The Ninja: The History and Legacy of Feudal Japan’s Secret Agents

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents “They travelled in disguise to other territories to judge the situation of the enemy, they would inveigle their way into the midst of the enemy to discover gaps, and enter enemy castles to set them on fire, and carried out assassinations, arriving in secret.” - Hanawa Hokinoichi To most people in the West, particularly the youth, the mere mention of Japan immediately evokes various images. A delectable rainbow of sushi, hand-rolled temaki, and platters of crispy, golden-brown tempura. An idyllic, crystal-clear lake flanked by trees covered with delicate, cotton-candy-pink sakura blossoms. A montage of unique, hand-drawn cartoons that are a masterful mix of delightfully exaggerated proportions, features, and colors, and elements of arresting realism, collectively known as “anime.” Then, of course, there's the ninja, a willowy, graceful figure decked out in black from head to toe, his glinting eyes peering out from the window of his balaclava. He flits from rooftop to rooftop in stunning somersaults and slinks into the shadows, watching his unsuspecting marks from afar and calculating their every move. Then, as quickly as he came, he strikes, hurling throwing stars, twirling his nunchucks, and hacking away with his trusty sword, exterminating his targets with dizzying, lightning-quick speed and superhuman precision. At least, this is how those unfamiliar with the ancient art of ninjutsu, or shinobi-jutsu, see them. Ninjas are, without a doubt, one of the most timeless and far-reaching cultural staples ever to emerge from Japan. They have become a global phenomenon, and there are countless depictions of ninjas in comic books, films, TV shows, video games, toys, and other forms of popular culture around the world, not to mention their continued relevance as a “conventional” go-to Halloween costume. Kids across the world are intimately familiar with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Snake Eyes from the G.I. Joe franchise, Scorpion from Mortal Kombat, and Black Noir from The Boys. Ninjas have also been featured in a slew of other international movies and TV shows, among them the 1986 Filipino film The Legend of Ninja-Kol, the 2010 Norwegian film Norwegian Ninja, the 1982 Turkish film Holy Sword, and the 2002 New Zealand film Tongan Ninja. The The History and Legacy of Feudal Japan’s Secret Agents looks at who the ninjas were, how they fought, and the events in which they played a leading part. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the ninjas like never before.

Genres: Audiobook, History

91 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 21, 2021

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Jerry Jares · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I tried listening to this as an audiotape; there are so many Japanese words included that it hardly made sense. Thus, I reread it with my eyes. I think the author made a fatal mistake with this book. If the author had explained the training, tools, and weapons first, and then woven in the folktales, it would have been more interesting and understandable.

There are lots of folktales about ninja, but little true information. Since the ninjas seem to have been recruited from the lower classes, info about them was considered unimportant. Generally, the ninjas did things (espionage, irregular warfare, surprise attacks, and deception) that were considered to be beneath the dignity of the aristocratic samurai. Although the ninja was around in the 15th century (during the Sengoku Period), they may have existed as early as the 12th century.

The ninja was popular in Japanese legends and folklore. They were associated with abilities, such as invisibility, walking on water, and having control over natural elements. Thus, the modern perception is based more the legends and folktales than on the ninjas active during the Sengoku Period.

[Josi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short and concise read of the history and culture behind the shinobi of feudal Japan. It goes over their appearances in our modern culture, details their life as covert agents from the beginning and to their end in the Meiji Era, as well as telling how the we came to see the modern shinobi in culture from writings in the 1900s. I enjoyed this as an audiobook and would listen to it again!

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's, in general, a good overview. I have some quibbles about the discussion about women, some of the wording in those passages highlights the sexuality of the women. It's like they are using demything with the men but not the women. And while no doubt the women did use sexuality, to highlight in such a way is a bit icky. It basically becomes - the men train hard, the women look pretty. Even though there was a sentence that said the women went though the same training.

[Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A history book and a cultural study-guide. I spent some time over a period of several years in Asia, Japan and Thailand. I found the people warm and generous, however their attitudes changed as through the late 1960s and into the early 1970s. I believe that change was due to the conduct to GI's while they were on R-&-R, changing our position in society to "the ugly Americans".

[BluLooperBluez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid information.