Home › Japan › Ninja Legends: Fact vs Myth
Ninja Legends: Fact vs Myth (忍者 · 本名)
Ninja (忍者, also 忍び shinobi) are some of Japan's most famous figures, and also the most mixed up with fiction.
History vs. legend. Historians agree that spies and irregular fighters existed in the Sengoku period, especially from the Iga and Kōga regions. But the black-suited ninja with magic powers mostly comes from Edo-period novels, kabuki, and later film and manga. On this page every entry is labeled: - History: documented in period sources. - Legend: appears in later stories, plays or folklore. - Fiction: created for novels, film or games.
The naming custom. Like samurai, real historical figures had family names, common names and formal given names. "Hanzō" was a hereditary common name used by several heads of the Hattori family. Legendary ninja often have names that sound like titles or places.
Sources include the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum, Mie University's ninja research center, and historians' books.