scene 14 Facing punishment
Cultural information
Cultural information
Jp
Famous ninja groups ②: Iga/Koga
Ninja manga
Iga is in Mie prefecture, while Koga is in Shiga prefecture. The two regions are adjacent and separated by a single mountain. The area as a whole is close to Kyoto, meaning it was easy to get a good grasp of the state of world affairs from here. Also, 'shugendou' (a form of mountain asceticism, incorporating Shinto and Buddhist concepts) was popular in both regions, so it is said they first became ninja villages due to the number of mountain ascetics with unique technical skills who gathered there.
It is also said that the many ninja schools reported to have existed throughout Japan were derived from either Iga or Koga.
For the Iga ninja, taking on a contract depended upon the cash reward and nothing more. Even if a pair of employers were mutual enemies, a ninja would still be dispatched to both sides, if the price was right. For this reason, compared with other villages, the penalties for runaway ninja (nukenin) were even more harsh, and betrayals were simply not tolerated.
On the other hand, Koga ninja were different from the Iga in that they showed loyalty to only one master. Also, they were extremely proficient at handling medicine, and went around the country disguised as medicine-hawkers, gathering intelligence on their travels. As a legacy of this, a number of pharmaceutical companies are still based in the area around Shiga prefecture today.
It is also said that the many ninja schools reported to have existed throughout Japan were derived from either Iga or Koga.
For the Iga ninja, taking on a contract depended upon the cash reward and nothing more. Even if a pair of employers were mutual enemies, a ninja would still be dispatched to both sides, if the price was right. For this reason, compared with other villages, the penalties for runaway ninja (nukenin) were even more harsh, and betrayals were simply not tolerated.
On the other hand, Koga ninja were different from the Iga in that they showed loyalty to only one master. Also, they were extremely proficient at handling medicine, and went around the country disguised as medicine-hawkers, gathering intelligence on their travels. As a legacy of this, a number of pharmaceutical companies are still based in the area around Shiga prefecture today.
Jp
- written in
- 漢字・かな
- かな
- Roma-ji