In other words, ninja didn’t learn how to leap from buildings and shoot blow-darts from miles away. In fact, the most common weapons for real ninja were not sophisticated items like throwing stars. As a result, most of the methods and weapons that ninja used were common tools easily found in rural communities. Ninjutsu was originally a means of fighting for themselves in times of war. Instead, it evolved amongst the above-mentioned farmers and villagers. As a result, no one officially taught or studied ninjutsu until much later. Most ninja disguises were as commoners and village people, allowing them to fit in with their surroundings as simple citizens. Also, practitioners only used these special suits in very specific situations. Rather their color of choice was closer to dark or navy blue, which blended closer to the night sky. For example, black clothing would have stood out like a sore thumb in the dark nights.
NINJA VILLAGE JAPAN LAYOUT TV
The truth is that much of what we see on TV wouldn’t have been effective at all in warring Japan. However, this is more likely than not a product of the media. Black body suits, throwing stars and intricate weapons, and insane acrobatic skills. Thanks to the images commonly seen in the media, many of us already have an ingrained idea of what ninja probably looked like. Real Ninja: Hiding in Plain Sight A stylized rendering of a ninja by famous Edo era artist Katsushika Hokusai. Iga and Koga ninja aided in the Battle of Magari, a fight between their then-leader Rokkaku Takayori and Ashikaga Yoshihisa of the Ashikaga Shogunate. Many historians say that the first documented ninja account was the Koga clan from around 1487, near the end of the Muromachi Period. Chinese monks who followed about a century later also contributed to the techniques. Many of these generals had fled to Japan after the collapse of the Tang Dynasty in 907. Ninjutsu evolved with the incorporation of the new skills, philosophies, and techniques brought in by Chinese generals. However, the art of ninjutsu appears to have originated between the years 600 to 900. Much of what we can confirm is from accounts written after the fact, leaving room for inaccuracy. Members of a tradition swathed in stealth and secrets, the ninja weren’t ones to document their activities, developments, and progress. And understandably so, as the main purpose of a ninja was to operate in secret.
There are few actual accounts of real ninja in warfare or records of their techniques.
It turns out, much of what we (think we) know about the ninja – also called shinobi – is likely largely inaccurate. But exactly how accurate are these cartoon portrayals of these important historical fighters of Japan? Did they really wear cool jumpsuits? Leap building to building? Run like Naruto? We see them in all forms of media these days: movies, video games, and of course, anime. They remain one of the country’s most famous yet mysterious forces. These are just some of the images that come to mind when we think about the ninja of Japan. Scaling walls, leaping from roof to roof, throwing weapons with incredible accuracy.