Japanese culture has a particularly powerful international reach, exemplified by the seemingly permanent longevity of ninjas, who have captured the imagination of people across generations for centuries.
Ninjas are so famous that people worldwide undergo intense training to learn the techniques of “ninjutsu”, the martial arts that blend combat fighting with features traditionally associated with ninjas, such as espionage.
The Post dives into who these people are and what attracts them to ninjutsu.
Foreigners studying ninjutsu
In May, about 60 students attended classes run by the Bujinkan, a martial arts organisation famous for teaching the ancient skills of the ninja. The group said most of the attendees were caucasian men, according to Japan Times.
One dedicated veteran has graduated from a student to a teacher.
Pete Reynolds is a 57-year-old American who has trained with the Bujinkan for 38 years. He moved to Japan in 2000 and is now a senior instructor at the organisation’s dojo situated in Nezu, Chiba Prefecture on the eastern edge of Japan’s main island, Honshu.
“Generally speaking, most Japanese people see martial arts as antiquated and even a bit uncool,” Reynolds told Japan Times.
He estimated that there are about 400 active ninja students in Japan and more than half a million internationally.
Reynolds said his motivation for studying ninjutsu was not to become an assassin but to excel in the dojo and take those lessons to his daily life.
He said the lessons he has learned over the years have become integrated into nearly every aspect of his life.
“The teachings that have been passed down to me have become an integral part of my core life philosophies. As such, I do my best to be a living example for my children, those who train with me, and society as a whole,” he told the newspaper.
What does it mean to become a ninja?
The traditional history of ninjas states that they were a type of warrior who specialised in unconventional warfare, such as infiltration, sabotage, and assassination. They first emerged when samurais gained immense power in Japanese governance starting in the 12th century.
The fighters were trained in a wide range of skills, including armed combat, weaponry, military strategy, and even more academic undertakings like meteorology and geometry. They became famous for using deception and silence to catch opponents by surprise.
In the past, ninjutsu was passed down through generations within families or from a teacher to a selected few disciples. Now students can learn ninjutsu at ninja institutions and further study and earn a master’s degree in “ninja studies” from Mie University in Iga, Mie Prefecture on the east coast of Honshu.
The last headmaster – or sōke – that can be directly connected to traditional ninjas, which disbanded during the Meiji Restoration (1868-1889), is Jinichi Kawakami, 75, who is the honorary director of the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum.
Kawakami launched a series of online classes in 2021 in an effort to save the ninjutsu practice, which he believed was on the brink of extinction.
Ninjas frequently appear in TV dramas and movies. One of the most popular products is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons, in which four genetically mutated turtle protagonists learn ninjutsu techniques to fight against evil forces.
Bruce Wayne, the famous comic book superhero, was also famously trained in ninjutsu along his path to becoming Batman, although it would be a stretch to say he fought like a ninja.
A 2009 Hollywood film, Ninja Assassin, features South Korean actor Jihoon Jung as an assassin who has received secret ninjutsu training since childhood.
