Shinobi

The image that comes to mind when ninja is mentioned is a figure clad in black quickly running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop stealthily killing their target. Though this may be a more movie-esque ninja, they were present in historic Japan. The proper name for ninja is Shinobi. (Szczepanski)

The Japanese folklore associated with ninja’s claim they were “descended from a demon that was half man and half crow”. (Szczepanski) They truly evolved as an opposing force of the samurai in feudal Japan. The skills ninja’s learn are called ninjutsu, or the ninja’s art of stealth. This art began to develop in between 600-900 A.D. (Szczepanski)

The main reason ninjutsu developed was to oppose the samurai and their code of bushido, or their code of honor and loyalty. So since honor was held in such high regard, samurai would select only a single opponent upon going into battle, announcing the challenge along with his family credentials and then attack. They wore their clan identification colors and armor, leading to a highly stylized but inefficient type of battling. Ninjutsu was developed to get the job done, very different from the samurai’s code of bushido. Things that would be shameful to a samurai, such as sneak attacks, poison, seduction, and spying, were all “fair play” for ninjas. “The ninja code values accomplishing a mission by whatever means necessary” (Szczepanski).        

Ninja leaders were referred to as jonin. Some of the jonin were disgraced samurai that had lost in battle, but refused to commit the ritual suicide. Contrary to much of Japan at the time, women could also become quite successful ninjas. Female ninjas were called kunoichi, and would usually infiltrate through disguises to get to the enemy (Szczepanski). It’s very interesting how female can have a role within the ninja ranks since they can’t seem to have a similar role in Japan where they would have responsibilities on their shoulder. I believe it reflects the idea of the shinobi in a way, getting the job done no matter how taboo or honorable. It’s similarly reflects how it is different from the samurai, who are much more similar to what seems to be ‘proper’ Japan culture, or that which is shown in Japanese culture. Everything is done with great tradition and honor, every little thing being something very important. This is reflected in how the samurai act, following a strict code and upholding it against all costs.

What’s interesting is although samurai had to strictly follow the bushido themselves, it did not restrict them from hiring ninjas themselves to carry out any of their dirty work. Since the samurai wouldn’t technically be committing the crimes against the code themselves, their honor would remain intact. Luckily with samurai hiring and paying ninjas quite well transferred wealth to the lower classes within Japan. The issue with this though was, of course, the opposing samurai could also hire ninjas to go for their opponent. “As a result, the samurai needed, despised, and feared the ninja, in equal measure” (Szczepanski).

The whole idea of shinobi and samurai are all very interesting. In a way, reflecting Japan’s own culture. I believe they in a way reflect the ideas of inside and outside, or one’s true feelings and ones outside face. The samurai represent one’s outside face, one of honor and following the strict cultural code. While on the other hand, shinobi represent ones true feelings, they remain hidden and don’t follow strict code but aren’t shown in public in a way. It’s an interesting balance between what is seen and what is honorable.

Do you believe samurai’s use of shinobi was honorable? Or necessary in a way to get things done?

Szczepanski, Kallie. "History of The Ninja." About.com Asian History. About.com, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://asianhistory.about.com/od/warsinasia/p/NinjaProfile.htm>.