Epilogue

This exhibition approaches ninja from the perspectives of the entertainment world and the real thing. Thanks to the various fascinating ninja active in the world of entertainment, ninja are now widely popular with everyone, even in other countries. At the same time, due to this popularity, academic research on real ninja has also been flourishing. For example, the International Ninja Research Center was established at Mie University in 2017 and the International Ninja Research Association in 2018. There are still many aspects about ninja that are unknown, and historical documents continue to be discovered. In 2022, Kanrinseiyo, which is believed to be the basis of Bansenshūkai, was discovered in Koka City. The future progress of research is greatly anticipated. Whether they are the ninja of the world of entertainment or the real thing, ninja will continue to capture our hearts and minds beyond the boundaries of time and space.

Riddle Solution Scroll

You've really made it this far! Congratulations!
Let's check the answer. The nine kanji characters in the trivia are all symbols of the "kuji goshin-bō," the ninja hand sea technique for self-defense. If you put the corresponding keywords in the order of Rin, Pyo, Toh, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen... you get the phrase "Shinobi means that there's a heart under the blade."

Toryu dakkou shinobi no maki (the Kusunoki school's ninja textbook) says "the character for 'shinobi (忍).' This one character is extremely important. The real intention of this character is that there is a heart under the blade."
Heart (心) is written under blade(刃), which means "shinobi."
Being a ninja was a demanding job that required calm judgment in any situation, no matter how severe. Bansenshūkai mentions the following diseases that ninja suffer from: fear, underestimating the enemy, and thinking too much. Thinking too much leads to unnecessary worry, which leads to hesitation and failure. Therefore, even when ninja were faced with a tough situation like someone pointing a blade at their heart, it was most important to remain calm and keep their cool. There is a heart under the blade, this phrase expresses the strong heart of the ninja.

This time it is goodbye for real. You guys learned a lot about ninja and solved the riddle. That is excellent. I'll give you a scroll certifying your completion.

I'm sad to say goodbye, but I have to go. Jiraiya seems to miss me. Don't forget the spirit of ninja. See you soon!

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References