Ninjas in popular culture

Superhuman or supernatural powers were sometimes associated with the ninja. Such powers include flight, invisibility, shapeshifting, the ability to "split" into multiple bodies, the summoning of animals, and control over the five classical elements. These notions stemmed from popular imagination regarding the ninja's mysterious status, as well as romantic ideas found in later Japanese art during the Edo period. Magical powers were sometimes rooted in the ninja's own efforts to disseminate fanciful information. For example, Nakagawa Shoshujin, the 17th-century founder of Nakagawa-ryū, or martial art style, claimed in his own writings (Okufuji Monogatari) that he had the ability to transform into birds and animals.[2]^:13

Perceived control over the elements may be grounded in real tactics, which were categorized by association with forces of nature. For example, the practice of starting fires in order to cover a ninja's trail falls under katon-no-jutsu ("fire techniques").[5]

Actor portraying Nikki Danjō, a villain from the kabuki play Sendai Hagi. Shown with hands in a kuji-in seal, which allows him to transform into a giant rat. Woodblock print on paper. Kunisada, 1857.

The ninja's adaption of kites in espionage and warfare is another subject of legends. Accounts exist of ninjas being lifted into the air by kites, where they flew over hostile terrain and descended into or dropped bombs on enemy territory.[6] Kites were indeed used in Japanese warfare, but mostly for the purpose of sending messages and relaying signals.[7]^:257 Turnbull suggests that kites lifting a man into midair might have been technically feasible, but states that the use of kites to form a human "hang glider" falls squarely in the realm of fantasy.[2]^:22–23

Kuji-kiri is an esoteric religious practice which, when performed with an array of specified hand "seals" (kuji-in), or gestures, was meant to allow the ninja to interact with the spirit world and allow them to perform superhuman feats.

The kuji ("nine characters") is a concept originating from Taoism, where it was a string of nine words used in charms and incantations.[8]^:2–3 In China, this tradition mixed with Buddhist beliefs, assigning each of the nine words to a Buddhist deity. The kuji may have arrived in Japan via Buddhism,8-11}} where it flourished within Shugendō.[8]^:13 Here too, each word in the kuji was associated with Buddhist deities, animals from Taoist mythology, and later, Shinto kami.[8]^:24–27 The mudrā, a series of hand symbols representing different Buddhas, was applied to the kuji by Buddhists, possibly through the esoteric Mikkyō teachings.[8]^:24–25 The yamabushi ascetics of Shugendō adopted this practice, using the hand gestures in spiritual, healing, and exorcism rituals.[9]

Later, the use of kuji passed onto certain bujutsu (martial arts) and ninjutsu schools, where it was said to have many purposes.[8]^:31–33 The application of kuji to produce a desired effect was called "cutting" (kiri) the kuji. Intended effects range from physical and mental concentration, to more incredible claims about rendering an opponent immobile, or even the casting of magical spells.[8]^:31 These legends were captured in popular culture, which interpreted the kuji-kiri as a precursor to magical acts.

The 1998 East Java ninja scare was an outbreak of mass hysteria in East Java, Indonesia, in which the local population believed they were being targeted by sorcerers known as ninja, who were blamed for mysterious killings of religious leaders by assassins dressed in black. As many as 150-300 “sorcerers” were killed between February and October, with the most deaths occurring between August and September.[10]

Several real life paramilitary, police and militia groups use the names "Ninja" or "Ninjas":

• The Santomean special-police force of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, officially known as the Emergency Police, are popularly known as Ninjas.[11]
• Rebels in the Pool Region of the Republic of the Congo called themselves Ninja.[12]
• The Red Berets, a Croatian Serb rebel paramilitary group of Dragan Vasiljković based in Knin, Croatia, called themselves "Kninjas".[13] During the early 1990s, the Kninjas were the subject of a Serbian comic-book series.[14][15]
• Although some death squads active during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor called themselves "Ninja", the name was apparently borrowed from film rather than the Japanese model.[16] "Ninja" gangs were also active elsewhere in Indonesia.[17]
• During the Algerian Civil War, the government's commando units were known as "Ninja" because of their black hoods.[18]
• The FBI's Hostage Rescue Team have been nicknamed "Ninjas".[19]

According to Indeed.com, there was a 7,000-percent increase in the number of job listings with the word "ninja" from 2006 to 2012.[20] A former Russian soldier who committed robberies in Italy in black attire and a bow was called a "Russian ninja" by the BBC.[21] The video-game series Tenchu was adapted for the Japanese stage.[22] In 2006, Miss Japan Kurara Chibana appeared in a ninja-samurai costume for the Miss Universe competition.[23] Goth Ninja, a type of Japanese street fashion, became popular in 2009.[24]

In information technology, "cyber ninja" are sophisticated counter-hackers.[25]

Iga Railway Line ninja-themed trains in Mie Prefecture, Japan in 2010

Attendees of a 2011 one-day ninja camp in Koga Ninja Village, Kōka, Shiga

Iga Ueno Ninja Festa, the annual ninja festival in Iga in the former province of Iga, has had ninja-inspired performances, competitions and opportunities to practice ninja skills since 1964.[26]

Other ninja attractions in Japan include the Koga Ninja Village and Kogaryu Ninjutsu Yashiki (Ninja Houses) in Koga-gun, Shiga Prefecture, the Togakushi Ninja Village for children, the Togakushi Ninpo Museum and Karakuri Yashiki (Ninja House) in Togakushi, Nagano, the Edo Wonderland theme park in Nikkō, Tochigi and the restaurants Men no Sato and Ninja Akasaka in Tokyo and Ninja Kyoto in Kyoto.[1]

Ninja Hattori-kun cosplayers at Comiket 76

Cosplay of the Naruto character Sai

• Black Lion (Kuro no Shishi): Manga series.[27]
• Brave10: Manga adaptation of Sanada Ten Braves.[28]
• Kunoichi Hajimemashita!: Gag manga series.[29]
• Naruto: Manga and anime series.[4]
• The Last Kunoichi (Kunoichi Bakumatsu Kitan): Erotic anime series about kunoichi caught in the struggles of the late Tokugawa shogunate.[30]
• Sarutobi Sasuke: Manga by Shigeru Sugiura.[31]
• Sasuga no Sarutobi: TV series and comedy manga by Fujihiko Hosono about a ninja high school.[32]
• Shōnen Jiraiya: manga by Shigeru Sugiura.[31]
• Tenshi wa Maiorita - Kunoichi Ibun: Historical manga series by Ryoichi Ikegami.[33]
• Zannen Kunoichi Den: manga series.[34]

The following stories contain a ninja character, but are not ninja-themed:

• Millennium Actress.[35]
• Sailor Victory: Comedy OAV series about a team of policewomen using ninja robots.[36]
• Planetes (Tanabe's neighbors in "The Lunar Flying Squirrels").[37]
• Tower of Etruria (Palmyra).[38]

In addition to video games, several game-development companies use "ninja" in their name: Ninja Studio, Ninja Theory, Ninjaforce, NinjaKiwi, and Team Ninja. In massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), "ninja", "loot ninja" or "ninja looter" pejoratively describes a player who has stolen something from another player.

• Magic: The Gathering (where the ability Ninjutsu was introduced in the set Betrayers of Kamigawa).[39]

Ninja-themed novels include:

• Tulku, a Tale of Modern Ninja: novel by American ninjutsu practitioner Stephen K. Hayes.[40]
• Tsuma-wa, Kunoichi: historical novel.[41]
• Vineland.[42]

Psylocke cosplayer, 2014

• The Justice League: Shogun of Steel one-shot substitutes Batman with a Japanese female ninja named Komori (Bat).[43]
• Half Past Danger.[44]
• Zombee.[45]
• G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero characters Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes, and their family history, as well as Jinx and Cobra Night Creepers and Red Ninjas.

• Ninja Crew.[46]
• "Inner Ninja" by Classified (on Classified).[47]
• Built by Ninjas is a music video production group formed by Jaret Reddick and Heath Balderston.[48][49]
• Fans of the rap group Insane Clown Posse, known as juggalos, sometimes refer to themselves as "ninja".[50]
• Members of Momoiro Clover Z dressed as ninja for the music video for "D' no Junjō".[51]
• Rika Adachi performed in a music video based on a song from Naruto.[52]

• Iga FC Kunoichi is a Japanese Nadeshiko League women's association football team.[53]
• Ninja Chops wrestles in the Naked Women's Wrestling League.[54]

• Samurai Girl (2008).[55]
• Tsuma-wa, Kunoichi (2014-2015).[56][57]
• Batman Beyond (Curaré of the League of Assassins).[58]
• Black Dynamite ("Just Beat It or Jackson Five Across Yo' Eyes").[59]
• Stroker and Hoop ("Ninja Worrier" and "Chopping Spree").[60]
• Honda Civic Si.[61]
• G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Appearances by Storm Shadow, a ninja working for Cobra.