Is it possible to really become a ninja when travelling around Japan? Are those sneakers in the pic above part of the uniform? We wanted to find out, and were a little surprised with what we learned…
by Matthew Hernon
We all know the stereotype: silent assassins dressed in black, leaping from rooftops in order to prey on their unsuspecting victims. It is the way Hollywood movies seem to have portrayed ninjas since James Bond’s chopper touched down in Japan and he was offered the use of a secret service force in 1967’s You Only Live Twice.
The reality, though, is somewhat different. One thing is for certain: they were a largely secret group, and their history is shrouded in mystery and intrigue – something that, for many, adds to their appeal.
We took a trip to Koga, in Shiga Prefecture, home of the Koga Ninja Village, to find out more. This was the location of 3 Ninjas, a slightly dodgy 1992 kids’ movie you may remember slightly more vaguely than that Japan-set Bond flick, but going further back it hosted one of the most prominent schools of ninjutsu – usually translated as the ‘way of stealth’ – in the country. Hidden away deep in the forest, it was said to be an ideal spot to learn about the arts of espionage, sabotage and infiltration.
What you thought you knew
When we reached Koga we meet Akira Kitazawa, a ninja expert who is currently translating thousands of pages of historical documents into modern day Japanese in order to give people a better understanding of who this secretive group really were.
“There is no such thing as a ninja costume, think about it, if there was, people would recognize them far too easily”
Firstly he takes us to the changing room – what better way to understand their true appearance, mask and all, than by getting dressed up ourselves? At least that’s what we thought… While the outfits at Koga Village actually do fit the Hollywood mould – and are all the more fun for it – ninja clothing was in fact much more varied.
“There is no such thing as a Ninja costume,” says Kitazawa. “Think about it, if there was, people would recognize them far too easily. They basically wore clothes like everybody else. They had something known as ‘Shichi-houde’ (Seven disguises of the Ninja), where they would appear in various forms, such as peasants, travelers, salesman of medical goods etc.”
Kitazawa also dismisses the notion that Ninjas were deadly assassins or secret agents who would constantly eliminate enemies but does allude to their difference from more ‘chivalrous’ samurai they are not to be confused with. He describes them as a “vigilante group who lived in a Feudal system with a strict class divide and (who) therefore tried hard to make their lives better by any means possible.” So where did this depiction of them as brutal killers come from? According to Kitazawa, it goes back over 400 years.
“In 1600, at the end of the Sengoku (Warring States) Period, after peace had finally arrived, ninjas started to ‘use’ their skills in the entertainment industry, like Kabuki and street performing,” he says. “This helped to create this image that we see in movies today, which is actually quite different to what they were really like.” Essentially, they hammed up their ruthlessness for action hungry audiences.
Becoming a Ninja
As he is talking, Kitazawa is also showing us around the complex, starting in the museum. It is a small, dark room, which is rather apt for a group that wanted to keep a low profile. There is a mixture of exhibits on display, including ladders, items of clothing, documents, training manuals, tools for making medicine (selling medicine was a good way of ‘gathering information’ from – spying on – people), and a diagram of some cats’ eyes, which Kitazawa says were used to tell the time (if the iris was almost closed it was noon, if dilated it was late at night).
Take aim and sling the shuriken at the target
The centerpiece of the museum is a collection of weapons, such as blow-dart guns and shuriken, the latter of which we get to practice throwing in the dojo hall. The wooden target was only a few metres away, yet we still managed to make the act look tricky; perhaps we are not quite ready for ninja status yet!
Kitazawa tells us the shuriken (its name literally means sword hidden in the hand), was used in a variety of different ways by ninjas. As well as slinging them at their assailants, some hid them in their palms for a more slicing slap or chop, while others simply kept them as charms. They’d be extremely bad luck for those on the receiving end, however, as their blades would often be laced with poison such as aconite or horse droppings, meaning one small nick could lead to lockjaw or worse.
Ninjas basically did whatever they could to survive and thrive and had innovative ways to do so. This is evident as we take a tour of the ninja house that belonged to the Fujibayashi family in the mid 1800s. There are trap doors, fake doors, escape hatches and a number of other hidden compartments. Giving a real insight into the mind of the ninja, it is probably the most interesting attraction at the village.
There are also a number of fun activities that are particularly good for children such as climbing walls, swinging ropes, pottery classes and the Mizugomo Water Spider Pond, where you attempt to get across the water using two rings and a rope. A fun day out for people of all ages, it is well worth a visit, even if you only have a passing interest in the art of ninja.
Admission is 1,000 yen for adults. Cheaper for students. Open 10 am – 5 pm. Free shuttle bus available from JR Koka Station. Web: koka.ninpou.jp (Japanese only) Tel: 0748-88-5000
