Japanese Features Ninja Society and Customes

Superhero Ninja!! Part 1

Are "Ninja" superheroes?  Those who can succeed in every respect?  Maybe they are depicted as such in other countries like the United States, but perceived differently in Japan for sure.  

Ninjas at Chubu International Airport

In general, Ninja COULD be considered Multi-talented or "A Jack of All Trades" without the part of "Master of None," as in the famous saying "A Jack of All Trades, Master of None."  They are excellent in every respect, starting from fixing small troubles to big problems, such as business and interpersonal problems.

The Economist, a British weekly magazine, carried an interesting article in July, 2019.
It reported a recent trend in recruitment ads.  Companies are apparently seeking for potential employees who can be "a superhero in people," as well as with "ninja-like attention to detail" in their job performance.  Performing well in cooperating with other co-workers, they could definitely attain high achievements.

Famous and successful companies in the U.S. use this Ninjya analogy to mean that Ninja are skillful and great achievers.  Employees who exceed expectations of the companies and peers are indeed called "a black-belt ninja."

Photo by Vision Tan used under CC

How about Japan?  What image do Japanese people have about Ninja? 

Ninjya are considered to be such a mysterious or legendary figure as Japanese folklore deities.  People have known a lot about them, but never seen their actual figures in person.  Ninja's images and legends have been just carried on....

Basically, they are so-called spies (or even thieves), inconspicuous in black kimono, who sneak into wealthy family's houses to get something precious, espeically at night.  Positive image about them is that they steal things from the rich and sometimes give the stolen goods to the poor.   

Wearing special cloth shoes (called Tabi shoes in Japanese) can even "erase" their existence because the shoes do not make any sound.  Ninja are featured as "swiftly move, even on a very slippery rooftops and slopes with Tabi" or "easily jump cross high walls and fences."  These skills are believed to be acquired through persistent practice.

Probably these features might have contributed to their positive image of "swift and skillful through endurance," which is well-known abroad.  However, again in Japan, Ninja definitely have an element of  "sneaky," sort of "con artist."  Yes, they are very good at maneuvering to their goals.  They are sometimes a hero in people as well.  Therefore, they could make good business warriors successful in every respect in a sense.  What do you believe?

Here are 13 sites where in Japan you can experience or practice Ninjya, from Hokkaido to Okinawa.  

Among these popular sites, Tokyo has 2, Tochigi near Tokyo (1 site), Nagono (1), Mie (4), Toyama (1), Shiga (1), Kyoto (1) and Osaka (2).  For more info, to be continued to Superhero Ninja Part 2.