to the left, the extension went along the whole board, and there was a second extension added perpendicular to the first on the right side halfway across the obstacle.
Big Boulder: The competitor must jump onto a very large boulder-like sphere floating in water and leap across to the other side.
Dance Bridge: The dance bridge is made of 12 individual boards that each spin individually on three lengthwise axes then jump to a platform.
Plank Bridge: The entrant must jump off half a bridge to the other side. The board is unanchored, and falls as the contestant runs across it.
Bridge of Blades: Like the other bridges, the Bridge of Blades rotates freely around a central lengthwise axis. The Bridge of Blades has four sections of bridge alternately going out 45° on each side. There is also an extension that spans the whole bridge that comes straight up about 15cm high.
Pole Maze: The competitor must grab a pole leaning against the first platform, and swing to the other side. The pole is anchored in the middle of the water pit between, and the top of the pole must be guided through a track above.
Circle Slider: The competitor must jump from a springboard and grab onto a large hoop which is on a long track on a decline, that they must slide across. At the end, the hoop hits a large object on the top of the track, and the competitor must use the momentum built up on the descent to swing to a platform.
Jump Hang: The competitor must bound forward off a trampoline to grasp the underside of a declining cargo net, then either climb over or underneath it, taking care not to touch the water below the obstacle if they choose the latter route. In the 13th Competition, there were many hanging ropes to grab onto rather than the cargo net.
Jumping Spider: A combination of the Jump Hang and the Spider Walk from the Second Stage where the competitor must jump from a trampoline into a shaft of parallel walls that they must traverse by wedging themselves between and crawling through them. In the 19th Competition, the platform before the trampoline was shortened making the competitor to jump up in a forward manner, instead of just jumping straight up to the walls.
Bungee Bridge: The competitor must cross a bridge of 4 planks with a gap between each. The planks are made of many thin strips of a stretchy material so they provide little support and very unstable ground.
Rope Reverse: The competitor must take a rope and swing off the side of a high platform. When the rope swings back into the side of the high platform, the competitor must swing and jump onto another platform below. There is a bungee line that limits the rope's movement.
Reverse Fly: The competitor must jump into a large vertical trampoline, slightly angled, and then land back on a platform next to the one they jumped from. A wall divides the platform they must jump from and land on.
Crooked Wall: The competitor must run up a concave wall and jump off the side to grab a rope which will then take them to the next obstacle. The wall is curved more on one side than the other.
Halfpipe Attack: In a fashion quite similar to the Crooked Wall, the competitor must run up across a half-pipe spanning from the floor to the ceiling on one side. Afterwards, they must make a leap from the half-pipe about halfway through to reach a rope to swing themselves to a platform that will lead them to the next obstacle.
Hill Climb (1st-4th competition): The competitor must climb one large wall of similar height to the warped wall, but flat and a 60° angle.
Warped Wall: The competitor must scale a concave quarter-pipe by running up and grabbing the top of the wall. From the 5th to the 17th tournaments, the wall was 5 meters (16 ft 4.85 in) high. In the 19th tournament, the height was raised to 17ft. After the 13th competition, for contestants 13 and under and 50 and older, a portion of the wall can be taken off of the top, making the wall about one foot shorter.
Great Wall: What seems to be a merge of the Warped Wall and the Crooked Wall, the Great Wall adds an extra piece of the wall on top of the Warped Wall with a rope hanging over the end for contestants to grab and climb over with. The rope ends at the same height as the original Warped Wall.
Flying Chute: The competitor must sit down and slide down a concaved slant and grab onto a rope hanging horizontally at the end, then transfer from that rope to a net behind them and climb down. In the 19th competition the rope was placed further away from the chute, making it much more difficult by requiring the contestant to jump for it.
Tarzan Jump: The competitor must cross a series of 5 hanging ropes (which stretch as they are pulled) to a rope against the wall, which they then must climb to reach the buzzer before time expires later it was decreased to 4 ropes starting in the 11th Competition.
Mountain Climb: The competitor must climb a wall with hand and foot holds to reach the buzzer at the top. The first section of the wall is on a conveyor belt that moves slowly downwards as the contestants climb.
Rope Climb: The competitor must take a rope and swing to a wall, then climb up the wall with the rope to press the buzzer before time expires.
Tarzan Rope → Rope Ladder: The competitor must take a rope and swing to a net wall, then climb up the net and cross a short bridge to press the buzzer before time expires. The rope is similar to the Rope Climb as it appears.

Second Stage obstacles

Spider Walk: There have been a few different versions of this obstacle. In the first few competitions, it was the first and longest obstacle, sometimes taking as much as half of the alloted time. The obstacle required the competitor to pin themselves between two parallel walls and traverse it without touching the ground. A segment in the middle moved up and down, requiring a shift in direction usually. Later, it was shortened to five large sets of panels, each of which moved independently of the others. In the version used from the 7th to the 17th Competition, the competitor must use his hands and feet to climb up, across, and back down two parallel walls. The two versions used in the 1st-6th tournaments ends at a pole to slide down referred to as the "Fireman's Pole". A can of adhesive spray is available at the start of the obstacle. Bare hands must be used or the contestant will be disqualified. (This requirement is especially important starting in the 7th Competition, since the Chain Reaction uses gloves.). Also, in the 1st-3rd competitions, throughout the entire obstacle their were only waiting mats to fall on. In the 4th competition, the first of the obstacle, to fall on was water, but mats the other half. From the 5th-17th competitions, the whole obstacle was filled with water to fall in. Also, the Spider Walk used in the first 4 tournaments had an ascending area that the Japanese announcer referred to as the "Spider Climb", yet however,this area is of no relation to the "Spider Climb" that was found in the 5th-17th competitions' Final Stage.
Tackle Machine: The competitor must push a 50kg weight down a tunnel to reach the exit to the next obstacle.
Ledge Walk: The competitor must cross two sections of ledge at the bottom of a wall, with water below. The second section has two short strips sticking out of the wall at about knee height to increase the difficulty.
Chain Reaction: The competitor must ride two sequential zip-lines over a pit of water, switching between them in midair. The zip-lines travel perpendicularly to each other, and each has a chain hanging from it by a single point. Competitors must grasp the chain on the first zip-line, ride to where the first chain slams into the scaffold, then switch to the next chain in midair, and ride the second zip-line to the end of the obstacle. During the switch, competitors may kick off a nearby solid wall. The first swing is 9.5 meters, and the second is 7.5 meters. Competitors are required to wear gloves (for safety reasons) when holding the chains which they must discard prior to reaching the Spider Walk.
Downhill Jump/Super Jump: The competitor must slide down a track standing on an object similar to a snowboard, then jump to a rope on a track, which then swings towards a mat which the competitor must jump onto. Kunoichi's Super Jump is similar to this. In fact, the 19th Competition dubbed this obstacle as the Super Jump.
Brick Climb: The competitor must climb a wall with bricks protruding from it. The wall is approximately 3.5 meters high.
Salmon Ladder → Stick Slider: The competitor must grab a bar which is resting on two parallel walls. The walls have seven parallel sets of notches for the bar to rest on, and the gap between the last two sets is larger than the previous gaps. The bar is not bound to the wall in any way. Once the bar is grabbed, the landing mat from the Downhill Jump is taken away. The competitor must use his momentum to climb, raising the bar from notch to notch. After reaching the final notch, he must land the bar onto two tracks which come in towards each other as the competitor slides down. Finally, he must drop from the bar onto a mat below.
Hammer Dodge: The competitor must walk across a thin plank, taking care to avoid 5 large hammers which are swinging back and forth. In a few competitions, the competitor is disqualified for coming into contact with the hammers in any way, while in others, the competitor just has to go through without falling.
Balance Tank: The competitor must balance atop a large rolling barrel and ride the barrel to a platform across a distance of 5.4 meters.
Grip Hang: The competitor must hang onto two outward-facing ledges and cross a small gap.
Net Bridge: The competitor must climb across a cargo net to reach the next platform.
Sky Walk: Little is known about this obstacle since it has not yet been reached, but it appears that the competitor must use only a long narrow ledge plus a wall for support to climb across a large gap. Its function is likely similar to the Cliff Hanger as it appears.
Reverse Conveyor Belt: The competitor must crawl though a small tunnel with a conveyor belt going the opposite direction. It is 90cm wide and 6.3 meters long.
Metal Spin: An array of chains dangle from a horizontal wheel that freely spins, resembling a chandelier, over a water hazard. The competitor must jump to grasp one of the chains, spinning the wheel to the other side. Starting in the 16th competition, the chains were replaced with plastc bungee chains, making it difficult to hold on the chains unless with a strong grip to prevent the chains from slipping out of the competitors hands and withstand the whiplash effect.
Wall Lift: Three walls block the competitor, who must lift and cross under them to advance. Initially, the walls were 20kg (44 pounds), 30kg (66 pounds), 40kg (88 pounds). Later, they were increased to 30kg, (66 pounds) 40kg (88 pounds), and 50kg (110 pounds). Returned in the 19th competition.
Shoulder Walk: The competitor must cross two bridges carrying a bar on his shoulders that has two weighted chambers hanging from each end of the bar, weighing 40kg (88 pounds) total. The bridges have a small gap between them, and the second bridge is offset to the left.

Third Stage obstacles

Super Vault

The competitor must pole vault over a body of water. The pole is anchored below the water, and can freely rotate along an axis perpendicular to the course.

Pillar Path

The competitor walks across a path of unstable columns. This is one of the only obstacles that did not have a water pit to fall in.

Propeller Bars

The competitor must cross a series of 3 horizontal, slowly-spinning bars anchored to the top of the course.

Needle Climb

Although it is not an official name, since the 1st competition wasn't broadcast in G4, the competitor must cross a patch of large, thin, flexible poles that protrude up from the ground, by using arms and legs. This is one of the only obstacles that didn't have a water pit to fall in. It was the last obstacle of the 3rd stage, since the Pipe Slider wasn't introduced yet.

Rumbling Dice

A box frame made of two steel squares connected by four monkey bars, one at each corner about 30cm apart from one another, is placed on two bars that traverse a 5m water pit. The competitor must roll the box frame across the pit by grabbing the top monkey bar in front and pulling it down again and again. In G4's original broadcast of the 15th tournament, it was mistakenly called the "Rambling Dice".

Arm Rings

The competitor hangs from two rings on different-shaped sliding horizontal poles and has to negotiate several rises and dips on the poles.

Chain Swing

The competitor must cross a series of 6 hanging chains about 2.5m long, each of which has a wooden foothold at the bottom.

Arm Bike

On this obstacle, the competitor must use his arms to propel himself across the gap, holding pedals similar to the way feet pedal on a bike. This obstacle was used from the 4th Competition until the 9th, and then returned in the 18th Competition as an immediate successor to the Arm Rings, with no platform to rest on between them.

Body Prop

Much like the Spider Walk, the competitor must traverse an expanse of two walls that are 5 meters long. However, the walls are further apart, so he must position both hands on one side and both feet on the other. His body should be parallel to the ground as he does so. Along the way there are breaks in both walls, requiring the entrant to negotiate those as he moves across.

Globe Grasp

The competitor crosses yet another pool of water by grabbing onto a series of small glowing blue spheres attached to the scaffolding above.

Descending Globe Grasp

Although no competitor has made it to this obstacle in the competition, its appearance and function seem to be similar to its namesake, the "Globe Grasp" obstacle. In this version of the obstacle, the apparatus on which the spherical handholds are attached is slightly declined, requiring the competitor to reach downward to each successive sphere.

Curtain Cling

The competitor must grapple across a hanging curtain 5.4 meters wide to reach the other side. The curtain is about 3m (9 ft 10.11 in) in height.

Curtain Swing

Four small curtains 1m (3 ft 3.37 in) long are hung diagonally, and the bottom of each is within arm's reach. The entrant must swing from one to the next to get across.

Devil Steps

While any competitor has yet to reach this obstacle, it's presented as a set of ascending and descending stairs. Instead of walking across over them however, the challenger must climb through the bottom of these steps to reach the next obstacle.

Cliff Hanger

The competitor must traverse three narrow ledges only large enough to be supported by the fingertips (1 inch wide). Since its introduction in the 4th tournament, there have been four different versions.

The original obsatcle had the three ledges at the same height, all the same length at 1.2m (3 ft 11.24 in) each, with 15cm (5.91 in) gaps between them.
In the following competition, the third ledge was raised 30cm (11.81 in).
For the 9th competition to the 17th, the first ledge was lengthened, the second ledge was raised to the height of the third, and the third was lowered 45cm. (17.71in)
For the 18th competition, the second ledge was shortened and inclined, making the gap between the second and third bars 1m (3 ft 3.37 in) horizontally. As a small compensation for the added difficulty, the third bar was extended outwards for the first half.

Jumping Bars: Competitors must jump from a series of bars, each one about 5 feet in front of and one foot below the previous. This obstacle is in a pair along with the Climbing Bars.
Climbing Bars/Bridge Of Destiny: Competitors must climb across an inclined ladder while hanging underneath it. Since its introduction it has been preceded by the Jumping Bars, and the two drain what little stamina the competitor has left.
Ascending Climb: Replacing the Climbing Bars in the 19th competition, it's presented as an acutely angled wall scattered with modern wall climbing artifacts. This takes place between the Jumping Bars and the Spider Flip with no resting platforms. No competitor has attempted this obstacle to date.
Devil's Swing: Competitors must swing on a trapeze bar attached to the top of the obstacle course by two chains and swing to the bar on the pipe slider. There is a risk of getting the chains stuck on the green rest bar behind the obstacle, and also a risk of grabbing the Pipe Slider, only to have the pipe rolling away on the track.
Pipe Slider: Introduced in the 2nd tournament, this obstacle is historically the last obstacle on the course. The entrant must hang from a pipe and, by undulating his body, move that pipe across a track to the other side. There have been two versions of this obstacle. In the earlier version, there would be two tracks to slide down, the first continuing in the same direction as rest of stage three, whereas the second was perpendicular to it with only a green bar at a 45° angle between them though there used to be a black bar. In the 14th competition, the first track was eliminated and replaced with the Jumping Bars and Climbing Bars. Once the competitor reached the green bar, he must use the Devil's Swing to reach the Pipe Slider track, and slide down to the end and the gap between the piper slider and the finishing mat was increased by another 2 ft. Starting by the 4th competition, the competitors must swing off the pipe to the finish mat, unlike in the 2 previous competitions where the competitors may get off the pipe slider without swinging since there wasn't a gap from the end of the track to the finishing mat.
Spider Flip: This obstacle replaces the Devil's Swing in the 18th competition. Although no competitor has made it to this obstacle in the competition, the obstacle itself was taken from the "Heartbreaker" on Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course. A ledge, much like an I-beam girder where there is a lip to hold onto on either side, must be climbed to the end where another one of these ledges, aligned vertically, must be scaled. There is a foothold on this one. Next, the competitor must jump backwards about 2 meters and land onto another of these ledges, facing the opposite way.
Final Ring: This obstacle replaced the Pipe Slider in the 18th competition. Although no competitor has made it to this obstacle in the competition, its appearance is similar to the "Circle Slider" obstacle. However, the track is shorter and not on an incline and the ring is smaller. Its function seems to be similar to the pipe slider, where the competitor needs to swing off the ring over a fairly large gap onto the finishing platform to reach the final stage. While the obstacle hasn't been shown in full detail yet, the ring seems to be at an angle and there is only one pole of track to hold the ring. The gap also seems to be wider.Also there may be a risk that the ring could fall off the track during the jump to the mat.

Broadcast

The program can currently be seen in the United States as Ninja Warrior on the G4 channel every weeknight at 6:00 and 8:30 EST and every Sunday at 12:30 EST. In each schedule mentioned, two episodes are shown (except the Sunday airings, in which three or four episodes are shown, though sometimes there's no episodes and during the 8:30 airings, where it's a part of G4's new Duty Free TV Block), although Women of Ninja Warrior sometimes airs in its place.[9] 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 December, Competitions 2-19 have been aired.

The American-edited Ninja Warrior episodes began broadcasting in the UK on Challenge from October 1, 2007. These have 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.

There are 40 episodes in the first UK series, covering Competitions 9-17, with another 40 due to follow in series 2 which begins on the 17th March 2008.

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 competitors had now attempted the First Stage, and will most likely run from 1901-2000 in the upcoming 20th competition to indicate that 2000 competitors have attempted the First Stage. The obstacles used in each competition as well as a description of each obstacle are listed in the sections above. All air dates are of the Japanese broadcast on TBS.

1st Competition (Aired September 26, 1997)
No. 97 Akira Omori - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 96 Ken Hasegawa - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 89 Kane Kosugi - Failed Pillar Path - Third Stage

2nd Competition (Aired September 27, 1998)
No. 97 Hikaru Tanaka - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 99 Akira Omori - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 95 Shigeyuki Nakamura - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 83 Hiroaki Yoshizaki - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 70 Masakazu Ebihara - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 65 Ken Hasegawa - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 42 Tatsuya Yamamoto - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 30 Eiichi Miura - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 20 Shingo Yamamoto - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage

3rd Competition (Aired March 13, 1999)
No. 89 Katsumi Yamada - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 13 Shingo Yamamoto - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 49 Minoru Matsumoto - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 100 Akira Omori - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 54 Tatsuya Yamamoto - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 10 Ken Hasegawa - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage

4th Competition (Aired October 16, 1999)
No. 86 Kazuhiko Akiyama - Completed Final Stage (6.0 seconds to spare)
No. 40 Eiichi Miura - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 3 Hiroyuki Asaoka - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 81 Naoki Iketani - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 94 Travis Schraeder - Disqualified on Pipe Slider^† - Third Stage
No. 100 Katsumi Yamada - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 97 Kane Kosugi - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 95 Hiroaki Yoshizaki - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 71 Takuyu Ueda - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 48 Takayuki Kawashima - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 64 Shusuke Sato - Failed Super Vault - Third Stage
† - 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)
No. 98 Shingo Yamamoto - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage

6th Competition (Aired September 9, 2000)
No. 99 Katsumi Yamada - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 83 Yoshiaki Hatakeda - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 93 Toshihiro Takeda - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage
No. 98 Kane Kosugi - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage
No. 97 Shane Kosugi - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage

7th Competition (Aired March 17, 2001)
No. 97 Shingo Yamamoto - Failed Spider Climb - Final Stage (dislocated shoulder)
No. 46 Kenji Takahashi - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 40 Hironori Kuboki - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 81 Shane Kosugi - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage
No. 95 James Okada - Failed Propeller Bars - Third Stage

8th Competition (Aired September 29, 2001)
No. 91 Kane Kosugi - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 59 Jordan Jovtchev - Failed Spider Climb - Final Stage
No. 71 Toshihiro Takeda - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 81 Shōei - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage

9th Competition (Aired March 16, 2002)
No. 61 Makoto Nagano - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 97 Toshihiro Takeda - Failed Globe Grasp - Third Stage
No. 71 Daisuke Nakata - Failed Globe Grasp - Third Stage
No. 98 Shingo Yamamoto - Failed Rumbling Dice - Third Stage

10th Competition (Aired September 25, 2002)
No. 1000 Katsumi Yamada - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 961 Naoki Iketani - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 940 Daisuke Nakata - Failed Globe Grasp - Third Stage
No. 954 Hiroyuki Asaoka - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage

11th Competition (Aired March 21, 2003 [10])
No. 96 Makoto Nagano - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 74 Shinji Kobayashi - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 61 Naoki Iketani - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 98 Shingo Yamamoto - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 95 Daisuke Nakata - Failed Globe Grasp - Third Stage
No. 97 Toshihiro Takeda - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage
No. 99 Kazuhiko Akiyama - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage

12th Competition (Aired October 1, 2003)
No. 100 Makoto Nagano - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage (by .11 seconds)
No. 77 Bunpei Shiratori - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 72 Hiroyuki Asaoka - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 95 Toshihiro Takeda - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 97 Kazuhiko Akiyama - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 99 Jordan Jovtchev - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 96 Shingo Yamamoto - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 70 Manabu Satou - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 1 Koji Yamada - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stare
No. 92 Masāki Kobayashi - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage

13th Competition (Aired April 6, 2004)
No. 100 Makoto Nagano - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 99 Bunpei Shiratori - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 98 Toshihiro Takeda - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 97 Masāki Kobayashi - Failed Curtain Cling - Third Stage
No. 90 Naoki Iketani - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage

14th Competition (Aired January 4, 2005)
No. 68 Shinji Kobayashi - Failed Devil's Swing - Third Stage
No. 100 Makoto Nagano - Failed Jumping Bars - Third Stage
No. 97 Toshihiro Takeda - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 91 Jordan Jovtchev - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 80 Hiroyuki Asaoka - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 98 Shingo Yamamoto - Failed Curtain Cling - Third Stage
No. 81 Naoki Iketani - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage
No. 87 Masāki Kobayashi - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage
No. 76 Terukazu Ishikawa - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage
No. 88 Kosuke Yamaguchi - Failed Rumbling Dice - Third Stage

15th Competition (Aired July 20, 2005)
No. 96 Toshihiro Takeda - Failed Devil's Swing - Third Stage
No. 94 Bunpei Shiratori - Failed Climbing Bars - Third Stage
No. 70 Koji Yamada - Failed Jumping Bars - Third Stage
No. 65 Shunsuke Nagasaki - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 93 Morgan Hamm - Failed Curtain Cling - Third Stage
No. 95 Shingo Yamamoto - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage

16th Competition (Aired December 30, 2005 [11])
No. 96 Bunpei Shiratori - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 91 Koji Yamada - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 100 Makoto Nagano - Failed Devil's Swing - Third Stage
No. 95 Jordan Jovtchev - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 98 Toshihiro Takeda - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 89 Shunsuke Nagasaki - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 66 Kenji Takahashi - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 90 Naoki Iketani - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage

17th Competition (Aired October 11, 2006 [12])
No. 99 Makoto Nagano - Completed Final Stage (2.5 seconds to spare)
No. 87 Shunsuke Nagasaki - Failed Rope Climb - Final Stage
No. 91 Toshihiro Takeda - Failed Pipe Slider - Third Stage
No. 86 Paul Terek - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 67 Yuta Adachi - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage
No. 81 Bunpei Shiratori - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage
No. 98 Shingo Yamamoto - Failed Body Prop - Third Stage
No. 96 Daisuke Nakata - Failed Arm Rings - Third Stage

18th Competition (Aired March 21, 2007 [13])
No. 96 Makoto Nagano - Disqualified himself on Cliff Hanger^† - Third Stage
No. 97 Shunsuke Nagasaki - Failed Cliff Hanger - Third Stage
No. 98 Kenji Takahashi - Failed Cliff Hanger- Third Stage
† - When Nagano crossed the second gap of the Cliffhanger he grabbed the top of the frame with one hand and gracefully admitted his mistake, disqualifying himself.

19th Competition (Aired September 19, 2007)
No. 79 Koji Yamada - Failed Salmon Ladder - Second Stage
No. 86 Yuji Washimi - Failed Salmon Ladder - Second Stage

20th Competition (To Air March 26, 2008)
Results Pending.

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 [14], a live athletic and comedy-oriented performance featuring some Sasuke competitors (such as Ayako Miyake, Naoki Iketani, and Sayaka Asami), 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.[15]

Every January First 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 2007 Paul Terek took the title of Pro Sportsman No. 1.

On Odaiba island [16], Monster9 has built Muscle Park [17], 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.[18] Since April 2007 Monster9 has been airing episodes of Muscle Channel[19], 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[20] and Shunsuke Nagasaki[21].

External links

SASUKE 2007 (Sasuke 2007 Autumn) - Tokyo Broadcasting System Template:Ja icon
新SASUKE 2007春 (Sasuke 2007 Spring) - Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) Template:Ja icon
SASUKE2006秋 (Sasuke 2006 Autumn) - Tokyo Broadcasting System Template:Ja icon
SASUKE2005・冬 (Sasuke 2005 Winter) - Tokyo Broadcasting System Template:Ja icon
Diagrams of the 11th course with measurements - Tokyo Broadcasting System Template:Ja icon
11th Sasuke (Spring 2003) - Tokyo Broadcasting System Template:Ja icon
SASUKE - Fansite with Stage Pictures and Videos
Ninja Warrior - G4

Participants

Sasuke All-Stars

Athletes

Japanese entertainers

Japanese comedians

Other notable competitors

Stages

First Stage

Second Stage

Third Stage

Final Stage

Obstacles

First Stage obstacles

Second Stage obstacles

Third Stage obstacles

Broadcast

Results

Related events

See also

External links