Skip to main content

Meet the Japanese man who holds the world's only master's degree in ninja studies

A Japanese man has become the first person in the world to hold a master's degree in ninja studies, after completing a graduate course that involved learning basic martial arts and how to stealthily climb mountains.

Genichi Mitsuhashi, 45, spent two years studying the history, traditions and fighting techniques of ninjas -- the mysterious covert agents of feudal Japan -- at the country's Mie University.
Known for their secrecy and high levels of skill, ninjas were masters of espionage, sabotage, assassination and guerrilla warfare dating back to at least the 14th century. Yet Mitsuhashi said ninjas were also independent farmers, and he moved to the mountainous province of Iga, 220 miles from the Japanese capital Tokyo, to better understand how they lived.
Iga is where Ninja used to live. The climate of this area created the very nature of ninja," he said.

Mitsuhashi grows his own rice and vegetables in Iga, where he runs a local inn. He also teaches martial arts and ninjutsu -- the art of the ninja -- at his own dojo.
The master's degree course started in 2018, a year after Mie University established the International Ninja Research Center in Iga -- the first in the world dedicated to the ninja studies.
Apart from history, students also learn traditional fighting and survival skills, including basic martial arts and how to traverse mountainous areas while remaining undetected.
Ninja studies professor Yuji Yamada said Mitsuhashi was a "dedicated student."
"He literally (devotes) his life to ninja," he added.
Mitsuhashi, who wants to pursue a doctoral degree in ninja studies, said the course had taught him about the present, as well as the past.
"Living independently for your own survival and prosperity is important for modern Japan," he said. "The world for each of us is not global, but local. The era for globalism is over."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

President Museveni Advice Muslims to pray from home as God is everywhere

President Museveni has told Muslims in Uganda to pray from their homes as they celebrate Eid el Fitir this Sunday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadhan. Mr Museveni said that although it will not be possible to congregate in mosques to celebrate Eid el Fitir because of the Coronavirus pandemic and that State House was not able to offer them the usual dinner at Entebbe, Allah would still bless them in their homes. "Allah’s boundless blessings will find you in your homes. The bible says that God is everywhere meaning he is in all places, even in your homes, he is there," he said. The President encouraged the Muslim faithful to make fasting and generosity that they have exhibited during the Holy Month, an integral part of their lives and not just a seasonal habit. In his message sent from State House Entebbe, Mr Museveni said that the intercessory prayers that Muslims have offered for the nation during the sacred month of fasting will make Uganda st...

State house of Kenya Confirms Four Covid-19 cases

Four people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus at State House, Nairobi. According to State House spokesperson Kanze Dena, the four cases were recorded during a mass COVID-19 testing held on Thursday, June 11. The infected officers were admitted at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital in Kiambu County for treatment. “The tests are conducted on all staff including His Excellency the President and members of his family,” said Kanze Dena, in a statement. “Families and close contacts of the affected officers are also being attended to accordingly.” The State House spokesperson has assured the public that President Uhuru Kenyatta and the First Family are safe and free from COVID-19. Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 infections in Kenya on Monday rose to 3,727 after 133 more patients tested positive for the disease. Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, speaking in Nyandarua on a tour of the county’s health facilit...