September 14, 2010: Security workers reportedly stop Apple CEO Steve Jobs at Japan’s Kansai International Airport. The reason? Jobs supposedly tried to bring ninja throwing stars onto his private plane while heading home from vacation. The “Steve Jobs ninja stars” story quickly becomes one of the most bizarre Apple stories ever.
The company, however, quickly spoils the internet’s fun. Cupertino issues a statement describing the reports as “pure fiction” (although Apple acknowledges that Jobs visited Japan over the summer).
Steve Jobs ninja stars: Pure fiction?
Few Steve Jobs stories sound more perfectly tailored to his larger-than-life persona than the tale of him being stopped at a Japanese airport with ninja throwing stars in his luggage. The problem: Apple said it never happened. Still, the story endured — perhaps because a notoriously intense, famously unconventional CEO carrying ninja weapons just feels like the kind of thing people want to believe.
Both Bloomberg and Japanese tabloid magazine Spa! covered the story prominently. Authorities stopped Jobs during a security scan at Kansai International Airport, the reports said, after detecting the ninja weapons in his carry-on luggage.
The stories cited unidentified airport officials and sources within Japan’s transportation ministry. An airport spokesperson confirmed that the incident took place, but stopped short of identifying the individual involved.
Although Apple insisted the events never transpired, Jobs’ alleged response to officials sounded like quintessential Steve. He supposedly argued that the rules shouldn’t apply to him because it would make no sense for him to hijack his own private jet. He then reportedly said he would never travel to Japan again.
In Apple’s statement, the company said, “Steve did visit Japan this summer for a vacation in Kyoto, but the incidents described at the airport are pure fiction. Steve had a great time and hopes to visit Japan again soon.”
Steve Jobs’ love of Japan
Jobs harbored a lifelong affection for Japan, and visited the Asian country often. The most obvious illustration of this was the mock turtleneck he wore throughout his 1997-2011 stint as Apple CEO. The shirt, created by Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake, was inspired by uniforms worn at the Sony factory in Japan.
- See also: Why Steve Jobs wore turtlenecks
Jobs also loved Japanese food (he became a regular at Jinshō, a sushi restaurant in Silicon Valley). Plus, he collected artisanal objects, such as ceramics, during his trips to Japan.
Ultimately, there’s no confirmation on whether the Steve Jobs ninja stars story is true. However, it doesn’t seem out of the question for a man who loved Japanese culture and beautifully designed objects made of high-quality materials. (And who often thought that the rules didn’t apply to him.)
Besides, it’s kind of fun to picture the Apple PR flack given the details and told to make the reports disappear!
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
2 responses to “Today in Apple history: Apple denies Steve Jobs tried to bring ninja stars on plane”
Please proofread: the 2nd word in the 3rd sentence of the 7th paragraph was probably meant to be “shirt,” rather than what you printed. (missing the “r”)
Ulp! That’s not an ideal mistake to make. Thanks for pointing it out.