lopezalexanderrene.blogspot.com
ATTAINING THE VERACITY ABOUT
THE HISTORY OF NINJAS
A Research Paper Presented to
The English Resource Center
School of Multimedia Arts
Asia Pacific College
Magallanes, Makati
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Course
ERESWRT-Research Writing
Alexander Rene I. Lopez
April 2014
Chapter
1
INTRODUCTION
A.
Background of the Study
Walking
silently through shadow, a ninja's stealth and legendary fighting skills have
been looked up into for ages. It's ironic how something that has embraced the
shadows be put under the spotlight all these years.
A
person who uses Ninjutsu is a Ninja. In Chinese, the word "nin" means
to preserve, to conceal or to move stealthily, and "sha" means a
person. Meaning that 'stealthy person' is the literal translation of the word
"ninja". In Japanese, the word is pronounced shinobi no mono. Ninjas
are people who execute the plans according to Ninjutsu. Ninjutsu is an
independent warfare art that was developed in Japan. The technique originated
from Sun Tzu's book, "The Art of War", written in the 4th or 5th
century. A part of the text heavily influenced the practice of the ancient
Japanese warriors, therefore leading to the ideology of the Japanese ninja.
(http://iganinja.jp/en/about/ninja.html)
In an
article entitled, "A Brief History of the Ninja, Japan’s First
Terrorists" in the website tofugo.com, John explained what ninjas
are and said, "Ninja could supposedly turn invisible, control the
elements, and walk on water. Basically they were like Jesus." (http://www.tofugu.com/2012/11/05/a-brief-history-of-the-japanese-ninja/)
This
supposedly spawned the idea that ninjas are superhuman creatures who could do
things that a normal human could not do. The author talked more about the
special skills a ninja could do, and how they
used the elements around them to perform feats that would seem
impossible in real life.
To
execute the plans in following Ninjutsu, ninja warriors use not only stealth
and skill but an assortment of different weapons as well. The one most
popularized by the media is the ever famous "shuriken" or throwing
stars.
The article entitled "Throwing
Stars" in the website weapons-universe.com the shuriken was
described as probably the most well-known weapon in the ninja's arsenal. To
quote more on the topic, "At least as far as contemporary popular
novels, movies, and television programs are concerned, nothing triggers
thoughts of the ninja as readily as these flying blades of thin hammered
steel." (http://www.weapons-universe.com/Martial_Arts/Throwing_Stars.shtml)
When mentioned, Shuriken (or flying
stars) could easily be connected to the word ninja. Though this of course is
not only the known ninja weapon (there are a different assortments of staves,
knives, smoke bombs and spears) the shuriken is the most popular and well known
of the ninja weapons. Shurikens vary in design and style, until recently, there
were ten designs favored by the ninjas. These were the cross-shaped, four-pointed,
six-pointed, eight-pointed, and ten-pointed configurations. Variations also
included triangular, swastika-shaped, hexagonal, pentagonal, and
three-pointed style of the weapon.
Ninjas are very popular. They are
part of the image of many countries, namely Japan, only next to Samurais and
Geishas. The black clothed figures of mystery has graced the childhood of many
children, through films, cartoons and comics alike. There was a time in the
90's when EVERYBODY was obsessed with ninjas. This was the time in where movies
regarding ninjas were released in the United States, setting off a bomb for the
explosion of ninjas in pop culture.
According to the article "Why
were ninjas so popular in the 90's?" ninjas were popular because
the idea was appealing to the audiences. The author described it further
as "a sticky idea. It captured the imaginations of writers and
comic artists because of its rich history, legacy and mystique. You don't need
to make stuff up- there's hundreds of years of history to draw from." (http://www.quora.com/Popular-Culture/Why-were-ninjas-so-popular-in-the-90s)
Like
superheroes of the Western countries and the brave knights of medieval Europe,
ninjas captured the attention, not only of the Eastern regions, but of the
world as well. This is because the idea of the ninja is particularly entrancing
and attention capturing to the masses. The very thought that a simple human
being could do amazing feats is a dream that the researcher believes is eminent
in every human. The ninjas also have a particular charm because the people know
that being a ninja is attainable. A person does not have to come from Krypton
to be regarded as a super human.
Pop culture has played a great part
in the popularizing of ninjas. Countless movies starring Sho Kosugi and other
action stars started the boom for the ninja industry in Hollwood. Some years
earlier, the ever famous Naruto was first published by Shueisha in 1999 in the
43rd issue of Japan's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Naruto is a good example of
popularized commercial ninjas. Characters with almost impossible ninjutsu skills
are seen everywhere, and almost everyone seems to be powerful. Another example
of these overpowered ninjas could be observed in the American version of
ninjas. As the ninjas got more Americanized, superhero like powers buried the
real skills of ninjas and the already shady history of the original shinobu
warriors were buried under the facade of shining Hollywood movie
billboards.
To support the statement is a quote
from Martha Barksdale, author of the answer to curiosity.discovery.com's
question "How have ninjas
influenced modern pop culture?, discussing the point that ninjas were popular
because they had a good appeal to children and adults alike.
"The cultural representation
of the ninja broadened in appeal. Ninja characters served not only as the
stealthy and frightening assassins of adult films, but as standard fodder for
popular children's cartoons and all-ages movies." (http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/how-ninja-influenced-pop-culture)
As seen in the quote, the idea of ninjas have broadened its
horizon. Not only are they now seen as figures of myth, they are also seen as a
supplicating medium for mass media. Pop culture has been invaded by the dark
shadowy figures of ancient Japan.
In the modern world, people now see
ninjas as black clothed, shuriken throwing, superhero powered individuals who
go into missions and flauntingly attack their opponents in the most extravagant
way possible. That is not the case. What the masses now see is an illusion to
what the ninja use to be. Or to be clearer, what the real ninja is. The
researcher has noticed that people seem to get the wrong idea about ninjas and
their history.
This research paper aims to educate
people on what the masses' opinion on ninjas are. How the public views the
ancient shinobu warrior as parallel to a 10 year old prodigy with spiky blonde
hair and blue eyes and amazing doppelganger tricks. This study also aims to
dissect the history and the truth about ninjas and to present the information
in a detailed yet organized way.
The paper will discuss how different
the original ninjas are from the commercialized ninjas we see today. The
differences will be pointed out and the correct information will overrule the
popular, but false ones.
B.
Statement of the Problem
This
study aims to answer the question.
1.
What is the truth behind the history of the ninja?
C.
Significance of the Study
Students
who are interested in learning the truth about ninjas. More
specifically, students who are still ignorant about ninjas and has been heavily
influenced by modern media. This paper will serve as a medium for the students
to be more informed about the origin of the ancient shinobus.
Film
producers and directors. For a better understanding and a more realistic
projection in future films. This paper will serve as a standard reference for
the historical facts that must be given
attention to in ninja related films.
Anime
enthusiasts. Given more value to the richness of the ninja culture.
And the original idea about ninjas will be shattered and replaced with the
truth. This paper will help broaden the understanding of anime enthusiasts so
that they would appreciate the history of a subject they are passionate about.
Future
researchers. The future researchers may use the paper as a reference
for any study that they may do in the future.
D.
Scope and Limitations
This
paper will be focusing on the difference of the "modern" ninja to the
original and authentic old day ninja. Comparisons over different aspects in the
now and then shinobus will be made throughout the paper.
E.
Materials and Methods
This
paper will be relying on internet sources such as blogs, features, news slips,
stores (for information regarding weapons) and researches. Blogs related to old
day ninjas and ninja reports will be used as proof to provide more information
about the old day ninja. News slips will be used as concrete evidence that yes,
ninjas did/do exist. Blog entries regarding the behavior, attitude and
complexities surrounding the two different sides of the ninja will be used for
explanation purposes.
F.
Definition of Terms
1. Anime - Japanese movie and television animation, often having a science fiction theme and sometimes including violent or explicitly sexual material.
2. Doppelganger - an apparition or double of a living person.
3. Geisha - a Japanese hostess trained to entertain men with conversation, dance, and song.
4.
Ninjutsu - the traditional Japanese art of stealth, camouflage, and
sabotage, developed in feudal times for espionage and now practiced as a
martial art.
5. Samurai - a member of a powerful military caste in feudal Japan, esp. a member of the class of military retainers of the daimyos.
6. Shinobu
- an alternative name for ninja.
7.
Shuriken - a weapon in the form of a star with projecting blades or points,
used as a missile in some martial arts.
Chapter 2
DISCUSSION
I. Definition of
Ninja
Ninja and Ninjutsu
Ninjas are known as legendary shadow warriors from
ancient Japan. Their style of fighting are not by spells or runes (as
shown in Naruto and other popular anime) but by ninjutsu. Ninjutsu is not
a martial art, it is an independent art of warfare that was developed mainly in
the regions of Iga in Mie Prefecture, and Koka in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.
The jobs of ninjas are divided into two main
categories; the first one is performing espionage and the second one performing
strategy, these two jobs use Ninjutsu as their methodology. Espionage is
similar to the job of modern spies, collecting evidences and facts that they
can use against the enemy. Strategic performance is skills that reduce
the enemy’s military and intelligence. The better the strategy that can be made
against the enemy the more immobilized the enemy would be. In ninjutsu, every
loophole is considered and made a plan for. There are plan A’s and plan B’s
till plan Z’s.
Ninja’s are generally peaceful warriors. They attack
the enemies only after reducing the enemy’s military prowess.
“Ninjutsu
was called the art of “entering from nearby, wherein ninja would constantly
gather intelligence concerning the enemy, thinking of ways to beat the enemy,
but not fighting the enemy directly.” (http://iganinja.jp/en/about/ninja.html)
For short,
ninja’s who attack their enemies directly and without a strategy or plan are
considered low class ninjas. And the Japanese warriors who think rationally
when in war are considered great and powerful in contrast.
II.
History of the Ninja
The ninja started with a bunch
mountain nomads or ascetics. Ascetics are people who are trained for
abstinence, only consuming a minimum amount of food and water and trained to
make do without worldly pleasures and luxuries. These ascetics lived in hills
around towns which are the capital of Japan. Buddhism by that time was being
established. Ninja practices show heavy influence of Buddhism and the Chinese
way of fighting and the ancient writings of Chinese Sun Tzu. Sun Tzu emphasizes
fighting styles with spies and espionage, strategies and operations chock full
deception.
By the end of Japan’s Nara period, the Yama-bushi (people who lived in the
mountains) cult started to exercise their beliefs with other people. They
advertised vulgar ideas, superstitions and medicinal biases. Their actions were
noted by the government and pretty soon their cult was declared as illegal.
However, this did not stop the Yama-bushi. The young men who were included in
the cult decided to conduct their own secret orders.
The hostility of the government towards this cult did not end, and the people
included in the cult were forced to learn ways to protect their selves.
Priests turned to guerrilla warfare, what would later evolve to bujutsu, the
martial art of eighteen methods- karate, bojutsu, kenjutsu, etc.
By
the end of the Heian period, the first book about ninjutsu appeared. It was
written by the great Genji Warrior Yoshitsune Minamoto, an entitled the “Book
of Eight Styles of Kurama.” It was created in central Honshu. Kurama was the
mountain in where young ascetics were trained to fight, this was also where
Yoshitsune mastered the martial arts when he was a child. The book emphasized
the art of flying/ jumping, for Yoshitsune was known to be a great leaper.
After the establishment of ninjutsu, the ninjas began to come up. Three levels
of power were established. The leader was called ”jonin”, usually the
head of the family. The “chunin” a middle class ninja and the lowest was called
the “genin”. The Iga area in Japan began to be well known for its ninjas.
To quote an adaptation of Jack Hoban’s work “Ninpo: Living
and thinking as a warrior” “History had taught them that they must be
prepared to protect their family and their lifestyle. They perfected a system
of martial arts that has earned them the reputation for being the most amazing
warriors the world has ever known. It is this reputation that initially
attracts most people.” (http://www.winjutsu.com/ninjakids/nk_history.html)
This
is because the area back then was so poor that people were killing other people
just so they could gain their livelihood. It was a dog eat dog world and to
survive, they had learn ways to defend themselves.
III. Ninja: Then and Now
A. The Three Iga Ninja
Grandmasters
Hattori Hanzo
Hattori was also called as Devil Hanzo,
this was to distinguish him from another ninja from Tokugawa name
Watanabe Hanzo and also, to page homage for his skills. Hattori began his
training at the age of eight, climbing mountains and seeking instruction from
the most hardcore ninja masters in Japan. He went to his first battle at the
age of sixteen and served at Anegawa and Mikatagahara after. His most valuable
contribution came in 1582, just after the assassination of Oda Nobunaga. He
single handedly saved a troop of ninjas from clan betrayal using his
leadership skills and connections to the samurai in the the Iga province.
Quoting from
the website www.badassoftheweek.com , “Another thing to keep in mind when discussing the attitude of Hanzo
Hattori is that we probably don’t know half of the things he did in his
lifetime, because most if it was behind-closed-doors cloak-and-dagger type
insanity” (http://www.badassoftheweek.com/hanzo.html)
Hattori Hanzo was not only known as one of the great ninjas masters by name
only, but also in actions. This is a far, far cry from what we see in “ninjas”
today.
Momochi Tambanokami
Momochi Tamba was known as a dogo, a
clan lord, situated in Nabari. In reality, he was known as one of the three
powerful Iga families which has control over the ninjas. Oda Nobunaga,
who once felt threatened by the ninja, send 10000 soldiers to attack the
“devilish and monstrous country”. Under his power, Momochi handled the ninja of
the Iga province and gave word for battle. He was able to repulse Oda
Nobunaga’s forces successfully, not only once but twice.
“There are many uncertain points concerning Tamba's life. Some theories suggest
that he was the same man as Momochi Sandayu the ninjutsu master of Ishikawa
Goemon, who was a very famous thief in Japan.”
(http://ludoninja.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html ) This came from the
website ludoninja.blosgpot.com, a blog which discussed things related to old
day ninjas and ninjutsu.
Fujibayashi Nagatonokami
Little is known about Fujibayashi
Nagatonokami, except for the fact that he was one of the leader of the most
famous Iga ninja in the history of Japan. He was in charge of northeast Iga,
and was in control of all the ninja there. Though the three
families were very powerful, they still had ot admit defeat when feudal lord
Oda Nobunaga attacked the Iga province with a troop of 50000 soldiers. Many Iga
ninjas and families were killed and slaughtered. The Iga warriors resisted in
the end, but eventually had to surrender. Nobunaga declared a ceasefire and
allowed some of the ninja to escape.
Manisha Kundu-Nagata, author of the
website lipikazuo.blogspot.com mentioned that “There were many schools
of ninjutsu during the feudal era. The two most famous main styles of ninjutsu
were Iga-ryu ninjutsu which originated in Mie prefecture and Koka-ryu ninjutsu
which originated in Shiga prefecture.” (http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2012_10_01_archive.html)
It
was believed that the three ninja masters practiced both techniques but majored
in one, and this made the three of them powerful and highly respected in their
time.
IV.
Modern Ninja
Jinichi Kawakami
You
would be surprised to know that there are still ninjas living in the modern
world. The last ninja however, does not practice his lifestyle as one, instead
Japan’s last ninja lives his life as an engineer. Jinichi Kawakami is a 63 year
old ninja who can hear a needle drop in the next room and kill from 20 paces
with a 5-pointed steel star. He is the 21’st head of the Ban clan, a dynasty of
secret ninja’s. He began training for the ancient art of ninjutsu at the age if
six under a Buddhist master. He practiced his hearing by training his
ears to hear a needle drop from the next room. Though Kawakami is very
skilled, he has decided to not pass on the art anymore because he believes that
ninjas do not fit in the modern day.
Matt Blake, author of the article entitled “Japan’s Last Ninja: Engineer, 63,
who can hear a needle drop in the next room and kill from 20 paces is the last
in 500-year line of Japanese assassins “ quoted Kawakami: “We can’t
try out murder or poisons. Even if we can follow the instructions to make a
poison, we can’t try it out.”
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2316547/Japans-ninja-Jinichi-Kawakami-63-hear-needle-drop-room-kill-20-paces.html)
Though the concept of the ninja is very much alive, the people who consist of
the lifestyle are dying. Like aeta’s ninjas have outgrown their time and it is
believed that they are not fit to live in the modern world anymore.
V. Differences
This paper has slowly
broken down the general idea about ninjas and has started to insert small
grains of truth in between. In this section, it will be discussed how the
ninjas of ancient Japan are different from the commercialized ninjas today.
As mentioned by the website
ninjaxsamurai.atspace.org, “Ninja in
fiction are dividable in two large categories, those based on realistic
accounts and those based largely on imaginative accounts.”( http://ninjaxsamurai.atspace.org/Pages/Facts_Ninja.html)
Examples of these “imaginative
accounts” are the anime and mangas that featured ninjas as their main
characters. Though the Japanese entertainment has at some point given justice
to the veracity of ninjas, the same could not be said to the Western adaptation
of the stealthy assassins.
Ninjas
do not fight dirty, they use stealth
Perhaps the biggest difference
between the ancient shinobi’s and the modern “ninjas” of today is the fact that
the old warriors of Japan would rather not fight physically if they did not
have to. In contrast to the ever popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles whose
characters were well known for their wild and loud fighting style.
As Josef of list25.com and author of
“25 things you don’t know about ninja” said, “For being trained assassins, ninjas
follow a very serious set of rules. For example, a group of ninjas would never
gang up on their victim but rather fight one at a time in order to maintain
honor…and not get made fun of by other ninjas for being a wimp.” (http://list25.com/25-things-you-didnt-know-about-ninjas/)
The original ninjas did not use the
‘taunt and bop’ method that is largely seen in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
franchise and in arcade video games such as Tekken and the Final Fight series.
Ninjas
do not Have Superpowers
While ninjas were known to perform
feats of superhuman strength, this did not come from being dosed in radioactive
juice (or mutagen, in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise) or from
creating hand signals that generate balls of energy in their palms or allowing
them to perform feats of agility and power.
Though ninjas were known to do hand
signals, this is especially seen in Naruto, the symbols formed did not
necessarily mean that they were creating a spell. According to Josef of
lis25.com in his article “25 things you don’t know about ninja”: “They (ninja)
believed that making various signs with their hands allowed them to channel
energy, kind of like gang signs –ninja style.” (http://list25.com/25-things-you-didnt-know-about-ninjas/)
The hand symbols could be seen as a
placebo. The ninjas of age thought that by doing symbols with their hands they
could actually channel their inner energy and be a stronger version of
themselves (for some time). This has not been proven scientifically. Though we
know that the mind is a powerful thing and could actually be used to psyche one
into thinking otherwise.
Ninja
did not always wear black, they had a variety of costumes as well
Regardless of popular belief, ninjas
do not always wear black. In Western films (and even in some Eastern films) you
would see ninjas as figures swathed in black from head to toe, with only a
small portion of their face visible.
According to the website
ninjaxsamurai.atspace.org, “ninja did not
wear the commonly depicted all black suit. It was actually a shade of dark red,
dark gree, dark blue or dark brown, as it offered a better camouflage.” (http://ninjaxsamurai.atspace.org/Pages/Facts_Ninja.html)
Sometimes, they did not always wear
the outfits that covered them from head to toe. In feats of espionage, ninjas
would go in disguise; they would dress up as waiters, nurses, doctors,
teachers, a commoner, just so they could perform their assassination as quickly
and silently as possible.
Chapter 3
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION
AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY
This
paper tried to explain the historical truth behind ninjas and to demolish the
commercialaized and exaggerated view of the masses about the Japanese warriors.
The
research design used in this paper is descriptive research method, wherein data
and the information gathered were used to answer the research question posed.
The research findings are the following.
1.
Ninjas are people who execute the plans according to Ninjutsu.
2.
Ninjutsu is an independent warfare art that was developed in Japan
3.
To execute the plans in following Ninjutsu, ninja warriors use not only stealth
and skill but an assortment of different weapons as well.
4.
Ninjas are very popular. The black clothed figures of mystery has graced the
childhood of many children through films, cartoons and comics alike.
CONCLUSIONS
1.
The ninjas style of righting are not by spells or runed (as shown in Naruto and
other popular anime) but by ninjutsu.
2.
The ninjas started with a bunch of mountain nomads or ascetics. Ascetis are
people who are trained for abstinence, only consuming a minimum amount of food
and water and trained to make do without worldly pleasures and luxiries.
3.
There are three levels of power established in ninjas. The leader was called
"jonin", usually the head othe family. The middle class ninjas were
called "chunin" and the lowest rank was called "genin".
4.
The Iga area in Japan was the most well known ninja territory.
5.
There were three ninja leaders in the Iga territory. The first was Hattori
Hanzo, or Devil Hanzo. The second one was Momochi Tamba or Momochi Tamabnokami,
and the third was Fujibayashi Nagatonokami.
6.
Ninjas still exist today, but they are a dying race. The last ninja is named
Jinichi Kawakami, the 21st head of the Ban clan, who was decided to let the art
of the ninjas die with him.
RECOMMENDATION
1.
Students who are interested in learning the truth about ninjas. More
specifically, students who are still ignorant about the true ninjas and have
been heavily influenced by modern media
2.
Film producers and directors. For a better understanding and a more realistic
projection for future films and projects.
3.
Anime enthusiasts. To give more value about the richness of the ninja culture
and Japans history.
REFERENCES
A.
Book
Hoban,
Jack (1988) Ninpo, Living and Thinking as a warrior
Contemporary Books
B.
Electronic Media
Barksdale,
Marthai "How have ninja
influenced Pop culture" retrieved
April 10, 2014 from
http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/how-ninja-influenced-pop-culture
Blake,
Matt (2013, April 29) "Japan's last ninja" retrieved April 10, 2014 from
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2316547/Japans-ninja-Jinichi-Kawakami-63-hear-needle-drop-room-kill-20-paces.html
Grabianowski,
Ed "How Ninja Work" retrieved April 10, 2014 from
http://people.howstuffworks.com/ninja1.htm
Hendrix,
Gary "The state of the ninja" retrieved April 10, 2014
from
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/recycled/2010/06/the_state_of_the_ninja.h
Josef “25 things
you did not know about ninja” retrieved April 22, 2014 from http://list25.com/25-things-you-didnt-know-about-ninjas/
Kenobe,
Ookla "Lives of
Ninja" retrieved April 10, 2014 from
http://ludoninja.blogspot.com/2011/08/lives-of-ninja.html
Kundu-
Nagata, Manisha (2012, October 16) "Iga-ryu Ninja Museum" retrieved April 10, 2014 from
http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2012/10/iga-ryu-ninja-museum.html
Oi,
Mariko, (013, November 23) "Japans
ninjas heading for extinction" retrieved
April 10, 2014 from http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20135674
Trengrouse,
W.M (1993, September 22) "The Ninja" retrieved April 10, 2014 from https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/kent-csi/vol9no2/html/v09i2a06p_0001.html
"What
is a Ninja" retrieved April 10,
2014 from http://iganinja.jp/en/about/ninja.html
"Throwing
Stars" retrieved April 10,
2014 from http://www.weapons-universe.com/Martial_Arts/Throwing_Stars.shtml
"Why
were ninjas so popular in the 90's?" retrieved April 10, 2014 from
http://www.quora.com/Popular-Culture/Why-were-ninjas-so-popular-in-the-90s.html
"Badass
of the Week: Hattori Hanzo" retrieved April 10,
2014 from http://www.badassoftheweek.com/hanzo.html
