Ninja Attack!: True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws (Yokai ATTACK! Series) - Softcover

Yoda, Hiroko; Alt, Matt

Softcover

ISBN 10: 4805312181 ISBN 13: 9784805312186

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing, 2012

Synopsis

Ninja Attack! introduces dozens of unforgettable real-life ninja straight out of the annals of Japanese history—many of whom are all but unknown outside their home country.

Ninja masters. Solo assassins and operatives. Femme fatales as deadly as they were beautiful. Swordfighters out of legend. And the Shogun and warlords who commanded them. Each individual in this graphic novel is profiled with a full-page manga-style drawing and a dossier brimming with top-secret information, including photos, anecdotes, and dramatic stories of the individuals in action.

The book covers ninja clothing styles, the types of weapons that were used, ninja tools, ninja tricks of the trade, and the basics of the ninja diet. It also includes a do-it-yourself tour of ninja related spots in modern Tokyo.

Ninja Attack! is everything you always wanted to know about ninja but were too afraid you'd get a shuriken in the eye to ask.

Legendary ninja covered in this book include:

• Prince Shotoku
• Mochizuki Chiyojo
• Hattori Hanzo
• Matsuo Basho
• Mamiya Rinzo
• Jiraiya

Book 2 of 3 in the Yokai Attack! series. Others include Yokai Attack! and Yurei Attack!.

About this title

Review:

Product Description
An entire generation has become fascinated with the stealth, ferocity and wisdom of the ninja--the epitome of the Japanese "tough guy." Ninja Attack! is the ultimate reference for those who want to know more about them and their legendary lives. This book covers the most unforgettable ninja in history, ranging from the leaders of ninja clans to solo artists, occult masters, warlords who used their cunning to help their climb to the top, and vicious assassins and warriors. Each of these real-life figures is presented with a full-page illustration, smaller illustrations and photos, along with detailed descriptions and anecdotes about his life, weapons, weaknesses--and how he met his end. While the book is research-based and factual, it is most definitely not a dry history tome. Instead, it is a lively and accessible source of entertainment that provides readers with a deeper understanding of Japanese culture and history.

Fascinating Ninja Facts from Ninja Attack!

1. The masks that we’ve come to associate with ninja are largely a work of fiction, as are the infamous all-black outfits. In reality, ninja wore outfits that let them be as unobtrusive as possible. Most dressed like farmers, both because it worked well as camouflage in a nation of farmers, and because most of them really were farmers.

2. In Japanese, the word “ninja” is written with the kanji characters meaning “clandestine” and “person.”

3. Body odor was a significant issue for ninja, as a strong scent could lead to one’s hiding place. They generally avoided highly aromatic foods such as garlic, chives, or onions, and meat, and bathed fastidiously.

4. Ninja watched their weight carefully, as one might expect for people who spent inordinate amounts of time hanging from rafters or crouched beneath floorboards. The ideal weight was said to be no greater than a full sack of rice: 132 lbs.

5. Mochizuki Chiyojo remains the only female ninja of whom anything is even vaguely known. She created a squad of female intelligence operatives known as “walking maidens” who criss-crossed the country in the guise of holy women, entertainers, and prostitutes, gathering information for their masters.

6. Although in popular culture ninja are often portrayed as wearing chainmail shirts or hoods, the weight and noise made these useless for the average ninja mission, which relied on stealth and avoiding the enemy.

7. With his eye-patch, rakish good looks, top-notch sword skills--and the ability to stop a sword between the palms of his hands--it’s no wonder that 17th-century ninja rival Yagyu Jubei has been the star of countless comic books, films, and historical dramas. A classic scene early in Akira Kurasawa’s Seven Samurai, in which a talented swordsman is forced to kill a challenger who refuses to admit defeat, is supposedly based on a real-life incident from Jubei’s travels.

8. Momochi Tanba, seemingly a middle-aged farmer, was actually an extremely powerful figure in the early 16th century, who personally trained and commanded a vast army of ninja. He was so dedicated to subterfuge, that he split his time among three separate residences, each one with its own wife and family.

9. Upon becoming Shogun in 1716, Tokugawa Yoshimune established Japan’s first true, clandestine intelligence service: the Omwa-ban, aka “the Gardeners.”

10. In 1853, four heavily armed American warships sailed unannounced into Urago Harbor, just south of modern-day Tokyo. Unknown to Commodore Matthew Perry, the fleet’s commander, Sawamura Jinzaburo Yasusuke, often called the “last ninja,” secretly boarded one of the American ships to gather information about the mysterious foreigners. He returned with items he took from the ship: two loaves of bread, two cigarettes, two candles, and two pages of a document, written in Dutch and believed to be personal writings.

About the Author:

Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt are a couple who run a Tokyo-based translation company that specializes in producing the English versions of Japanese video games, comic books and literature. They are the co-authors of Yokai Attack! and Yurei Attack!, both originally published by Kodansha International and with new expanded editions from Tuttle Publishing.

About this edition

• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 4805312181
• ISBN 13: 9784805312186
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208
• Illustrator: Kondo Yutaka