Ninja
Videos
A ninja, shinobi no mono or shinobi was a spy and infiltrator in pre-modern Japan. Antecedents may have existed as early as the 12th century. Despite popular belief, there is little evidence that ninj
1817 illustration of an archetypal ninja by Hokusai
Yamato Takeru dressed as a maidservant, preparing to kill the Kumaso leaders. Woodblock print on paper. Yoshitoshi, 1886.
The plains of Iga, nested in secluded mountains, gave rise to villages specialized in the training of ninja.
The ruins of Hara Castle
Hattori Hanzō
Videos
Hattori Hanzō or Second Hanzō, nicknamed Oni no Hanzō, was a famous Samurai of the Sengoku era. He served the Tokugawa clan as a general and is credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu, later
Ninja
…flee, some to the mountains of Kii, but others arrived before Tokugawa Ieyasu, where they were well treated. Some former Iga clan members, including Hattori Hanzō, would later serve as Tokugawa's bodyguards. Prior to the conquest of Kōka in 1574, the two confederacies worked in alliance together. At an approximate…
Hattori Hanzo
Kada pass, believed to be the road which was taken by Tokugawa Ieyasu to return into Mikawa province.
Grave of Hattori Hanzō at Sainen-ji temple in Shinjuku Ward
Edo Castle's Hanzōmon gate during the Meiji period (1868–1912)