Almost everyone has heard the word ninja at least once.
The image of the ninja, dressed in black and using ninjutsu to challenge their enemies, is deeply rooted in Japanese culture and entertainment.
But what were the actual ninja like?
This article provides an in-depth look at the history of the ninja, their origins, and whether they existed. and other details.
Please see to the end!
What is a Ninja?
Ninja were secret agents who operated in Japan through the Edo period.
They carried out espionage, sabotage, and assassinations in secret and were generally known as “shadow warriors.
Its existence is shrouded in mystery, but its techniques and tactics are astounding.
Did ninjas exist?
Historical records and documents indicate that ninja did exist and played an important role, especially during the Warring States period.
They served specific lords, gathering information about their enemies, assassinating important people, and so on, although many of the details of their missions have not been revealed.
The ninja were real, but still much debated by experts.
Approaching the History of the Ninja
The history of the ninja is deeply rooted in Japan’s war-torn period from the Muromachi period through the Edo period.
The ninja acted as agents and assassins in the service of specific lords and feudal lords, and their missions were extremely varied.
Here is a closer look at the history of the ninja.
The Beginning of the Ninja
It is believed that the first ninja groups already existed during the Asuka and Nara periods.
At that time, they were not ninja, but used wolfsbane (smoke) to protect their villages and report on the status of the war.
This can be said to be the roots of the ninja.
It was not until the Warring States period that the ninja made a full-fledged appearance on the historical stage.
In this period, many warring feudal lords hired ninja to expand their territories and maintain their power, and used their special techniques and tactics.
Ninja activities can be divided into three main categories
- Intelligence : Gathering information on the enemy and providing information to advance the war situation.
- Sabotage : Operations to destroy enemy facilities and supplies in order to reduce their war potential.
- Assassination : Assassinate enemy leaders or important persons to disrupt the organization.
The ninja carried out these activities in secret and carried out their missions without being known of their existence.
Ninja in the Edo Period
In the Edo period, Japan entered a period of relative peace.
As a result, the activities of the ninja were no longer as intense as they had been during the war, but the shogunate still used them as observers and intelligence agents. In particular, the Shogunate dispatched ninja to gather information on the situation in various parts of the country.
The ninja of the Edo period were often engaged in information gathering and surveillance activities in urban and rural areas, rather than on the harsh battlefields of the Warring States period.
Their activities played an important role in supporting the stability and governance of the Shogunate.
As the shogunate fell, the ninja’s raison d’etre also diminished. As they began to accept Western technology, the ninja’s methods of communicating information became outdated, and it is believed that their numbers gradually declined.
The Ninja in Our Time
Ninja have become an important part of the cultural and tourist scene in modern times.
The skills and history of the ninja have become widely used as entertainment and tourism resources, and ninja experiences and shows are held at tourist attractions to share their charms with a large number of people.
Ninjas also appear frequently in pop culture, such as movies and anime, and exude a mysterious presence.
The modern ninja has become a beloved iconic Japanese character that has transcended its former incarnation as a real-life secret agent or assassin.
Ninja is one of the most popular traditional cultures. In a survey conducted by Motenas Japan on “traditional culture that foreigners would like to experience in Japan,” ninja ranked third after kabuki and samurai.
See also this article for more information.
Techniques and Equipment of the Ninja｜What is Ninjutsu?
The unique skills of the ninja are known as “ninjutsu.
The activities of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, and assassination, and specific techniques and tactics were used for each mission.
Here we will explore in detail the different types of ninjutsu, ninja equipment, and ninja training.
Types of Ninjutsu
Ninjutsu is the general term for the techniques and tactics acquired by the ninja and is divided into five main types.
| Covert arts, disguise arts, psychological arts, gunpowder arts, martial arts |
First, the art of concealment is the art of moving at night and hiding in the shadows in order to remain undetected by the enemy. Not making a sound of footsteps in the dark is also one of the art of concealment. This is where the term “stealthy footsteps” comes from.
Disguise art” is also the art of disguising oneself as another person or animal, and it is believed that the ninja disguised themselves as farmers, merchants, monks, etc. in order to infiltrate enemy territory.
In addition, “psychometrics” was a psychological tactic used to deceive the enemy, and was apparently utilized to manipulate information and spread disinformation.
The ninja also mastered “gunpowder techniques,” creating explosions and smoke screens to distract the enemy and buy time to escape. This is the very image of the ninja as seen in the anime.
Finally, “bujutsu” was the art of close combat, using fighting techniques with shurikens, daggers, sticks, and other weapons.
In this way, the ninja used a variety of techniques to accomplish their missions, depending on the situation.
Ninja Tools and Weapons
The ninja worked with a variety of tools and weapons.
These pieces of equipment were essential in their activities, and many of them were disguised for use in everyday life.
The shuriken is a prime example: it was a small throwing weapon, used to injure or distract the enemy.
The “kunai” was also used as a dagger and digging tool, not only for combat but also as a climbing tool for climbing walls.
The kusarigama is a weapon combining a chain and a sickle, with a long reach and cutting power, and is said to have been used to restrain or attack enemies.
In addition, gunpowder firearms were used to attack from a distance, but their loud noise also ran the risk of exposing the ninja’s position.
The smoke ball was a tool used to generate smoke, which would take away the enemy’s vision and buy time for the ninja to escape.
These tools and weapons were key elements in the ninja’s ability to successfully complete their missions.
Ninja training
To become a ninja requires rigorous training and physical and mental discipline.
Ninja training included physical training to increase endurance and instantaneous force, and consisted mainly of running, jumping, and climbing exercises.
In addition, martial arts training to learn how to use various weapons and fighting techniques was also important.
They also practiced covert training to master the art of hiding and disguise, as well as meditation and mental unification to enhance their spirituality.
Through these training exercises, the ninja acquired advanced skills and mental strength to carry out their missions.
Cultural Influence of the Ninja
Ninja have had a profound influence not only on the history of Japan but also on its culture.
Written by Ryotaro Shiba and published in 1962 (Showa 37), “The Wind God’s Gate” is a novel about ninjas set in the Edo period.
The main character is Gohei Kazama, an Iga ninja who is after Tokugawa Ieyasu’s head. His humanity and emotional conflicts are also depicted, creating a deep human drama that goes beyond mere ninja action.
In other areas of entertainment, ninja restaurants have become popular, and ninja anime such as Naruto and Ninja Hattorikun are popular even overseas.
Thus, it can be said that the ninja has had a cultural, entertainment, and other influence on the modern world.
The Ninja were real-life secret agents
Ninja were indeed real-life agents and assassins in Japanese history, and their existence is supported by many records and legends.
They served lords and lords and fulfilled their orders.
We hope that by experiencing the history of the ninja, you will become more interested in Japanese culture.
Motenas Japan offers tours and workshops that allow visitors to experience the history and techniques of the ninja.
Visitors can enjoy the charms of the ninja through a variety of programs, including ninja experiences such as shuriken-throwing and covert ninja techniques, and guided tours of the birthplace of the ninja.
For more information or to contact us, please click here.
After graduating from university, I worked as a Systems Engineer (SE) at Reuters Japan. Later, I spent five years as a Systems Manager at Reuters Singapore. After that, I studied business administration at a business school in the Netherlands and joined Hitachi Ltd. At Hitachi, I was responsible for new business development, promoting new projects in China and investment schemes in emerging countries. After working for 11 years, I started running Motenas Japan, offering Japanese cultural experiences to foreigners under the motto “Bringing Japan and the world closer together.”
