The first clear record of ninja dates back to 1487, when Iga and Koga ninja helped Rokkaku Takayori of Omi Province to repel the attack of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshihisa. It is sometimes said that samurai, or former samurai who had fallen from favour, became ninja, but there is little evidence to support these claims. Historical records reveal little about the every day life of ninja, but they seem to have been recruited mainly from the local farming communities, and to have undertaken training relevant to their special roles. Jonin were assisted by chunin (‘middle men’), while genin (‘lower men’) carried out the actual missions. While spying and covert warfare had existed in earlier times, the Iga and Koga clans were distinguished by their specialization in stealth and guile, and were perhaps the first true ninja.īoth clans consisted of several families, each represented by a jonin (literally an ‘upper man’), who was responsible for hiring out ninja. Mountainous terrain and poor roads made both of these areas inaccessible, and therefore perfect locations for mercenaries to be based. Koga was a village just to the west, that has now developed into Koka-shi City in Shiga Prefecture. It now forms the western part of Mie Prefecture. Iga was a province of ancient Japan, comprising a small plain ringed by mountains. Two distinct groups of ninja emerged in the late fifteenth century – the Koga (sometimes Koka) and Iga clans. It could also explain why we know so little about ninja – those in power didn’t really want to acknowledge that they existed, much less that they made use of their services. This may explain why ninja emerged as a distinct group – commanders preferred to hire third parties to do their dirty work for them. Even in battle, samurai observed a degree of ritual and decorum – they fought openly and announced their attacks with raucous battle cries. From the earliest of times, deception and concealment were considered unsavoury aspects of warfare.
#JAPAN NINJA VILLAGE CODE#
While popular culture often depicts ninja scaling castle walls with grappling hooks, and melting away into dark corners to avoid detection, most historical accounts refer to them relying on deception – often by disguising themselves as enemy soldiers.Īll of this subterfuge was quite at odds with the samurai code of honour. Sometimes they would even infiltrate enemy castles, not only to gather information, but also to spread dissent and undertake acts of sabotage. Ninja may have disguised themselves as komuso monks so they could travel freely throughout the country without arising suspicion. They played the shakuhachi flute both as a form of meditation, and to call for alms. They were adherents of Fuke Zen Buddhism, and they used to be a common sight in Japan. Komuso monks travelled widely on pilgrimage, hiding their faces under straw hats to help them to achieve humility. The main role of ninja was scouting and espionage – they would sneak into enemy territory, usually in the guise of priests, monks, entertainers, or other travellers, and collect information on the terrain, the state of the roads, and the disposition of enemy troops.Ī komuso monk in Kamakura. This period began in the mid fifteenth century, and continued until Tokugawa Ieyasu unified Japan under his rule at the beginning of the seventeenth century. As such they thrived during the Sengoku (warring states) period of Japanese history, when nationwide government broke down, and Japan was subjected to almost continual fighting between rival warlords. Ninja were mercenaries who specialized in covert warfare, and were available for hire by anyone who had the means to pay for their services. That said, ninja did really exist, and they played key roles in some of the most important events in Japanese history. Most of what is ‘known’ about ninja nowadays was written down much later, and almost-certainly owes more to fertile imaginations than to reality. Real ninja (who were also known as ‘shinobi’) were only around for a couple of hundred years, from the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries. Well, that’s all rubbish, as is just about everything else you know about ninja. Only in Japan: Products you’ll find nowhere elseĪ ninja in action during a show at the Iga Ninja MuseumĬhances are you’ve heard of ninja – the legendary warriors of Japan who dressed in black and attacked in the dead of night with shuriken and poison darts.
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