WAY OF THE NINJA: KUNOICHI

Another aspect of the Ninja that I find very intriguing and incredibly cool are the KUNOICHI. I am still learning more and more about the Ninja and have a long ways to go but at this moment I am aware of the two sexes of Ninja: SHINOBI (the quintessential male ninja) and KUNOICHI (the indomitable female ninja). Ninja is really a blanket term for those who practice the art of Ninjitsu. There are of course hierarchies within the ninja clans and different roles and jobs therein. Breaking it down to the basics you have your Shinobi and Kunoichi.

From my research into Japanese history and mythology there once was a time before the influence of Buddhism and the powerful patriarchal society Japan became where women shared a more equal role with men. Many of the ancient gods in Japanese mythology are in fact goddesses and the figure of the woman was held high and cherished. Most of this changed with the introduction of Buddhism and Japanese men became the dominate figures.

Shiki ~ a playable kunoichi from SNK video games

I find it interesting that of the two central warrior types in Japanese history, the Samurai and the Ninja, only the Ninja allowed women to become full fledged warriors alongside the men. Very few warrior classes in the history of the world allowed women to fight and die on equal terms with the men. I say equal terms because that is what they'd have me believe and that is what I hope was true. The fact of it is that much about the Ninja is a highly romanticized depiction. Much of what we think we know is derived from what we've seen in the movies and video games, books and animation.

The Kunoichi within the ninja clan were just as much warriors and assassins as the men were. To have an exceptional beauty as a woman was both a blessing and a curse. If you were a particularly beautiful woman you became a sort of "undercover agent." Using your good looks as a weapon of infiltration into the enemy's ranks, the Kunoichi would pose as Geisha or Courtesans, earning favor with powerful political figures and generals. They would earn the confidence of these men, learning what they could by being flies on the wall or spying from the shadows late at night. Lords and Generals would hardly think twice about divulging information in front of their favored mistress because of the very low opinion most men had of women at the time.

Hibana from the video game Nightshade (Kunoichi)

The Kunoichi would then relay the information to her fellow ninja and the information would then find its way to the opposing side. Being a deep cover ninja was an extremely dangerous occupation. If the Kunoichi were caught, or any ninja for that matter, the men and women were executed, many times in gruesome ways. Being a Kunoichi required many skills and an unbelievable amount of self-control and willpower.

You also had to be physically prepared. If you were found out you had to escape immediately. In some cases you had to fight your way to freedom through an endless amount of hired Yakuza and Ronin, and sometimes the lord's closest Samurai warriors. Unless you wanted to die in some humiliating horrible execution the Kunoichi had to possess the fighting skills, stealth, and physical endurance to escape from the heart of an enemy city. If you were an undercover Kunoichi you needed to be a virtual warrior goddess to survive.

Not only were the Kunoichi used for espionage, but they were also fighting on the front lines. Many lords and generals hunted the ninja, in some cases wiping out entire clans, man, woman, and child. The Kunoichi had be strong on the battlefield as every bit as the men. They mastered hundreds of weapons and fighting techniques, the most obvious being the use of swords, daggers, kunai (throwing knives), shurikens (throwing stars), kodachi (short swords), kusari-gama (chain and hook), and many many more. Hand to hand combat as well was essential.

Taki from Soul Calibur is an example of the overtly sexual Kunoichi

The Kunoichi were dangerous women living in a dangerous world. Again much of what I'm saying here is the popularized and romanticized version of these women. Nowadays the Kunoichi have been extremely sexualized. Most of the female ninja in video games are objectified and oversexed. It's actually quite difficult to find a depiction that isn't overtly sexual. But looking at the subject closer there is a legitimate basis for the Kunoichi's strong sex appeal. Their sex was one of their weapons. The more beautiful the woman, the more deadly she had to be.

I love Ninjas (obviously). The Shinobi are extremely cool and the Kunoichi are just as badass! I love these ninja warrior women. In video games, books, comic books, animation, or film. Whether it's a fictionalized version or the real deal, the Kunoichi are something to behold.

Street Fighter's very own Kunoichi ~ Ibuki