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Japan ninja student gets top marks for writing essay in invisible ink | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A Japanese student of ninja history who handed in a blank paper was given top marks - after her professor realised the essay was written in invisible ink. | A Japanese student of ninja history who handed in a blank paper was given top marks - after her professor realised the essay was written in invisible ink. |
Eimi Haga followed the ninja technique of "aburidashi", spending hours soaking and crushing soybeans to make the ink. | Eimi Haga followed the ninja technique of "aburidashi", spending hours soaking and crushing soybeans to make the ink. |
The words appeared when her professor heated the paper over his gas stove. | The words appeared when her professor heated the paper over his gas stove. |
"It is something I learned through a book when I was little," Ms Haga told the BBC. "I just hoped that no-one would come up with the same idea." | "It is something I learned through a book when I was little," Ms Haga told the BBC. "I just hoped that no-one would come up with the same idea." |
Ms Haga has been interested in ninjas - covert agents and assassins in medieval Japan - since watching an animated TV show as a child. | Ms Haga has been interested in ninjas - covert agents and assassins in medieval Japan - since watching an animated TV show as a child. |
After enrolling at Mie University in Japan, the first-year student took a class in ninja history, and was asked to write about a visit to the Ninja Museum of Igaryu. | After enrolling at Mie University in Japan, the first-year student took a class in ninja history, and was asked to write about a visit to the Ninja Museum of Igaryu. |
"When the professor said in class that he would give a high mark for creativity, I decided that I would make my essay stand out from others," she said. | "When the professor said in class that he would give a high mark for creativity, I decided that I would make my essay stand out from others," she said. |
"I gave a thought for a while, and hit upon the idea of aburidashi." | "I gave a thought for a while, and hit upon the idea of aburidashi." |
Ms Haga, 19, soaked soybeans overnight, then crushed them before squeezing them in a cloth. | Ms Haga, 19, soaked soybeans overnight, then crushed them before squeezing them in a cloth. |
She then mixed the soybean extract with water - spending two hours to get the concentration right - before writing her essay with a fine brush on "washi" (thin Japanese paper). | She then mixed the soybean extract with water - spending two hours to get the concentration right - before writing her essay with a fine brush on "washi" (thin Japanese paper). |
Once her words had dried, they became invisible. But, to ensure her professor didn't put the essay in the bin, she left a note in normal ink saying "heat the paper". | Once her words had dried, they became invisible. But, to ensure her professor didn't put the essay in the bin, she left a note in normal ink saying "heat the paper". |
Ninjas explained | Ninjas explained |
The professor, Yuji Yamada, told the BBC he was "surprised" when he saw the essay. | The professor, Yuji Yamada, told the BBC he was "surprised" when he saw the essay. |
"I had seen such reports written in code, but never seen one done in aburidashi," he said. | "I had seen such reports written in code, but never seen one done in aburidashi," he said. |
"To tell the truth, I had a little doubt that the words would come out clearly. But when I actually heated the paper over the gas stove in my house, the words appeared very clearly and I thought 'Well done!' | "To tell the truth, I had a little doubt that the words would come out clearly. But when I actually heated the paper over the gas stove in my house, the words appeared very clearly and I thought 'Well done!' |
"I didn't hesitate to give the report full marks - even though I didn't read it to the very end because I thought I should leave some part of the paper unheated, in case the media would somehow find this and take a picture." | "I didn't hesitate to give the report full marks - even though I didn't read it to the very end because I thought I should leave some part of the paper unheated, in case the media would somehow find this and take a picture." |
As for the essay itself, Ms Haga said it had more style than substance. | As for the essay itself, Ms Haga said it had more style than substance. |
"I was confident that the professor would at least recognise my efforts to make a creative essay," she said. | "I was confident that the professor would at least recognise my efforts to make a creative essay," she said. |
"So I wasn't really worried about getting a bad score for my essay - though the content itself was nothing special." | "So I wasn't really worried about getting a bad score for my essay - though the content itself was nothing special." |
Additional reporting by the BBC's Hideharu Tamura in Tokyo | Additional reporting by the BBC's Hideharu Tamura in Tokyo |
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