Japan has a deep-rooted history. It is also one of the most technologically and economically modern countries of today. On the other hand, Japan’s unique cultural elements and traditions have been alive for centuries. One of the most important formations in Japan’s history is the country’s ancient warriors, the samurai. However, ninjas, the “opposite” of this noble soldier class, whose origins date back to the 9th century, are just as interesting as samurai. So, what is a ninja? What do ninjas do? How did Japan’s ancient spies become a popular popular culture product? Let’s look at the answers to these questions together.
What is a ninja?
In order to find the answer to this question, we first need to answer the question of what a samurai is. Samurai is the name given to warriors belonging to the noble soldier class in ancient Japan. Samurai emerged as highly skilled and deadly soldiers. They were mostly in the service of wealthy landowners. They were also a class with high prestige and many privileges.
Ninjas were the outcasts of this prestigious samurai class
Warriors who were somehow dismissed by the masters they served continued their lives as ninja. However, unlike samurai, talented people from almost all walks of life could become ninjas.
Moreover, ninjas were a much more functional class in battle than samurai. Because unlike samurai, their ethics were much more flexible
The earliest official documents mentioning ninjas date back to the 14th century
However, the ninja as a name appears much later, in the 19th century. In early documents, ninjas as we know them were called “shinobi”. Shinobi literally means “a spy who sneaks into a castle in times of war or infiltrates enemy ranks to gain intelligence.” So it’s safe to say that ninjas were qualified spies in ancient Japan.
But ninjas were not only skilled spies. They were also extremely dangerous and even deadly warriors.
At times, they could turn even the simplest item into a deadly weapon. They could effectively use almost any tool of warfare, especially the katana and bow, and they were good enough in close combat to match the samurai.
But the ninja’s real distinguishing characteristic was their mastery of stealth. For this reason, they were more often employed in espionage activities.
In times of war, it was the samurai’s primary duty to obtain vital information about the enemy’s numbers, location, food supplies, the structure of defense lines and much more.
Silence, concealment, climbing, disguise and combat tricks were the ninja’s specialty
They undergo rigorous mental and physical training to become unbeatable spies in their respective fields
So much so that at different periods of history, various ninja schools emerged all over Japan
All of these abilities made ninjas useful for espionage, but also for sabotage and assassination.
Of course, they also appeared on the battlefields from time to time
According to some experts, the fighting techniques of ninjas are the foundations of the traditional Japanese martial art known today as ninjutsu
On the other hand, they were trained to have all kinds of social skills to infiltrate any environment, to acquire information and to pass it on to their masters.
For example, they worked hard to improve their speech and memory techniques. This gave them a wide range of skills in addition to their combat and stealth skills. Contrary to popular belief, ninja often carried out their espionage activities during the day, not at night. Disguised as a priest or a merchant, they could blend in with the crowd and easily obtain the information they were looking for.
Ninjas were most influential in the 14th and 15th centuries
In these centuries, they played such an important role that they changed the fate of many battles. Sometimes, which side would win and which side would lose depended solely on the skill of one ninja. For this reason, it is safe to say that ninjas are one of the most important elements that shaped the history of Japan.
The question of whether ninjas are real is also very common today, even though there is a historical record of their existence.
So, what is the reason for this interesting situation?
Because the history of ninjas is surrounded by myths and legendary narratives! It’s quite popular to attribute supernatural powers to these skilled warriors. Perhaps you’ve heard stories of ninjas as sorcerers who can shoot flames from their fingers or move objects with the power of the mind alone. Of course, these stories have nothing to do with reality. But it’s not surprising that these agile and mysterious warriors, who are almost impossible to see, are the stuff of legend.
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