Representations of Ninjutsu between Reality and Fiction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60055/phl.2026.49.18-32Keywords:
ninjutsu manuals, manga Rakudai Ninja Rantarō, manga NARUTO, historical sources, popular cultureAbstract
This paper examines representations of ninjutsu between “reality” and “fiction” through historical sources and works of popular culture. An analysis of ninjutsu manuals shows that reproducible techniques and magical ninjutsu coexist within these texts. It then examines the manga Rakudai Ninja Rantarō, the picture book Rakudai Ninja Rantarō, and the manga NARUTO, demonstrating source-based realistic representations, source-based magical representations, and original magical representations of ninjutsu, respectively. The study concludes that ninjutsu constitutes a multilayered cultural representation that cannot be reduced to either reality or fiction
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