The particular personality of Steve Jobs has left us countless anecdotes over the years. From asking Starbucks management to be fired from a Spanish Colonial mansion in California that he tried to demolish. All of these stories are incredible, but few are as unique as they were back then. arrested at Japanese airport for trying to transport ninja weapons on his private jet. What at the time seemed like an absurd story now makes sense when analyzed in the context of Jobs’ fascination with Japanese culture and his particular way of seeing the world.
One more day of travel in the life of Steve Jobs… or not so much
It was him summer 2010 and Steve Jobs finished his vacation in Japan. As was typical of him, he had devoted some of his time to exploring Japanese culture, a passion that had led him to collect everything from traditional pottery to ninja stars, apparently. What no one expected was that the latter would cause youn considerable problem at the airport Kansai International.
As reported by Bloomberg and the Japanese magazine SPA!airport security officers had a surprise during the Jobs’ routine baggage scan. Among their belongings, they detected several ninja stars, these traditional Japanese weapons obviously prohibited in hand luggage.
Jobs’ response to the situation was, as it could not be otherwise, completely true to his character. According to witnesses, the Apple CEO did not hesitate to assert that safety rules should not apply to him. His logic was simple and, in his mind, irrefutable:
Why should I hijack my own private jet?
This reaction would not surprise anyone who knows Jobs. It was typical of him to think that conventional standards did not apply to him. In fact, it’s this mentality that has allowed him to revolutionize entire industries throughout his career. But on this occasion, Even Jobs’ charisma failed to convince the authorities Japanese.
Apple denied the news, while acknowledging that it was (coincidentally) in Japan that day
As expected, the news spread like wildfire on the Internet. The image of Apple’s visionary CEO arrested for carrying ninja weapons was too juicy not to go viral. Apple, aware of the potential media impact, was quick to publish a press release to try to defuse the bomb:
Steve traveled to 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 return to Japan soon.
However, the speed and tone of the response only fueled further speculation. Why deny something so proactively if nothing had happened?
Steve Jobs meeting young Japanese leaders
To truly understand this story, one must know Jobs’ deep connection to Japanese culture. He was not a simple tourist fascinated by exoticism. Jobs had incorporated Japanese elements into virtually every aspect of his life:
- Its iconic black turtleneck jersey uniform was created by Japanese designer Issey Miyake.
- He was a regular at Jinshō, a sushi restaurant in Silicon Valley where he had his favorite table.
- He collected Japanese crafts with the same passion with which he designed Apple products.
At its core, this story of ninja stars is a perfect example of why Steve Jobs was Steve Jobs. A genius who he lived in his own universewhere conventional rules did not always apply to him. Whether true or fictional, the incident shows that Jobs was unique.
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