An international team of Santa Clauses are training with ninjas in Japan to hone their gift-delivery skills in time for the holiday season.
Nearly a dozen Santas from the Greenland International Santa Claus Association turned out for this year's Saga Santa Summit, according to Japan's national broadcasting network NHK.
(MORE: Japan Hires Its First American Ninja)In western Japan, the Saga Prefecture where the trials are being held in a region long known for its pottery -- and its chimneys.
Footage from the event shows the prospective Santas listening attentively to a ninja instructor before taking to the stage to begin their training.
In rather surreal scenes, one of the Santas -- from Denmark -- can be heard on camera saying: “Oh no, we are not that quick. We are more slowly. Every day slowly with a lot of gifts for all the children.”
(MORE: Santa Claus Sightings From Around The World)They have learned how to sneak into homes and improve their sleigh riding skills -– all the while immersing themselves in local Japanese culture.
To be sure, the idea of a ninja Santa may sound odd to some, but think about it: Santa Claus has a black belt.