The Cool Ninja

ninjapolitical.blogspot.com

I’d like to introduce Ninja, Japanese secret agents in feudal times, the most peculiar people in Japan. I’m from Shiga where the ninja lived. First of all, the ninja used special weapons such as Shuriken, a throwing knife. Shuriken appeared in a number of shapes, weights, and sizes. However, they are used for a single purpose: to impale an enemy from a safe distance. In addition, ninja’s diet is so healthy. For example, they ate tofu, a soft white food made from soya beans, miso, fermented soybean paste, picked plums, vegetables, brown rice, wheat, buck wheat, and potatoes. On the other hand, they didn’t have highly aromatic foods such as garlic, chives, onions and meat because their bodies’ scent was a significant issue for ninja when they had to hide from their enemies. To illustrate my experience, I went to the original ninja house, Koka injutu Yashiki, in my prefecture when I was a child. It’s the only existing ninja house and a good place to feel a ninja’s life. For example, there were a lot of ingenious features to make them escape quickly if needed. Also, I drank Kenpocha, ninja’s health-promoting tea, and threw shuriken there. Ninja are the most mysterious Japanese people who existed and they make me admire their life style.

Research Notes
Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt, Ninja Attack!, Kodansha International, 2010