Koka is a small town that most tourists skip, but I wanted to go since it’s also known as “ninja town”. Unknowingly, there was a ninja festival while I was there, which was an extra bonus. There weren’t any apparent celebrations with parades or floats, but there were stuffed ninja placed around the village, hiding from the casual observer.
Growing up, I loved ninja, believing they were very proficient assassins, using techniques and strategies beyond their time. I learned this was true, and much more. My first stop was a ninja-themed amusement park for kids. Although no one spoke English, and all the demonstrations where in Japanese, Google Translate was able to bridge the communication gap when needed.
I learned a ninja’s home was full of traps, secret doors and passages, hiding spots and concealed compartments. For example, if an intruder entered the home, there was a concealed pit that caused them to fall and damage or break their shin. Once inside, the ninja could evade attackers by hiding in fake ceilings, or behind fake walls that opened differently than typical sliding doors. Basement tunnels and hidden escape passages allowed the ninja to flee quickly. Weapons could be concealed in floorboards designed for quick releases. In essence, you really didn’t want to invade a ninja’s home.
The second visit was a ninja museum, where I discovered even more about these incredible people. For example, a common misconception about ninja is they wore black, while in fact their outfits were dark blue. This made it easier to hide at night when it wasn’t completely dark. They had a vast array of weapons and tools, from special nails for locking sliding doors, to pick-locks for opening sliding doors, to special wooden shoes that allowed them to walk on mud. I was able to practice throwing the shuriken, the throwing star; after several dozen attempts, I started to be fairly accurate. These weapons were normally used for close range assassinations and poisoned, but they didn’t sell any poison 🙁
Aside from physical training and learning weaponry, ninja developed strong memories to save and recall secrets, sometimes cutting themselves while reciting the secret to link the pain to the memory. They usually blended well with villagers, pretended to be farmers or artists, using tools that could be quickly altered to become weapons.
In short, ninja were everything I thought they were and more.
