What is a ninja? Explaining the origins, roles, and types of ninja | Introducing ninja experience events in Mie Prefecture!

What is a ninja?

A ninja is a person who uses ninjutsu, a military technique unique to Japan, and the name ninja only became established in the 1950s. Historically, they were often called ``ninja'', but there were also other names in various places such as ``Rappa'', ``Suppa'', ``Kusa'', ``Dakko'', and ``Kamari''. It was called by its own name.

During the Sengoku period, ninjas were hired by feudal lords from around the country to invade enemy strongholds, gather information in disguise, carry out night attacks, and sometimes engage in sabotage. However, the most important job for ninjas was to inform their master about the enemy's situation, so their top priority was to avoid battle as much as possible and survive and return to their master. This may be why there are many ninjutsu techniques for self-defense.

By the way, when you think of ninjas, you have the image of wearing ninja costumes, but it is said that they were not worn during the day because it would be conspicuous to wear ninja costumes during the day. Furthermore, most ninja costumes were brown, like persimmon, and colors such as navy blue and black that are depicted in modern times were not common.

Origin of ninja

There are many theories about the origin of ninjutsu, and it is not completely clear. However, one theory says that the ninja movement began when Prince Shotoku gave the title ``Shinobi'' to his servant ``Otomo Hosohito.'' Otomo Hosoiri was a man who served Prince Shotoku and accomplished many feats by making full use of his excellent military skills.

The existence of ninjas can be reliably confirmed in historical documents after the Nanbokucho period from 1336 to 1392, and it is thought that their origins lie in the villains of the late 13th century. These villains were people who rebelled against the manorial rule of temples and aristocrats.

At that time, they were not called ninja, but were called by various names unique to the region. In the Muromachi period, the activities of villains decreased due to the decline of the manor system, but in their place, ``Jichi Samurai'' who had the blood of villains emerged.

In the Sengoku period, local samurai who were employed by feudal lords of the Sengoku period, such as the Tokugawa family and the Ashikaga family, eventually came to be called ninja. During the Sengoku period, ninjas used to go out on night raids, but as the world became more peaceful in the Edo period, ninjas had fewer opportunities to fight, and their main jobs changed to gathering information and guarding. With the transfer of power from the Edo shogunate to the new Meiji government, the ninja's role ended.

role of ninja

Ninjas have a variety of jobs such as intelligence gathering, assassination, and sabotage, but the most important of these is sneaking into the enemy's base and gathering information on the enemy's situation so that they can live for their master. The next step is to go back and pass on that information. This is called Seikan, and is said to be the most important role played by ninjas.

A variety of ninjutsu techniques were used to carry out what we now call espionage. For example, there is a technique called tonjutsu. Suiton no Jutsu and Katon no Jutsu are famous, and Ton no Jutsu is a ninjutsu used to escape or hide from an enemy. Suiton techniques included swimming in water, diving to hide, and throwing heavy stones or other objects while escaping to make it appear that the person had jumped into the water. Katon no Jutsu uses fire to distract the enemy, such as setting fire to straw or firewood, or using gunpowder.

Another type of ninjutsu is the technique of sneaking into enemy camps by disguising yourself as a monk, acrobat, or farmer, or eavesdropping to obtain information. When fighting an enemy, they used shuriken and needle techniques to protect themselves, and fire techniques to attack. It is said that he also used sorcery and illusions, and was well versed in medicine.

Ninja life

When we think of ninjas, we have a strong image of them dressing in black costumes, acting under cover of darkness, and fighting using things like shurikens and smoke screens, but they don't always fight. They usually worked in the fields and pretended to be farmers, and sometimes they became mountain priests or peddlers and conducted intelligence activities while mingling with the people of the city.

Basically, a ninja's job is to avoid battle, use disguises, etc. to sneak into people's lives and conduct espionage activities, gathering information and conveying it to their master. It is said that they usually lived like farmers and conducted espionage activities and training. Their important mission was to gather advantageous information, and they were not constantly fighting like ninjas in manga and movies.

types of ninja

Speaking of ninjas, the ninjas of Iga and Koka are very famous, but ninjas existed all over Japan. For example, during the Sengoku period, the ``Saikashu'' were active mainly in Kii Province, located in the southern part of present-day Wakayama and Mie Prefectures, and were a ninja group that made a living as mercenaries. Kii Province faced the sea and trade was prosperous, so there were many opportunities to use guns.

Other ninja groups included the ``Zatoshu'' and the ``Sekiichizoku'' who served Mouri Motonari. Also famous are the ``Nokizaru,'' who served Uesugi Kenshin, and the ``Oniwaban,'' who served the Tokugawa shogunate.

As mentioned above, there are many ninja groups, but the most famous are the Iga ninja and the Koga ninja.

Next, let's explain about Iga ninja and Koga ninja.

Iga Ninja

Iga is one of the most famous schools of ninja. Many of the Iga ninja were excellent in ninjutsu and combat ability, and it is said that they contributed in many battles. Another characteristic of the Iga ninja was that their contract with their employer was based solely on money, and they did not build a relationship beyond that.

Iga is close to Kyoto and was able to train people from Kyoto who were knowledgeable about politics and the current situation as ninjas, so it produced many talented people. Many of the people who came from Kyoto, which was the center of politics, were well-educated, and many Iga ninja were able to read and write, which was still rare at the time.

Iga ninja are said to be good at fire arts and magic, and among them, the magic called ``Kujigoshinho'' (Kujigoshinho) is famous. The Kuji self-defense method involved tying a seal with both hands and was used for self-defense and warding off evil spirits. It seems that he was good at pyrotechnics using gunpowder. Furthermore, among the Iga ninjas, the Hattori family, which produced Hattori Hanzo, the Momochi family, and the Fujibayashi family are known as the ``three Jonin families'' and are said to have had a great say.

Koga Ninja

The Koka Ninja were active mainly in Koka County, which is now Koka City and Konan City in Shiga Prefecture.

Although the Koga-ryu ninja are often referred to as the sworn enemies or rivals of the Iga-ryu, they are actually neighbors with just a mountain in between them, and there is no benefit to be gained by opposing them, so in reality they have a cooperative relationship. It is said that there was.

A characteristic of the Koga school is its loose master-servant relationship with the successive feudal lords who made Koga no Sato their territory. It is said that the Koga ninja belonged to a community called ``So'', and all members were on an equal footing. When making decisions as a village, decisions were made by majority vote, and the organization was operated in a manner close to democracy. This point is a big difference from the Iga school, where the three Jonin families had a big say.

In addition, the Koga school limited its employers to specific people. This is said to stem from the fact that the Koga-ryu ninja originated as local samurai and had a clear master-servant relationship with a specific daimyo.

Because many medicinal plants grew in Koga, Koga ninjas were good at magic tricks using poisonous drugs, and in their daily lives they gathered information by pretending to be medicine sellers.

There are still ninjas

Ninjas, who are said to have existed during the Sengoku period and the Edo period, ended their role with the transfer of power from the Edo shogunate to the new Meiji government, as mentioned above. In other words, in modern Japan, ninjas like those that existed in the past do not exist.

However, although they are different from the ninjas of old, there are people who call themselves ninjas, and they still pass on the ninja culture to this day. For example, there are people who teach ninjutsu to students by holding classes, and people who hold ninja experience events, trying to preserve ninja culture for future generations.

Experience Ninja in Mie Prefecture

There are many such ninja experience events in the Iga region of Mie Prefecture, the home of the Iga-ryu ninja. For example, the ``Ninja Transformation Room'' inside the ``Danjiri Kaikan'' rents out ninja costumes, so you can change into the ninja costume and stroll around the ninja mansion and castle town.

Also, at NinjaMUSEUMofIgaryu, also located in IgaCity, ninja ninja kunoichi will show you around the karakuri mansion. Here you can watch a ninjutsu demonstration and try your hand at throwing shuriken. I will explain these event information in a little more detail later.

Stroll through the castle town dressed as a ninja

At the Danjiri Kaikan in Iga City, IgaCity, three danjiri floats are on display that are actually paraded during the Ueno Tenjin Festival, an autumn festival held every October at Ueno Tenjin Shrine. In addition, the parade of demon processions, which is rare even in Japan, will be recreated. The images projected on the large screen are impressive and you can enjoy the atmosphere of the festival at any time.

You can rent ninja costumes at the Ninja Transformation Shop, which has a wide variety of colorful ninja costumes for everyone from small children to adults. You can leave your changed clothes with us, so you can change into a ninja costume and walk around the ninja mansion and castle town while feeling light.

By the way, you can rent a ninja costume without entering the Danjiri Kaikan. However, there are fixed rental times, so be sure to check the times in advance.

Experience ninjutsu at a ninja mansion

NinjaMUSEUMofIgaryu is located within Ueno Park. Ueno Park is located approximately 5 minutes by car from the Ueno Higashi Interchange on the Meihan National Highway, making it convenient to access by car. Furthermore, it is conveniently accessible by public transportation, just a 5-minute walk from Iga Railway's Ueno City Station.

At NinjaMUSEUMofIgaryu, ninja ninja kunoichi will guide you through the ninja mansion, which has contraptions such as twists and turns, trick doors, and hidden stairs. In addition, the ninjutsu demonstration show using weapons and tools used by ninjas is a thrilling experience as the action unfolds right in front of your eyes.

At the Ninja Museum, you can see replicas of ninjutsu books and ninja tools made based on them, such as shurikens and water spiders, as well as historical materials that introduce the history and lives of ninjas.

You can also try out a real, heavy shuriken, and many people find that the fun of it is addictive. The souvenir shop ``Ninjabo'' has rubber shurikens, kunai, and makibishi that can only be obtained here.

Experience ninja training at Akame Falls, where Momochi Tanba, the founder of Iga ninja, trained

IgaCity is not the only place where you can have a ninja experience.
TheAkame48Falls in the neighboring NabariCity is said to be the place where Momochi Tanba, the founder of the Iga ninja, trained, and you can experience various ninjutsu training at attractions set up in the mountains in a hidden village at the foot of the mountain. .

``Flying Monkey Technique'', ``Climbing Technique'', ``Invasion Technique'', ``Escape Technique'', ``Blowgun Technique'', ``Shuriken'', ``Water Spider Technique'', and more! There are many ninja training experiences, so everyone from children to adults can have fun together.

In addition to the real-life experience, shuriken training has been added to the training menu, allowing you to dodge the shuriken that approaches you and protect yourself using the latest, powerful VR!

Click here for details on the play experience↓
Experience training in NinjanoMori! Experience the secrets of Iga ninja at the foot of TheAkame48Falls ♪

If you thought that a ninja's important job was to fight to protect their master, your image of ninjas may have changed a little. Although ninjas no longer exist in modern-day Japan, there are still people who pass on the history and culture of ninjas.

If you are more interested in ninjas after reading this article, please come to Mie Prefecture!
We look forward to providing you with many exciting ninja experiences.

Transportation access to Iganabari area

​Click here for other details and Q&A　

If you want to know more about the Iganabari area!

The Iganabari area has a lot more to offer than just ninjas!
Below, I will introduce just a little bit.

Special site: Walking in Iganabari - Immerse yourself in the Japanese atmosphere and be healed by the scenery -

Iga Ueno Castle

Iga Ueno Castle, selected as one of Japan's 100 most famous castles
Interview report: Visiting Iga Ueno Castle with a storyteller. History of the chalk castle selected as one of Japan's 100 famous castles

Mokumoku Handmade Farm

Mokumoku Handmade Farm is an agricultural park that handles production, processing, and sales.
Interview report: Enjoy a fun experience at Mokumoku Handmade Farm!

MenardAoyamaResort

MenardAoyamaResort is a highland resort where you can enjoy chamomile and lavender.
Interview report: Impressive stargazing and aesthetic experience at MenardAoyamaResort!

And so on!

The Iganabari special website introduces other attractions of this area in detail, so if you are interested, please check it out!