Editing Ninjutsu (section)

==Equipment==
Ninja used a large variety of tools and weaponry, some of which were commonly known, but others were more specialized. Most were tools used in the infiltration of castles. A wide range of specialized equipment is described and illustrated in the 17th-century ''[[Bansenshūkai]]'', including climbing equipment, extending spears,<ref name="Turnbull 2003 48">{{Harvnb|Turnbull|2003|p=48}}</ref> [[rocket]]-propelled arrows, and small collapsible boats.<ref name="draeger smith 1981 128">{{Harvnb|Draeger|Smith|1981|p=128}}</ref>

===Outerwear===
[[File:Kuro-Shozoku-Ninja-Costume-at-Iga-Ninja-Museum.png|thumb|left|upright|Kuro shozoku ninja costume and waraji (sandals). The image of the ninja costume being black is strong. However, in reality, ninjas wore navy blue-dyed farmers' working clothes, which were also believed to repel vipers.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}]]
[[File:Gappa travel cape and zunin with kusari armor.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Antique Japanese ''gappa'' (travel cape) and cloth ''zukin'' (hood) with ''kusari'' (chain armour) concealed underneath]]

While the image of a ninja clad in black garb (''shinobi shōzoku'') is prevalent in popular media, there is no hard evidence for such attire. It is theorized that, instead, it was much more common for the ninja to be disguised as civilians. The popular notion of black clothing may be rooted in artistic convention; early drawings of ninja showed them dressed in black to portray a sense of invisibility.; Turnbull uses the name ''Buke Meimokushō'', an alternate reading for the same title. The ''Buke Myōmokushō'' cited here is a much more common reading.</ref> This convention may have been borrowed from the puppet handlers of ''[[bunraku]]'' theater, who dressed in total black in an effort to simulate [[prop]]s moving independently of their controls.<ref name="Howell 1999 211">{{Harvnb|Howell|1999|p=211}}</ref> However, it has been put forward by some authorities that black robes, perhaps slightly tainted with red to hide bloodstains, was indeed the sensible garment of choice for infiltration.

Clothing used was similar to that of the [[samurai]], but loose garments (such as leggings) were tucked into trousers or secured with belts. The ''[[tenugui]]'', a piece of cloth also used in martial arts, had many functions. It could be used to cover the face, form a belt, or assist in climbing.

The historicity of armor specifically made for ninja cannot be ascertained. While pieces of light armor purportedly worn by ninja exist and date to the right time, there is no hard evidence of their use in ninja operations. Depictions of famous persons later deemed ninja often show them in [[Japanese armour|samurai armor]]. There were lightweight concealable types of armour made with [[Kusari (Japanese mail armour)|''kusari'']] (chain armour) and small armor plates such as [[Karuta (armour)|''karuta'']] that could have been worn by ninja including ''katabira'' (jackets) made with armour hidden between layers of cloth. Shin and arm guards, along with metal-reinforced hoods are also speculated to make up the ninja's armor.

===Tools===
[[File:Ninpiden kuroro kagi breaker.gif|thumb|upright|A page from the ''[[Ninpiden]]'', showing a tool for breaking locks]]

Tools used for infiltration and espionage are some of the most abundant artifacts related to the ninja. Ropes and [[grappling hook]]s were common, and were tied to the belt. A collapsible ladder is illustrated in the ''Bansenshukai'', featuring spikes at both ends to anchor the ladder. Spiked or hooked climbing gear worn on the hands and feet also doubled as weapons.<ref name="Mol 2003 121">{{Harvnb|Mol|2003|p=121}}</ref> Other implements include [[chisel]]s, [[hammer]]s, [[drill]]s, [[pickaxe|picks]], and so forth.

The ''[[kunai]]'' was a heavy pointed tool, possibly derived from the Japanese [[masonry]] [[trowel]], which it closely resembles. Although it is often portrayed in popular culture as a weapon, the ''kunai'' was primarily used for gouging holes in walls.<ref name="Turnbull 2003 61">{{Harvnb|Turnbull|2003|p=61}}</ref> Knives and small saws (''hamagari'') were also used to create holes in buildings, where they served as a foothold or a passage of entry. A portable listening device (''saoto hikigane'') was used to eavesdrop on conversations and detect sounds.
A line reel device known as a Toihikinawa (間引縄 / probing pulling rope) was used in pitch dark for finding the distance and route of entry.

The ''[[mizugumo]]'' was a set of wooden shoes supposedly allowing the ninja to walk on water.<ref name="draeger smith 1981 128" /> They were meant to work by distributing the wearer's weight over the shoes' wide bottom surface. The word ''mizugumo'' is derived from the native name for the [[Japanese water spider]] (''Argyroneta aquatica japonica''). The ''mizugumo'' was featured on the show ''[[MythBusters]]'', where it was demonstrated unfit for walking on water. The ''ukidari'', a similar footwear for walking on water, also existed in the form of a flat round [[bucket]], but was probably quite unstable. Inflatable skins and breathing tubes allowed the ninja to stay underwater for longer periods of time.<ref name="ratti 1991 329">{{Harvnb|Ratti|Westbrook|1991|p=329}}</ref>

''Goshiki-mai'' (go, ''five''; shiki, ''color''; mai, ''rice'') colored (red, blue, yellow, black, purple)<ref name="japandaily-2630">{{cite news |last1=Runnebaum |first1=Achim |title=7 Things you didn't know about Ninja |url=https://japandaily.jp/7-things-didnt-know-ninja-2630/ |access-date=14 April 2022 |work=Japan Daily |date=22 February 2016 |quote=Based on the combination of colors they dropped, or the number of grains, the Ninja could make over 100 different codes.}}</ref> rice grains were used in a code system,<ref>{{cite web |title=10 Stealthy Ninja Tools You Haven't Heard Of |url=https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/2010/2/ |website=All About Japan |access-date=14 April 2022 |language=en |date=February 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Communication of ninja |url=http://xn--2048-ku3hs36n.jp/eninja5.html |website=Ninja Encyclopedia |publisher=Ninja Lurking in History |access-date=14 April 2022 |location=Japan |archive-date=3 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703112835/http://xn--2048-ku3hs36n.jp/eninja5.html }}</ref> and to make trails that could be followed later.<ref name="Yoda-978-1-4629-0882-0">{{cite book |last1=Yoda |first1=Hiroko |last2=Alt |first2=Matt |title=Ninja Attack!: True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws |year=2013 |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |isbn=978-1-4629-0882-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kUHRAgAAQBAJ&dq=goshiki+mai&pg=PA110 |language=en |quote=Goshiki-mai: These dyed rice grains were used to create discreet trails that could be followed either by the original dropper or by sharp-eyed comrades}}</ref><ref name="Bull-978-1-932897-51-7">{{cite book |last1=Bull |first1=Brett |last2=Kuroi |first2=Hiromitsu |title=More Secrets of the Ninja: Their Training, Tools and Techniques |date=2008 |publisher=DH Publishing Inc |location=Tokyo |isbn=978-1-932897-51-7 |page=95 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n1heJafilrAC&dq=goshiki+mai&pg=PA95 |language=en |quote=DH Publishing is Tokyo's #1 publisher of Japanese pop culture books for the English speaking world.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu Weapons |url=https://onlinemartialarts.org/bujinkan-budo-taijutsu-weapons/ |website=Online Martial Arts |access-date=14 April 2022}}</ref>

Despite the large array of tools available to the ninja, the ''Bansenshukai'' warns one not to be overburdened with equipment, stating "a successful ninja is one who uses but one tool for multiple tasks".<ref name="Green 2001 359">{{Harvnb|Green|2001|p=359}}</ref>

===Weaponry===
Although shorter swords and daggers were used, the ''[[katana]]'' was probably the ninja's weapon of choice, and was sometimes carried on the back. The ''katana'' had several uses beyond normal combat. In dark places, the scabbard could be extended out of the sword, and used as a long probing device.<ref name="Adams 1970 52">{{Harvnb|Adams|1970|p=52}}</ref> The sword could also be laid against the wall, where the ninja could use the sword guard (''[[Japanese sword mountings#Tsuba|tsuba]]'') to gain a higher foothold.<ref name="Adams 1970 49">{{Harvnb|Adams|1970|p=49}}</ref> The ''katana'' could even be used as a device to stun enemies before attacking them, by putting a combination of red pepper, dirt or dust, and iron filings into the area near the top of the scabbard, so that as the sword was drawn the concoction would fly into the enemy's eyes, stunning him until a lethal blow could be made. While straight swords were used before the invention of the ''katana'',<ref name="Reed 1880 269 270">{{Harvnb|Reed|1880|pp=269–270}}</ref> there's no known historical information about the straight ''[[ninjatō]]'' pre-20th century. The first photograph of a ''ninjatō'' appeared in a booklet by Heishichirō Okuse in 1956.<ref>{{cite book |title=Ninjutsu |last=Okuse|first=Heishichirō |year=1956|location=Osaka |publisher=Kinki Nippon Tetsudō }}</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=January 2025}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Ninja: Unmasking the Myth |last=Turnbull |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Turnbull (historian) |year=2018 |publisher=[[Frontline Books]] |isbn=978-1-4738-5042-2 }}</ref> A replica of a ''ninjatō'' is on display at the [[Ninja Museum of Igaryu]].

[[File:Kusarigama-crop.jpg|thumb|A pair of ''[[kusarigama]]'', on display in [[Iwakuni Castle]]]]

An array of [[Dart (missile)|darts]], spikes, [[Knife|knives]], and sharp, star-shaped discs were known collectively as ''[[shuriken]]''.<ref>The Art of Throwing Weapons, James W. Madden (1991)</ref> While not exclusive to the ninja,<ref name="Mol 2003 119">{{Harvnb|Mol|2003|p=119}}</ref> they were an important part of the arsenal, where they could be thrown in any direction.<ref name="ratti 1991 328 329">{{Harvnb|Ratti|Westbrook|1991|pp=328–329}}</ref> [[Bow and arrow|Bows]] were used for sharpshooting, and some ninjas' bows were intentionally made smaller than the traditional ''[[yumi]]'' (longbow).<ref name="ratti 1991 328">{{Harvnb|Ratti|Westbrook|1991|p=328}}</ref> The chain and sickle (''[[kusarigama]]'') was also used by the ninja.<ref name="Adams 1970 55">{{Harvnb|Adams|1970|p=55}}</ref> This weapon consisted of a weight on one end of a chain, and a sickle (''[[Kama (weapon)|kama]]'') on the other. The weight was swung to injure or disable an opponent, and the sickle used to kill at close range.

[[Explosive]]s introduced from China were known in Japan by the time of the [[Mongol invasions of Japan|Mongol Invasions]] in the 13th century.<ref name="Bunch Hellemans2004 161">{{Harvnb|Bunch|Hellemans|2004|p=161}}</ref> Later, explosives such as hand-held bombs and [[grenade]]s were adopted by the ninja.<ref name="ratti 1991 329" /> Soft-cased bombs were designed to release smoke or poison gas, along with fragmentation explosives packed with iron or ceramic [[Fragmentation (weaponry)|shrapnel]].

Along with common ''shinobi buki'' (ninja weapons), a large assortment of miscellaneous arms were associated with the ninja.<ref>Shinobi-no Buki (Ninja Weapons) by Yumio Nawa, August 25, 1967 First Edition</ref> Some examples include [[poison]], ''[[makibishi]]'' ([[caltrop]]s),<ref name="Mol 2003 176">{{Harvnb|Mol|2003|p=176}}</ref> ''[[Japanese sword mountings#Shikomizue|shikomizue]]'' ([[Swordstick|cane swords]]),<ref name="Mol 2003 195">{{Harvnb|Mol|2003|p=195}}</ref> [[land mine]]s,<ref name="draeger smith 1981 127">{{Harvnb|Draeger|Smith|1981|p=127}}</ref> ''[[fukiya]]'' ([[blowgun]]s), [[Arrow poison|poisoned darts]], [[acid]]-spurting tubes, and ''[[teppo jutsu]]'' ([[firearm]]s).<ref name="ratti 1991 329" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.teppojutsu.com/|title=Teppo Jutsu : Advanced Firearms Applications|website=www.teppojutsu.com}}</ref> The ''happō'', a small eggshell filled with ''[[metsubushi]]'' (blinding powder), was also used to facilitate escape.<ref name="Mol 2003 124">{{Harvnb|Mol|2003|p=124}}</ref>