Ninjas were known to dress in camouflaged attire as to best blend with their surroundings, as most of their work was done in the cover of night. The pop culture version of ninjas seems to be based on kabuki theater portrayals and movies as opposed to reality. While their practices of espionage were not favored by elite samurai due to ‘loss of face’, nevertheless, the samurais would still outsource the “dirty work” to ninjas. It is with this notion that ninjas can be understood.
This means that what others think of you based on your decisions is very important and to do something that might bring shame to yourself or those around you would be ‘loss of face’. They were thought of as ranking beneath the samurai warriors for their ‘alternative’ practices of accomplishing their missions.Īsian cultures hold the concept of ‘saving face’ in high regard. More accurately called shinobi, ninjas were a group that could be considered secret agents or mercenaries in Japan. Stepping away from the comics and movies, ninjas can be traced back to the 12th century, but it was really the 15th through the 17th centuries that are considered the golden days of ninjas in Japan and China. What do you think of when you hear the word ninja?ĭo images of masked figures dressed in black pop into your head? Quick acrobatic moves on screen? How about outcast citizens specializing in assassination, sabotage, and disguises?