Alright first to get some quick historical facts out of the way: 1) A ninja is a human being (sorry ninja turtles). 2) Ninja were very good a being stealthy in several respects, but this does not mean he/she was invisible or could really do magic. 3) Ninja didn’t always wear black, and ninja absolutely did not wear bright Power Rangers colors... ever (sorry キューピー, but as for Power Rangers Ninja version they should have known they had this coming).

It’s only natural that something secretive like a ninja would have several stories about how or why they did work, but a subculture that was supposed to be hidden a whole lot of people know about them. Ninjas have been included in every form of entertainment I can think of from video games and anime to books and medicine.

Apparently Kouka ninja were involved with delivering medicine, or the flyers in the museum would lead you to believe that at least.

I expected to see ninja related things during the trip to Kouka Ninja Mura in Shiga prefecture, but the level and spread of ninja like things was astounding.

There were challenges for ninja “training”

Actual historical artifacts,

And also chances to wear replicas of historical artifacts. And just as with the samurai helmet area, near the ninja for a minute room was a big poster advertising the 2005 movie SHINOBI (trailer). Seems between all the training, killing, and CG effects, ninjas still have time for romance.

Ninjas even have their fair share of bumbling moments according to certain commercials.

Way to bring them down a notch! “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down,” as the saying goes. What I didn’t expect was seeing ninjas pop up in places like near Nara Koen.

Or maybe more interestingly in the Kansai Airport.

Then again that could be the whole point of the ninja, to be where you least expect even if that means everywhere.