“Real ninjas don’t fight," says Professor Yuji Yamada, one of three ninja experts who visited Sydney in March from the International Ninja Research Center at Mie University in Japan. "Conversely, they work for the sake of peace, by collecting intelligence for their masters to avoid war.”
Ninjas were originally called 'shinobi', and rather than being assassins, they were more like spies. They were active in Japan from the 14th to early 17th century. During that time, Ninjas engaged in information collection and analysis during peaceful times and, during times of war, they carried out espionage and sabotage missions.
Shinobi existed as an occupation until the Meiji Restoration which started in 1868. The name shinobi was largely replaced by 'ninja' after World War I.
“All the physical training is for building sound mind and body, [to be] strong enough to endure any pain and to survive in difficult situations. It is not for battles,” says Professor Yamada.
“Ninjas don’t carry weapons. They need to move fast and be agile to avoid getting caught. Weapons are heavy and would slow them down”.
Shuriken, or throwing stars, are popularly considered a signature ninja weapon but shuriken were used by samurais, not ninjas.
The spiritual doctrine that ninjas rely on for strict discipline is called Sei-shin. According to Prof. Yamada, Sei-shin helped ninjas keep their morals high and, most importantly, distinguish themselves from mere thieves.
“What ninjas did were mostly break-ins and stealing," says Yamada. "You need something [like the Sei-shin doctrine] to convince yourself that you are doing this for a purpose.”
Source: SBS
The modern origins of the ninja stereotype
So why did this image of ninjas, as murderous combatants dressed in black, spread inside and outside Japan?
According to Professor Katsuya Yoshimaru, it is believed that the black-clad ninjas first appeared in Japaneese theatre from the 17th century. In reality, ninjas carrying out spy work wore plain clothes to blend in with the crowd, but that confused theatre audiences as it was not easy for them to tell who was playing ninjas on the stage and follow the story.
Putting those distinctive black clothes on actors playing ninjas became the norm in the entertainment industry by the late 18th century in Japan, and has flowed through to our popular understanding of ninjas ever since.
During Japans Edo period (1615-1868), fictional ninja tales were available both in books and theatres. Ninjas were still active at that time but the lives of real ninjas were unknown to the public. This mystery brewed in the public's imagination and many fictional ninja stories and characters were created.
“Outside Japan, Enter the Ninja (1981), a film starring Sho Kosugi, and a series of Hollywood movies played a big role in spreading the combatant image of ninjas. Inside Japan, people started to see the traditional training of ninjas as a form of martial arts. That contributed to the wide acceptance of the idea that ninjas are combatants,” Professor Yamada explains.
Source: SBS
What will ninjas be like in the future?
Jinichi Kawakami is the 21st head of Japan's Koga Ban clan and described as "the last ninja”. Mr. Kawakami has been trying to pass on the spirit of ninja culture to the next generation but found that it is not easy in this modern society.
“Ninjas used to be cutting-edge experts in collecting information but you don’t need the strict life-long training or skills to do the same anymore,” Kawakami says. “I think that the only way to continue the tradition is to teach people the essence of ninjas as a part of Japanese culture. Fictional ninjas are gaining popularity, but I’d like to see the real spirit of ninjas survive.”
Professor Yamada says the future of ninjas is an appropriately unpredictable one.
“I think that the most captivating thing about ninjas is the unpredictability. Ninjas tried their best not to leave any trace and that gives future generations more scope to imagine and create,” he says. “In addition to the historically-correct ninjas in Japan, there will be more fictional ninjas created inside and outside Japan.”
“Ninjas change their shape with the times. Depending on what the future will be, new kinds of ninjas will be born.”
