Ninjas have always been a mystery. We know they existed in history, and they are often portrayed in the media, but are there still ninjas in real life? What are the chances that ninjas are still used to commit espionage and spy?
In folklore, ninjas were thought to have the ability to become invisible and even walk on water. While this is likely little more than a trick of the eye, there is still plenty of mystery that surrounds these historical figures.
So, the question is – do ninjas still exist in real life? Are there still ninjas in Japan, doing what they do best? Read this article to find out what you need to know!
We will cover if ninjas are still a thing in the 21st century, and where you can still experience the teachings of the ninjutsu.
Are There Still Ninjas In Real Life?
Ninja clans and Shinobi exist today in real life though you do have to look hard for them. If there are any ninjas left in real life then there are only two; Jinichi Kawakami and Masaaki Hatsumi.
Jinichi Kawakami
There is Jinichi Kawakami who has the Banke Shinobinoden ninjutsu school and began his ninjutsu training at the age of six under a Buddhist master.
He is also the honorary director of a testament to ninja culture; Iga-ryu Ninja Museum. Kawakami inherited the scrolls of the Koga clan when he was just 18 and he has taught a vast number of pupils since then.
Kawakami is known as the ‘last real ninja’ of Japan which is a title he may take with him to the grave.
As the 21st head of the Ban clan, he enhanced his concentration by staring into a cable and would try listening to a needle dropping on a wooden floor.
According to Kawakami, ninjas fail to fit in with the modern world. He also attests that he’s the last remaining ninja as no-one else can claim to have learned all the requisite skills.
As things stand, he has no plan to appoint an heir to carry on the legacy of the ninjas. That means no apprentice to train to further the legacy of the ninja.
Part of that reasoning is that ninjas can no longer try out their skills in the real world, whether that be murders or initiate a poisoning.
Masaaki Hatsumi
Jinichi Kawakami may not be the last remaining ninja as there is also Masaaki Hatsumi who is said to lead the Togakure clan.
Hatsumi can also claim to have founded Bujinkan, an international martial arts organization, which has over 300,000 trainees globally.
Based in Noda in the Chiba prefecture, his dojo can fit 48 tatami mats and is typically full of pupils transfixed by Hatsumi’s teachings.
These teachings are not huge and extravagant but planned and occasionally come with stealth use of weaponry.
Other Modern Ninjas
There are few known modern ninjas as the Shinobi title was rarely given out. There were occasions when the title was given out retrospectively but scholars have yet to find any tangible evidence to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.
One such example is Mochizuki Chiyome who was known to have trained kunoichi (a band of female ninjas) yet doubt persists in these claims.
Her teachings were made covertly from a school for wayward young girls, yet her name failed to appear in records until 1971, giving her a legendary, if doubtful, past.
Where To Find Modern Ninjas
If you want to learn the ways of the ninja then some locations still exist in real life. These include Iga-ryu Ninja Museum, Ninjadera at Myoryuji Temple, Togakure Ninpo Museum, Koka Ninja House, and Koka Ninja Village.
Iga-ryu Ninja Museum
The aforementioned Iga-ryu Ninja Museum is a good place to start as it still contains many weapons from the high point of the Iga Clan. You can even enjoy a choreographed demonstration of how those weapons were used.
Ninjadera, Myoryuji
Ninjadera, literally translated to Ninja Temple but also known as Myoryuji Temple, still remains too. The temple is not known to have an affiliation to any known clans but the architecture is said to mirror Shinobi houses.
There are several secret rooms, hidden tunnels, and hallways that resemble mazes.
Togakure Ninpo Museum
The story of Togakure Ninpo Museum dates back to the 12th century with a fleeing warrior from Nagano. He ended up in Iga once he had fought on the losing side in the conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans.
After studying in Iga, he returned home and the Togakure school was opened and it still contains a range of weapons and photographs.
Koka Ninja House
Koka Ninja House, also known as Koka-ryu Ninjutsu Yashiki, is the known residence of the head of the Koka Ninja clan. It was built in the late 1600s during the Edo period and was once the residence of Mochizuki Izumonokami.
Here, you can throw shiruken, visit a real ninja house, and learn about their tricks and tools.
Koka Ninja Village
If you want a whole village to marvel at the ways of the ninja then head to Koka Ninja Village itself. The village itself is said to be where ninjas originated from and still contains plenty of ninja traps and water spider crossing devices.
Instead of just looking at exhibits, become a real ninja for a day by getting involved in the training in authentic ninja uniforms you can rent.
You can water spider crossing as part of an obstacle course and throw shuriken throwing stars then receive a scroll for your initiation.
Final Thoughts
Though the legend of the ninjutsu continues to this day, true ninjas remain few and far between.
There seems to be only two that can claim the rightful title of a practicing ninja and it may be difficult to see how the practice can continue in the modern world.
Thankfully, there are still exhibits that tourists can visit to practice in the ways of the ninjutsu. If you want to try them, make sure to visit and get involved.
Frequently Asked Questions
While there may only be two ninjas remaining, there is some doubt over who the very first ninja was.
According to Japanese legend, it was Prince Yamato. Not that he practiced murder and poisonings or employed tactics of stealth in a black costume.
Prince Yamato used deception, he would dress as a woman to attract the gazes of two barbarian chieftains
A female ninja was known as a kunoichi, which is the Japanese cant term for a ‘woman’. In more popular culture, it is used for female Shinobi or a practitioner of ninjutsu.
The term was widely popularized by Yamada Futaro, a novelist who wrote Ninpō Hakkenden back in 1964.
Alas, historical records of female ninjas are few and far between and Mie University concluded that there were none to demonstrate female ninjas performing the same deeds as male ninjas.
What does seem to confirm the existence of female ninjas is a ninja handbook from the 17th century. The Bansenshukai includes a technique known as ‘kunoichi-no-jutsu, essentially the ninjutsu of a woman.
The handbook goes on to detail how a woman would be used to infiltrate a location and gather information.
I hope that, by exploring this website, you all will develop a much deeper appreciation for Japan, and that it may even influence you to pay it a visit yourself eventually! It is definitely a trip of a lifetime, and whether you experience it firsthand, or through my own website, I’m sure you will become just as passionate as I always have been!
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