How to live

• 2022-12-18
• 2024-04-01

Capability of Ever-changing Appearance

Fully Committing to a Role Some ninjas served as low-ranking warriors, farmers, and sometimes even members of vigilante groups, and when they were engaged in public activities, the ninjas had a camouflage technique called “shichihode,” in which they disguised themselves as monks, peddlers, and street performers. For example, if pretending to be a monk, they wore the scent of incense and chanted sutras. If disguised as a “medicine seller,” they wore the scent of Japanese medicines, and as a draper, they wore the scent of kimono dyes. They also acquired knowledge of products and learned how to behave for each role. What an effort they must have put in! The reasons for going so far to disguise themselves were for these important missions: 1) to […]

• 2022-12-09
• 2024-04-10

「空」The Visible and the Invisible

The Existence of What you can’t see Although ninjas are known as shadowy figures, they also sometimes disguised themselves as ordinary people to conduct espionage activities — both publicly and covertly. Why is it that ninjas are still internationally known today, even though there are people who engage in intelligence activities, not only in Japan but throughout every era and culture? It may be largely due to the influence of movies and manga, but we will look at this from the context of the uniqueness of the Japanese people in this column. Recent research has revealed that the mission of ancient ninjas was to survive and pass on information. In order to survive, it was clear that having useful information was more advantageous than expending […]

• 2022-10-04
• 2024-04-01

The Two Meanings of “Respect for Harmony”

The NINJA FOREST Interpretation of “Harmony is to be Valued.”   The phrase “Harmony is to be valued.” is written in Article 1 of the Seventeen-Article of the Constitution in the Chronicles of Japan. It has also become a proverb that expresses a spirituality that is essential to the Japanese. However, there are two main interpretations of this phrase. In this column, we will look at this phrase from both sides. The first interpretation emphasizes the importance of maintaining harmony in a situation, and that individual patience is necessary to achieve harmony. The other interpretation is that it is necessary to have a process which allows each of us to put forth our ideas and discuss them sufficiently in order to maintain harmony. I would […]

• 2022-09-28
• 2024-04-10

Strategy is the Best Way to Minimize Warfare

“A superior ninja (Jyonin) is a man with no sound, no smell, no praise for his wisdom, no fame for his valor, whose deeds are like the creation of heaven and earth. (Bansenshukai)” A ninja’s mission was primarily about gaining useful information to avoid unnecessary battles. Another duty was to increase the odds of survival, such as stealthily saving the lives of warlords and other influential or reducing the scale of warfare. Their work helped to prevent the loss of troops and provisions and minimized the chaos in the battlefield during times of prolonged warfare.   Sun Tzu said, “One hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the best of goodness.” (Meaning, even if you fight a hundred times and win a hundred times, […]

• 2021-08-09
• 2024-04-10

Win without fighting

What you want to fight for and what you want to get out of it The best way to fight, as described in the Art of War by Sun Tzu, was to “win without fighting.” The one who wins may be good at the time, but he will surely suffer losses in repeated battles, such as losing his own soldiers, running out of food, and destroying the land. On the other hand, the loser will be frustrated and look for an opportunity to take revenge, and in any case, in the long run, battles involve sacrifices on both sides and a negative chain of events. To avoid this, it is necessary to have useful information to formulate efficient strategies, which is why Japan has created […]

• 2021-05-28
• 2024-04-10

Right mind~Why Ninja is different from bandits~

    Remember the right mind. If Ninjutsu is misused, it is the same as banditry. Ninjutsu should be used for the greater cause, not for personal gain. (Quoted from the book of Ninjutsu, Bnasen shukai) Ninja had various techniques based on infiltration and psychology to sneak into houses and people’s minds by setting fires, confusing people by spreading rumors. It was precise because he was such a ninja that he reminded himself not to forget the “right mind.” And as a ninja, he also made a firm promise not to use his skills and abilities for personal gain .   When Ninja were active in the war period, their goals were to “survive” and “return with useful information.” This is because fighting by utilizing […]

• 2021-05-28
• 2024-04-10

Knowing yourself deeply

Knowing who you are In order to become a good ninja, it is important to always be aware of the words “You should know about yourself.”(＊)   Even today, knowing your limits mentally, capacity and physically can help you perform at a high level and respond calmly to pinch points and problems. It is a very important risk management to understand your ability correctly on a daily basis and not to overlook the signs that you are “I can go a bit further” or “It’s getting dangerous.” If you stop and think about your next move flexibly or take a break when necessary, you will be able to keep moving for a long time and may be happy in this 100-year period of one’s life. […]

• 2021-04-19
• 2024-04-10

An Ideal Day in the Life of Kunoichi Kuze

If you can have a day like this, your mind and body will feel refreshed. I hope that the more you are always pressed for time, the more you can regain your “own pace” by setting aside some time and space for yourself, even if it is short, to reset and refresh your day, and spend it comfortably and gob-smacked! The following is just an ideal day★ 05:30 Woke up. I drank some white water, opened the curtains and windows, and meditated in the morning sun. Breakfast: Smoothie with carrots, avocado, acai, banana, honey and flaxseed oil. *If there’s a sweet I really want to eat, I’ll eat it here! 06:00 Washing, cleaning, tidying, and taking care of plants. I also take care of myself. […]

• 2021-04-19
• 2024-04-10

To fight is to protect.

Ninja arts are for gaining time and escaping!? Japanese people tend to find beauty in the end, but the mission of the ninja was to  (1) stay alive, (2) bring back information, and (3) return home. For this purpose, escape was a higher priority than fighting and settling things in black and white. Ninjas flee in a cloud of smoke or using gunpowder to startle the opponents, and then they would take  that opportunity to run and hide. “I will neither run nor hide! “and contrary to the expression that is often used in period dramas, why do ninjas run away to such an extent? It was because they knew that there were battles that could be avoided thanks to the information they brought back, […]

• 2021-01-06
• 2024-04-01

KAJYO-CHIKUSEI（花情竹性）

  With the appearance of a flower and its bamboo-like qualities*   Although the ninja has a strong image of fighting, he was a survivor who prioritized survival. The ninja made it a point to survive and pass on helpful information for the peace and order of the country and the region. Although he was always in danger of losing his life, he made  a goal like ”  living  like a flower and  with a mind that is as  strong and straight as the nature of bamboo.” Does this sound a little surprising?   Even if no one takes care of the flowers that bloom in the wild, when the time comes, they will bloom, delighting our eyes, emitting their fragrance, and enriching our hearts. […]