Relive "Shōgun" With A Visit to Japan's Lesser-Known "Ninja City"

Ninjas are about as synonymous with Japan and Japanese culture as sushi or anime. Everyone pictures a similar image: a man or woman covered from head-to-toe in black garb with a katana sword strapped to their back. Only their eyes can be seen. 

This, however, is an artistic myth, invented by Japanese writers after the ninja heyday between the 15th and 17th centuries. In reality, they were called shinobi no mono (忍びの者 — "person who sneaks") and wore dark, navy blue shinobi shōzoku (ninja's attire) to camouflage themselves with the darkness of night. This was the simple clothing of a farmer who sometimes doubled as an espionage agent until Japan's unification under the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603, as shown in the acclaimed and award-winning series "Shōgun."

Prior to unification, ninjas were contracted by feudal lords or military commanders to gather intelligence using their ninjutsu martial arts skills of stealth, sabotage, guerrilla warfare, and martial arts. An example might be that a daimyō or feudal lord needed intel on a rival's defenses before engaging in a military campaign: To better understand things like troop count or weak points in security, they might have hired a ninja.

How to Experience Ninja Culture

Though the ninja era has long passed, their story and culture are alive and well in the lesser-known city of Iga. Nicknamed the "Ninja City," Iga is a small city of roughly 90,000 people about two hours by train outside of Kyoto and Osaka in the Mie Prefecture. Matsuo Bashō, the credited creator of the haiku, hails from this region and is believed to have trained in ninjutsu in the mid-17th century.

To learn more about ninjutsu, head to Iga-ryu Ninja Museum, which sits on the edge of Ueno Park — approximately 62 acres of green space in the heart of Iga. But this isn't your typical city park. The dense greenery lining narrow footpaths feels like a timewarp into feudal Japan, not least because of the castle — a dead ringer for the famous Osaka Castle usually swarmed with tourists.

Most start their visit to the Ninja Museum with a live demonstration (in English and Japanese) of ninjutsu and legendary ninja weapons like the aforementioned katana and shuriken throwing stars used by ninjas to help protect their escape from a dicey situation. Near the "Ninja Show" stage is an Iga-ryu Ninja House. At first glance, the building looks like a simple Japanese farmhouse. But a ninja-dressed guide walks tourists through the typical ninja house, revealing the series of traps concealing weapons and fake hallways used to hide from invaders.