Hello and welcome to the Historical Quest podcast. I'm your host and I'm bringing you a fascinating topic today: ninjas. Ninjas were some of Japan's top spies** during feudal times, and their enigmatic images made them a part of contemporary pop culture. From Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to American Ninja Warriors, this character has gained popularity in modern books and movies. But the truth about the history of ninjas is as elusive as they are. So, are ninjas real or fictional legends?Let's unravel this mystery together.
Ninja history is shrouded in mythology.
Some modern scholars question whether ninjas really existed, or if they were merely a mythical creation. This suspicion stems primarily from ninjas who are often described as martial arts experts with supernatural abilities, or shamans who can summon fire and manipulate wind and objects through gestures. In many stories, they can even fly and even doppelganger to escape the pursuit. Most scholars believe that the historical account of ninjas, like the stories of many underground characters, has been exaggerated, but still retains some element of truth. Stephen Turnbull, a Japanese historian and author of Ninja: Demystifying Mythology, writes in his book: "Even among scholars, the common perception is that the original ninja myth is a truly historical phenomenon that has been greatly romanticized and more recently commercialized over the centuries." ”
Ninjas were active from the 14th century, when they were employed by daimyos, the lords of feudal Japan, and worked mainly on intelligence and counterintelligence. But their intrinsic mystical nature is such that they are rarely mentioned in the historical record. Much of what we know now comes from texts from the 17th century onwards, when ninjas were already thriving, especially after the Shogunate Wars.
Ninjas are primarily spies.
Ninjas are different from other famous samurai in Japan – that is, highly trained warriors from elite families. Ninjas came from all walks of life and, unlike samurai, they were not constrained by a strict code of honor (bushido) that required face-to-face combat. Samurai can hire ninjas in guerrilla warfare that disgraces the samurai. As mercenaries and spies, ninjas need to be particularly adept at disguise and espionage. Although ninjas are often portrayed as trained assassins, they are more likely to employ the techniques of stealth, distraction, and counterintelligence rather than killing. Their most important responsibility is to secretly gather information that is useful to their masters.
In historical texts and testimonies before the 19th century, the word "ninja" barely appears. Instead, the most commonly used salutation in early texts is the synonym for "ninja" and shares a common character with the Japanese kanji word "ninja." The Japanese-Portuguese Dictionary is a Japanese-Portuguese dictionary published by the Jesuits in Nagasaki in 1603, which defines "ninja" as "a spy who enters a castle at night or secretly in times of war, or infiltrates the ranks of the enemy to obtain information".
This kind of information is very valuable for employers, according to Yuji Yamada, vice president of the International Ninja Research Center at Mie University in Japan and editor of the Multidisciplinary Collection of Ninja Studies: "You need to know the location of the enemy, the terrain, the food situation, the structure of the castle. It's the ninja's job to get critical information. They infiltrate enemy territory, know the terrain, and create chaos through sabotage and arson. ”
The origin of the art of ninja.
As mercenaries, ninjas serve lords all over Japan. But according to the Military Law Samurai Guard, a dictionary of samurai martial arts laws, the best feudal ninjas came from the provinces of Iga and Koga, near Kyoto, in the mountains southeast of Japan's capital at the time. By the 14th century, there were about two dozen ninja schools popping up all over Japan. According to the 17th-century Wanchuan Jihai, a 22-volume encyclopedia of ninjutsu, ninjutsu was inspired by the guerrilla tactics of Sun Tzu, a prominent Chinese strategist.
This information gives us a deeper understanding of the history of ninjas. As we know, ninjas were spies and ** in feudal Japan, and although their existence is full of mystery, they have played an important role in history and have had a profound impact on modern pop culture.
Well, that's all for today's show. I hope you enjoyed this issue about ninjas. If you want to learn more about the fascinating stories of Japanese history, please continue the podcast. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time!