"Pole dancer! Pole dancer!! Pole dancer!!!" From the bellowing announcement thumping through the speakers, you might think we're in a night club. We're not. But, without doubt, the location is just as fabled as many nocturnal haunts, and the atmosphere is just as electric.
Welcome to what has become known in more than 150 countries around the world as "sacred" Mount Midoriyama, an outdoor set in Yokohama operated by Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS), where one of the biggest franchises in Japanese TV history is filmed up to twice a year. Welcome to "Sasuke" or, as it is known on U.S.-based cable and terrestrial channels: "Ninja Warrior."
It's an early morning in mid July and, under overcast skies, filming has just begun for the 27th edition of "Sasuke," which will be aired in Japan as a single four-hour special on Oct. 3 and in other countries over multiple episodes starting in March.